Skip the cafe queue, this banana bread has that same moist middle and crunchy top, made in one bowl at home.
Got more overripe bananas than you know what to do with? My ABCD Muffins and Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting are two more good ways to use them up.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Banana Bread
🕒 Ready In: 1 hour 5 minutes
👪 Serves: 16
🔥 Calories: 187kcal per serve
🥣 Main Ingredients: ripe bananas, butter, brown sugar, eggs, plain flour
🌿 Dietary: vegetarian, can be made gluten-free
⭐ Why You'll Love It: one bowl, 5 minutes of prep, and a crunchy cafe-style top thanks to a sprinkle of raw sugar.
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This banana bread has been on high rotation since I found the recipe. It tastes like a cafe loaf and is so easy to make. I've tried a few other recipes but this one is the family favourite.
- Jan
Jan's not alone; this one has over 230 five-star reviews.
If you're stocking the freezer for school lunches, check out my Freezer Friendly Lunch Box Recipes, and if muffins are more your speed, my Banana Muffins use the same moist-banana trick in a smaller, lunchbox-friendly size.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- One Bowl, Minimal Mess - no creaming butter and sugar in a separate bowl; everything just gets mixed together.
- Extra Moist - four ripe bananas do all the heavy lifting here.
- Cafe-Style Crunchy Top - a sprinkle of raw sugar before baking gives you that golden crunch.
- Freezer-Friendly - slice and freeze so there's always a piece ready to go, see my Recipe Tips below.
- Quick - just 5 minutes of prep and it's in the oven.
Banana Bread Ingredients
Most of this is basic pantry stuff, but here are the ones worth a mention:
- Ripe bananas - the more overripe and speckled (even black), the better. That's what gives the loaf its sweetness and soft texture, so don't reach for the barely-yellow ones.
- Brown sugar - swap it for white sugar and you'll lose both moisture and that deeper caramel flavour, so stick with brown here.
- Raw sugar - totally optional, but this is the whole secret to the crunchy cafe-style top. Skip it for a plainer loaf.
Variations
- Gluten-free - swap the plain flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. If it doesn't already contain xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon along with the flour.
- Chocolate chip - stir 150g of chocolate chips through the batter.
- Nut bread - mix in 150g of chopped walnuts or pecans; several readers add these and swear by it.
- Berry banana bread - mix through 175g fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or blackberries.
- Spiced - add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Mini loaves or muffins - divide the batter between lined muffin tins or mini loaf pans, perfect for lunchboxes; just cut the baking time right down.
How To Make Banana Bread
Got 5 minutes and one bowl? That's genuinely all you need.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredient quantities and full detailed method (plus the Thermomix version).
- Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the room temperature butter and brown sugar until pale and creamy, using beaters, a stand mixer or a Thermomix.
- Step 2: Add the banana and eggs. Mix in the mashed banana and room temperature eggs until well combined.
- Step 3: Sift in the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and bicarb soda over the mixture, then add the salt and vanilla.
- Step 4: Fold gently. Fold through with a spoon until just combined, don't overmix or the loaf will turn out dense.
- Step 5: Bake. Pour into a greased and lined loaf tin, sprinkle with raw sugar, and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
Recipe Tips
- Use frozen bananas if that's what you've got - thaw them fully first, and don't tip out the liquid that collects; mix it straight back through the mashed banana so you don't lose any moisture.
- Don't overmix - fold gently once the flour goes in to keep the crumb light instead of dense and gummy.
- Browning too fast? Loosely cover with foil halfway through baking.
- Let it cool completely before slicing; cutting into it warm gives you a gummy texture, as tempting as it is.
- Storage - keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing - wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Warm a slice in the microwave for 20 seconds for that fresh-from-the-oven taste.
Banana Bread FAQs
Bananas vary a lot in size, but as a rough guide, 4 medium bananas is around 1½ to 2 cups mashed, or roughly 350-400g. This recipe is forgiving, so anywhere in that range will work perfectly.
Yes. Thaw them completely first, and mix any liquid that collects back through the mashed banana rather than draining it away, that liquid is where a lot of the flavour and moisture is.
Yes, try cutting the brown sugar back by around a quarter cup, especially if your bananas are very ripe. It'll still be moist and flavourful, just slightly less sweet.
Yes, just divide it between lined muffin tins and reduce the cooking time, start checking for doneness from around 15 minutes.
That's completely normal. The crack down the centre happens because the batter rises quickly in the oven, it's actually a good sign your loaf is light and cooked through.
More Banana Recipes
Got more ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl? Here are some more of my favourites.
Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 120 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
- 4 bananas mashed, see notes
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 225 g (1 ½ cups) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
- raw sugar optional, to sprinkle over the top
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius fan-forced (320 degrees fahrenheit). Grease and line a non-stick loaf tin (approximately 21cm x 11cm, or 8 inch x 4.5 inch) and set aside.
- Place the softened butter and brown sugar into a bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or hand-held beaters for 2 minutes or until pale and fluffy.
- Add the mashed banana and the eggs to the creamed butter mixture. Beat for 30 seconds or until well combined.
- Sift the plain flour and bi-carbonate soda (baking soda) into the bowl.
- Add the salt and vanilla extract and fold together with a spoon.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top (optional).
- Cook for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius fan-forced (320 degrees fahrenheit). Grease and line a non-stick loaf tin (approximately 21cm x 11cm or 8 inch x 4.5 inch) and set aside.
- Place the softened butter and brown sugar into the Thermomix bowl. Mix for 20 seconds, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 20 seconds.
- Add the bananas and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5.
- Add the plain flour, bi-carbonate soda, salt and vanilla extract and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 5 seconds.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top (optional).
- Cook for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Banana Bread: Swap the plain flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Ensure that your gluten-free plain flour contains xanthan gum. If it doesn't, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum along with the flour.
- Banana Chocolate Chip Bread: Stir 150g of chocolate chips through the batter before pouring into the tin.
- Banana Nut Bread - Mix in 150g of chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Berry Banana Bread - Mix through 175g fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or blackberries.
- Spiced Banana Bread: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to warm things up.
- Mini Banana Breads: Divide the batter between lined muffin tins or mini loaf pans - perfect for lunchboxes!
- Use heavily speckled or black bananas - they're the sweetest!
- Sprinkle the top of the batter with raw sugar before baking for the ultimate cafe-style crunchy top!
- Don't overmix the batter - fold gently to keep it light and fluffy.
- If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil halfway through baking.
- Insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it's cooked. If not, continue baking.
- If you don't have a loaf tin, use a 20cm (8 inch) round or square cake tin instead.
- Let it cool completely before slicing to avoid a gummy texture.
- Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Warm in the microwave for 20 seconds for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.
- Serve thick slices with butter, cream cheese, or even a drizzle of honey!
Irena says
Lovely cake. Thank you for the share.
I made only 2 adjustments:
1) left out the salt (always do and can't tell any difference), and
2) substituted 1c wholemeal flour plus 1/2c self-raising w/m flour.
And added some pecans.
It came out perfect!
I like using wholemeal flour wherever it's appropriate as it gives the cake or bread a lovely nutty flavour.
I cooked the mix in 3 mini spring-form pans, which left a couple of large spoons of mix for the chef to devour - yum!!
Lucy says
Fantastic!!!
Debora says
Super good! banana bread!!! Thank you! We did add a little cinnamon which really made the bread even better and it was already great and so easy too!
Lucy says
Fantastic!!
Kelly says
I made this and the family demolished it! Didn’t last long. It’s beautifully moist and sweet and the sugary top gives the most perfect bit of crunch.
Lucy says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Tammy Teoh says
I just made this and it's by far the most delicious banana bread I have ever made!. This will be my go to recipe. I added a cup of roasted chopped walnuts. I served the bread with a dollop of cream and blueberries. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Lucy says
YUM!!! That's SO great to hear!
Michelle Spicer says
Would it work with GF flour to make it GF?
Lucy says
I haven't personally made it with GF flour