Description
Best Banana Bread Recipe (Moist!): My simple secret for a tender, flavorful loaf every time. Your perfect, comforting sweet treat awaits!
Ingredients
Scale
- Wet Ingredients:
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Flavor Boosters:
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional Mix-ins:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Prep Your Pan and Oven:: First things first, get your oven preheating to 350°F (175°C). Then, grab a 9×5-inch loaf pan and give it a good spray with non-stick spray, or butter and flour it. I usually line mine with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides. Trust me, it makes lifting the moist banana bread out so much easier later. I learned this hard way after a few loaves got stuck!
- Mash Those Bananas:: In a large bowl, go ahead and mash your super ripe bananas. You can use a fork, a potato masher, whatever you’ve got. I like a few small lumps in mine; it adds character. Don’t go for a perfectly smooth puree unless you really want to. This is where the magic starts for that perfectly moist banana bread texture.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:: To your mashed bananas, add the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Give it a good stir until everything is just combined. Don’t overmix here; we just want it to come together. I remember one time I got distracted and beat it too much, and the resulting loaf was a bit tougher than I like.
- Mix Dry Ingredients:: In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps. This step is important for even distribution, so your moist banana bread rises beautifully and consistently.
- Combine Wet and Dry:: Now, gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Seriously, stop as soon as you don’t see any dry streaks of flour. Overmixing develops gluten, and we want a tender, moist banana bread, not a tough one! If you’re adding chocolate chips or walnuts, fold them in now.
- Bake Your Loaf:: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Pop it into the preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top should be a beautiful golden-brown. My kitchen smells incredible during this step, it’s the best! Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your moist banana bread!