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Moist and fluffy-textured and scented with banana, vanilla, and a touch of cinnamon, this really is the Best Banana Bread Recipe!
I love this recipe so much I’ve made it four times in the past month. Four times. And I’m not usually one for banana bread.
(Zucchini bread holds the number one spot in my heart when it comes to quick bread.)
I know calling this the Best Banana Bread is a pretty tall claim. But it really is.
The Best Banana Bread Recipe
This easy banana bread definitely has a classic banana bread taste and texture. It’s faintly scented of banana and vanilla and has a soft, moist texture.
It’s perfect in its simplicity, but if you’re in the mood to jazz up the flavor a little bit you could add nuts and/or increase the amount of cinnamon.
For the past few months this recipe has been my go-to whenever I find myself with over-ripe bananas, which is usually at least two or three times a month. And I still can’t get enough!
Healthy Banana Bread Recipe
A couple of things make this Best Banana Bread Recipe healthier than most:
- It only has 1/4 cup butter, with yogurt added to keep it moist
- It only has 1 cup sugar
Banana Bread FAQs
What Should Bananas Look Like for Banana Bread?
When you’re making banana bread, let your bananas ripen to the point that they’re brown and even blackish.
Pro Tip: The more ripe bananas are (i.e., the darker their skin is), the sweeter and more intensely-flavored they are!
How Do I Know When Banana Bread is Done?
The toothpick test works well! Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs, it’s done cooking.
How Do You Keep Banana Bread Moist?
Once your loaf is cooked and cooled to room temperature, cover it up to keep it moist. I leave it in the loaf pan and cover the top with plastic wrap. If you prefer, you can remove it from the pan and wrap the whole loaf in plastic wrap.
More Quick Bread Recipes to Try:
- Rosemary Onion Quick Bread
- Low Carb Apple Bread
- Lemon Quick Bread
- Easy Low Carb Zucchini Bread
- Cheddar Dill Beer Bread
- Paleo Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Best Banana Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- Coconut oil spray
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened but not melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana about 3 bananas
- 1/3 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray the inside of an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with coconut oil spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Beat together the sugar and butter in a large bowl, and then beat in the eggs. Once combined, beat in the mashed banana, yogurt, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
- Spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack; remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Recipe adapted slightly from Cooking Light's recipe for Classic Banana Bread.
- I use an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan to make this recipe - it's the perfect size!
- This loaf is wonderful in its simplicity, but if you’re in the mood to jazz up the flavor a little bit you could add nuts and/or increase the amount of cinnamon.
- Serving Size and Nutritional Information: This recipe makes 1 loaf. Cut the loaf into 12 slices and each slice is 1 serving.
- Mini Loaves: This recipe makes 3 mini loaves (5 3/4 inches long by 3 inches wide by 2 inches deep), and they take between 35 to 40 minutes to cook at 350F.
- Muffins: This recipe makes 12 muffins, and they take between 25 to 30 minutes to cook at 350F.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on November 26, 2012. I updated it with more information on April 6, 2020.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
I’ve made this banana bread recipe a few times and it is wonderful. Just increased cinnamon to 1 tsp and omitted almond extract.
This is an amazing recipe. I really love the addition of almond extract to the recipe, although I never use vanilla paste because I’m a cheap-o. I’ve literally made this 3 times in the past month and my roommates LOVE it. In fact, I just started my blog and I made this recipe the first recipe I posted on it!!! (: I’ve been following your blog for a while and it’s always been a great source of delicious food. Thanks so much!
Tracey, I am so honored! Thank you so much, I can’t even say how much that means to me. Your blog is beautiful and I wish you the best of luck with it. Your Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting look amazing – I just shared them on my Facebook page! xo
Wow, thank you so much, I really appreciate the share! I don’t have an official FB page for my blog so I can’t really share back that way, but I liked your FB page on my personal FB (: Thanks again, for both the recipe and the FB share!!
Just wanted to say thanks for publishing this recipe!! Added a dash of nutmeg and cloves and it tastes amazing! Makes a perfect loaf!
this is the best banana bread ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing recipe! Thank you for saving me from banana bread disaster after disaster!
Thanks so much! p.s. your photo’s are amazing!!
Dani
Incredibly delicious!
Wow, these look fabulous! I do have my go-to banana cake recipe, but have yet to find THE perfect banana bread recipe…definitely trying this one out! Thanks Faith!
It looks amazing! Can you send the complete recipe to me please?, i can’t wait to try it!
Noraly, I just emailed it – enjoy! :)
I made this bread last week and it really was a GREAT recipe! A keeper for sure! Thanks for sharing.
Doncha love it when you find the BEST recipe? I’ve tried so many ones for banana bread (I went on a rampage and tried almost thirty recipes this year, no joke) and finally found a favorite but of course I have to try this one! I know that you do not say “best” lightly and I trust your judgement. Pinned!
Love banana bread…your looks delicious. My favorite banana bread is a version I’m slightly modified from Martha Stewart. I’ll have to give your recipe a try!
I have a love/hate relationship with recipes I LOVE so much I make over and over again. We make banana bread all the time over here, and your version looks perfect! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! x
if i’m making banana bread, you’d better believe that cinnamon will be involved, and more than enough to provide a little intrigue. :)
and now i desperately want to make banana bread – this sounds soooooo good!
Do you have a complete recipe of the one you use. Do I have to cut and paste the old recipe and then put in your changes?Thank you for your response.
Tammy, I just emailed you the recipe – hope you enjoy it!
Four times in one month? Well, we don’t have to worry about you getting your share of potassium, do we? LOL Banana bread is pure comfort in loaf form. I can’t blame you for wanting a slice again and again.
If you say so, I’m in! Looks lovely!
Haha, I get like that too. When I find a recipe that I love, my family is required to eat it multiple times in the weeks that follow :). This does look like a wonderfully moist and flavourful banana bread.
I can see why you renamed it to the Best Banana Bread. It looks so moist and I just love the changes you made. Can’t wait for the next batch of ripe bananas to give this a try;)
I love all the vanilla goodness you added to this bread – it certainly earns the title of “best”!
I love banana bread but yet I love any quick bread! We do have extra bananas so maybe I need to make this this week!
I have not made banana bread in for ever! Nice tweaks with extra vanilla and cinnamon. If you made it so many times it must be the best.
4x is a lot, especially for a food blogger. it must be amazing! i have to bookmark b/c banana bread is one of my favorites!
I can’t resist a good banana bread and if you crown it with the word best, I’m sure it’s wonderful! Wish I had some with my tea. :)
I eat one banana every day as part of my diet! I would love to substitute it with a piece of this bread!!!!
I adore banana bread and muffins. I’ve been particularly addicted to a vegan recipe as of late (the website is under construction- will send you the recipe when its back up!!). I will definitely give this one a go
It looks amazing! A moist and tempting cake.
Cheers,
Rosa