4.5 from 81 votes
The Best Banana Bread
The Best Banana Bread is a moist, flavorful quick bread combining ripe mashed bananas with brown sugar, butter, and a blend of flour, baking soda, and warm spices like cinnamon. It incorporates crushed pineapple and applesauce to add moisture and subtle sweetness. Chocolate chips scattered on top provide an extra touch of richness and texture, baked to a tender crumb with a lightly golden crust. This bread is suited for breakfast or a snack, offering a balance of sweet and fruity flavors with a soft, moist texture.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings:
3
loaves
Course:
Bread
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 2 cups banana about 4-6 bananas, mashed ripe
- 2 egg
- 1/2 /2 cup pineapple crushed, drained
- 1/2 /2 cup applesauce (about one applesauce cup. 4 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (11 ounce bag) milk chocolate chips you may not need all of it
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 3 medium bread pans ( I like to use Reynold's disposable foil pans - size 8"x3 3/4") with Baker's Joy or cooking spray.
- Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the bananas, eggs, crushed pineapple, applesauce, and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Pour into bread pans and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the batter (remember you don't have to use all of them). Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not overbake!
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense loaf.
- Use very ripe bananas for the best natural sweetness and flavor.
- Ensure crushed pineapple is well drained to prevent excess moisture that could affect the texture.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean to avoid underbaking.