Imagine this: the warm aroma of banana bread spreading through your home, filling your nose with comfort—that was my home this morning! I had some ripe bananas on my kitchen counter, perfect to mash up and throw into a banana bread recipe—the best banana bread recipe.
Growing up, my mom made banana bread often, so that aroma fills me with a sense of nostalgia. I love baking banana bread because it’s easy and reminds me of my childhood. The end result is tasty and moist! Dry banana bread is the absolute worst. Let me teach you how to make a moist banana bread that pairs perfectly with butter—YUM!
Why is my banana bread dry?
Most likely because you didn’t use enough ripe bananas. I once made this mistake by using 3 bananas instead of 4. The result was dry bread that didn’t have that deep banana flavor I longed for. Don’t skimp on bananas!
How many bananas should I use to make banana bread?
The optimal number for perfect banana bread is four medium-sized, ripe bananas to create the perfect loaf texture, taste, and consistency.
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
The browner the banana, the sweeter the bread. Use bananas that are just beginning to brown with spots or completely browned bananas that have no yellow remaining—just make sure there is no mold on the peal! We want fresh banana bread!
I love using spices in my banana bread because they add another layer of flavor. I generally add allspice, nutmeg, and ground clove. These are optional, but at the very least I would add nutmeg! It gives the loaf a fall flavor reminiscent of leaves turning gold and falling to the ground, a crisp coolness in the air.
Making banana bread is simple! This was one of the first recipes I ever learned with my mom when I was 6 or 7 years old. First, mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork, leaving no big chunks behind (small chunks are fine.) Add the melted butter and sugar and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and you have banana bread batter! Pour this into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden on top. It’s that easy!
Best Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- a pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- a pinch of allspice (optional)
- a pinch of ground clove (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a loaf pan (8″x4″). Mash the bananas in a large bowl leaving no big chunks (small chunks are fine). Pour in the melted butter and add in the brown sugar. Mix together and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and ground clove.
- Slowly fold in the dry ingredients to the wet until combined. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is golden brown (a toothpick comes out clean).
