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Banana Bread Recipe

Banana bread baked with deeply caramelized, golden crust and a tender, moist crumb. Loaded with very ripe bananas and an optional Nutella or peanut butter swirl on top for a dramatic finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 3 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 13 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 240
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread base
  • 3 very ripe bananas (the blacker the better) Use very overripe, almost-black bananas for the strongest natural sweetness.
  • 0.33 cup melted butter
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 salt Pinch.
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
Optional swirl
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter or Nutella Choose one: peanut butter or Nutella.
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar For the swirl only.
  • 1 tsp cinnamon For the swirl only.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep the oven and pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and set an oven rack to the middle position. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan thoroughly so the loaf releases cleanly.
Mix the banana batter
  1. Mash the bananas thoroughly in a large bowl until almost smooth. Leave only a few tiny lumps for best texture.
  2. Stir in the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla until glossy and evenly combined. Mix just until no dry pockets remain.
  3. Add the baking soda and salt, then stir briefly to distribute. The batter may look slightly thicker as the baking soda activates.
  4. Fold in the all-purpose flour until just combined, stopping as soon as you don’t see streaks. Do not overmix to keep the crumb tender.
Add swirl (optional)
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan once to help the batter settle.
  2. For swirl, drop spoonfuls of peanut butter or Nutella on top, then add brown sugar and cinnamon if using. Drag a skewer through the surface to create swirls.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake for 60–65 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  2. Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing. This helps the center set so slices hold their shape.

Notes

For the sweetest flavor and best natural moisture, use bananas that are heavily freckled to nearly black. Storage: keep tightly wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezer: yes—wrap slices individually and freeze up to 2 months. Dietary swap: substitute 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour for the regular flour to make it gluten-free (check label for xanthan/guar).