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Two slice of banana bread on a white plate with a fork and a cup of coffee in the background.
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5 from 6 votes

Old-Fashioned Banana Bread

Course Bread & Muffins
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10 slices
Calories 296kcal
Author Kristine Underwood

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3-4 small to medium banans or 2-3 large bananas)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 TBS milk (any kind)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 2 cups flour (all-purpose, spooned and leveled)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9" loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed, until crumbly and light colored.
  • Add the mashed bannanas, eggs, vanilla extract, milk and ground cinnamon (if using). Mix just until everything is well combined.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and mix gently until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter.
  • Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent it with foil.
  • Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
  • Store banana bread in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
  • Use very ripe bananas here (serioulsy, black is great). This isn’t the place for barely-yellow ones. The softer they are, the better their flavor, sweetness, and texture will be.
  • You can stir in 1 cup chopped nuts or 1 cup chocolate chips.
  • Once you add the flour, mix just until the batter just comes together. Overmixing is how you end up with a dense loaf.
  • If your oven runs hot (like mine), check it closer to the 50-minute mark. If it needs more time, give it to it, banana bread is forgiving like that.
  • To check bread for doneness, insert a toothpick (or sharp knife) into the center. If the bread is done, the toothpick will come out with only a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
  • Mini loaves will bake in less time. Start checking for doneness at 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg