Best Banana Bread Recipe

5 from 56 votes

This best Banana Bread is soft and sweet with overripe bananas, brown sugar, melted butter, and an optional cinnamon sugar topping.

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: loaf

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 5-x-9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
To make the dough, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together bananas, both sugars, egg, and melted butter.
Fold in flour mixture and stir until smooth. Scoop batter into the prepared pan.
To make the cinnamon-sugar mixture, mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the batter.
Bake for 55–60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. (NOTE: If not adding cinnamon-sugar mixture, cover with aluminum foil for the last 20 minutes of baking.)

Recipe Tips.

Use very spotty, overripe bananas for the sweetest flavor and softest texture.
Sift the dry ingredients so the baking powder, baking soda, and salt are evenly mixed.
Fold the flour mixture in gently and stop once the batter is smooth so the loaf stays tender.
Use the cinnamon sugar topping for a pretty, sweet finish, or cover with foil during the last 20 minutes if skipping it.
Make-ahead tip: bake the loaf a day ahead, wrap it tightly once cooled, and slice when ready to serve.

Store. Keep banana bread covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Refrigerate for up to 1 week if you want it to last longer.

Freeze. Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm slices slightly if desired.