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A golden-brown loaf of freshly baked banana bread, with two slices cut to show the moist and tender texture inside.

Classic Golden Banana Bread

This incredibly moist and flavorful banana bread recipe is a timeless comfort, perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack. It's easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and yields a tender, golden-brown loaf every time.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients
  • 3 medium ripe bananas mashed, about 1 cup
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Equipment

  • 9x5 inch Loaf Pan
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Medium Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Rubber Spatula
  • Fork or potato masher

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining. Set aside.
Combine Wet Ingredients
  1. To the mashed bananas, add the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and smooth.
Combine Dry Ingredients
  1. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon (if using) until well combined.
Mix and Bake
  1. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a rubber spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are fine.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
  3. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. The top should be golden brown.
Cooling
  1. Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slicing too early may cause it to crumble.
  2. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

For the best banana bread, use very ripe bananas (yellow with plenty of brown spots). If your bananas aren't ripe enough, you can bake them in their peels at 300°F (150°C) for 15-20 minutes until they turn black. Store leftover banana bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.