4.60 from 5 votes

Banana Bread

This old-fashioned Banana Bread recipe is incredibly moist, tender with the perfect amount of sweetness. Made with sour cream and loads of overripe bananas, it’s a classic recipe just like grandma used to make.

A loaf of banana bread on a wooden surface.


Homemade banana bread is incredibly easy to make and hard to mess up. I’m a big fan of quick breads and this easy banana bread recipe is easily my favorite. 

I make my banana bread with sour cream and brown sugar. I love the intense banana flavor and how moist each slice is. I love serving mine with softened butter. So yummy! This is seriously the best banana bread!

Nothing beats the smell of warm banana bread fresh from the oven. It makes the whole house smell delicious. I always want to dig in right away, but will hold back giving the loaf a chance to cool down.

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Why You’ll Love This Easy Banana Bread Recipe

  • Easy recipe perfect for the kids to help make
  • A favorite way to use brown bananasCan be frozen
  • Simple to customize to your preferences
  • Moist, sweet with delicious banana taste
  • My family’s favorite banana bread recipe (hopefully it may become yours too!)

Ingredients

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    To make a loaf of banana bread, you’ll need to gather these ingredients.

    • Salted butter – Make sure it’s softened (but not melted) so it’s easy to cream with the sugars.
    • Brown sugar – Use either light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses and has a richer, caramel-like flavor.
    • Eggs
    • Vanilla extract – I prefer to use pure vanilla extract, but artificial vanilla extract is fine, too.
    • Sour cream – I love adding sour cream to my banana bread because it makes it extra moist and tender.
    • Bananas – You’ll want to use ripe bananas so they’ll have a beautiful sweet taste.
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking soda
    • Cinnamon
    • Salt – Salt enhances the flavor and also helps to balance the sweetness.
    Ingredients to make banana bread.

    How to Make Banana Bread with Sour Cream

    • Step One: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan.
    • Step Two: Add butter and brown sugar to a large bowl. Cream together with a hand mixer on medium low speed. 
    Steps to make banana bread.
    • Step Three: Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat together until combined.
    Steps to make banana bread.
    • Step Four: Stir in mashed bananas.
    Steps to make banana bread.
    • Step Five: In another mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 
    Steps to make banana bread.
    • Step Six: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. 
    • Step Seven: Pour banana mixture into greased loaf pan.
    • Step Eight: Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
    • Step Nine: Let cool a few minutes in the loaf pan. Remove and place on a cooling rack to cool. Slice into pieces and serve.
    Steps to make banana bread.

    Equipment Needed

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    What to Serve with Banana Bread

    A loaf of banana bread with slices cut at the end.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
    • Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
    • Add in nutmeg, allspice or even cloves for a warmer flavor.
    • Use whole-wheat flour for a nuttier taste.
    • Substitute the butter for melted coconut oil.
    • Top with cream cheese frosting.

    Storage Instructions

    Wrap any leftover banana bread up in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also put it into an airtight container. You don’t need to refrigerate it. It will stay moister if you store, covered, at room temperature.

    Can You Freeze Banana Bread?

    Banana bread freezes very well! You can freeze a whole loaf, part of a loaf or individual slices if stored properly.

    Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. 

    To defrost, unwrap the frozen loaf and let it sit at room temperature for several hours. Once defrosted, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Banana bread with slices cut at the end.

    Banana Bread Add Ins

    Now that you have the base recipe, you can easily customize with yummy add-ins.

    • Chocolate chips
    • Chopped walnuts
    • Dried cranberries
    • Raisins
    • Blueberries
    • Peanut butter chips
    • Shredded coconut
    • Crushed pineapple
    • Chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

    How to Ripen Bananas Quickly?

    This happens to me to me all the time. I’ll buy bananas at the grocery store and they’ll be too green to use. I want to make banana bread STAT! Good thing there’s a trick to ripen bananas quickly.

    The trick is to place the bananas in a brown paper bag and fold it shut. Let it sit over night on the counter and the bananas should be ripe enough to use the next day. 

    Banana bread with slices cut at the end.

    How to Keep Banana Bread Moist

    The most important thing to remember to keep banana bread moist is to never store it in the fridge. The cool air will dry out the bread.

    Can I Make Banana Bread Into Muffins?

    Yes, you can turn this loaf of banana bread into muffins! You’ll need to change the oven temperature and shorten the baking time.

    Pour batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a muffin.

    You’ll also love these Sticky Banana Croissants and Banana Nut Muffins.

    A slices of banana bread on a plate.

    Quick Bread Recipes

    You’ll also like Banana Cupcakes.


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    If you make the recipe, rate it on the recipe card below and tag me on Instagram and use #simplystacie. I like sharing the photos on my Instagram stories!

    4.60 from 5 votes

    Banana Bread

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 8
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    This old-fashioned quick bread recipe is incredibly moist, tender with the perfect amount of sweetness. Made with sour cream and loads of overripe bananas, it's a classic recipe just like grandma used to make.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup salted butter softened
    • ¾ cup brown sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • 2 cups bananas mashed
    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • ½ tsp salt

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan.
    • Add butter and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Cream together with a hand mixer on medium low speed.
    • Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat together until combined.
    • Stir in mashed bananas.
    • In another mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
    • Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir to combine.
    • Pour mixture into greased loaf pan.
    • Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
    • Let cool a few minutes in the loaf pan. Remove and place on a cooling rack to cool. Slice into pieces and serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 483IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword banana bread, banana bread with sour cream

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