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My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe: Moist, Buttery, and Delicious

banana bread recipe
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This banana bread recipe is moist, buttery, and bursting with natural banana flavor. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients like ripe bananas, brown sugar, and yogurt or sour cream for extra moisture. Perfectly tender with a soft crumb, it’s great plain or with nuts and chocolate chips, making it a versatile favorite for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (80g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1.5 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Optional: 3/4 cup (100g) chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Pan and Oven: Move the oven rack to the lower third position. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
  3. Cream Butter & Sugar: Using a mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on high speed until creamy (after 2 minutes).
  4. Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients: With the mixer on medium, add eggs one by one, beating well after each. Mix in yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry: On low speed, slowly blend dry ingredients into wet until just combined—avoid overmixing. Fold in nuts or additional mix-ins.
  6. Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly. Cover loosely with foil halfway through baking to prevent over-browning. Bake for 60–65 minutes, checking with a toothpick from the 60-minute mark until it comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool: Let bread cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove and let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • Banana Bread Muffins: Spoon batter into lined muffin tins, bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 min, then reduce to 350°F (177°C) and bake 16–17 min.
  • Gluten-Free Variation: Substitute gluten-free flour blend; reader feedback suggests success with Cup4Cup or similar products.
  • Dairy-Free: Use a plant-based yogurt and vegan butter.
  • Egg-Free: While not thoroughly tested, many bakers report chia/flax egg works with some texture variation.
  • Mix-ins: Chocolate chips, berries, peanut butter, coconut, streusel topping.
  • Freezing: Allow bread to cool fully before wrapping. Frozen slices thaw quickly and retain flavor.

Nutrition

Keywords: Banana Bread Recipe

Find it online: https://www.wearecookrecipes.com/my-favorite-banana-bread-recipe/