World’s Best Banana Bread Recipe

Moist, rich, and perfectly sweet, this world’s best banana bread recipe is a must-try. It also freezes well and makes a great homemade gift!

No, really. Try this recipe an I think you’ll agree, it’s the world’s best banana bread.

This is one of my absolute favorite things to make for a new neighbor, a sick friend, Christmas gifts for coworkers, and pretty much any other occasion for which a loving, homemade gesture is valued. It goes over so well, plus it makes the house smell really, really good.

Assuming there are plenty of ripe bananas saved up, it’s a good recipe to double or triple.

Kids enjoy helping make this banana bread, too. Jobs titles like “banana masher” and “batter stirrer” sound pretty cool, AND they’re seriously important tasks. (They promote to “spoon licker” if they do an extra good job in their other roles!)

Ingredients

• Butter
• Shortening or oil for preparing pans
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Ripe bananas
• Sour cream
• Flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Chocolate chips (optional)
• Walnuts (optional)

How to make the world’s best banana bread recipe

Please note: these pictures show the recipe DOUBLED for two loaves.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a standard 9X5 loaf pan with shortening (or oil) and flour.

2. Melt butter in a mixing bowl.

3. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla, and mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt (and cinnamon, if using).

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, mixing just until smooth.

6. Stir in the sour cream and bananas (and walnuts and/or chocolate chips, if using).

7. Pour into the prepared baking pan. (Note: this is the part where I tell you not to lick the bowl. Raw eggs and all. Ick. But if it WERE okay to lick the bowl, this would be the time to do it. Perhaps the spatula, too.)

8. Bake for about 50 minutes, or just until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

9. Cool the loaf 10-15 minutes, then loosen with a knife around the edges before turning out the loaf.

10. Enjoy!

Tips for world’s best banana bread

• For a little spice action, add some cinnamon to the flour mixture before combining with the wet ingredients. One teaspoon per loaf is about right.
• Since the tendency is for a bunch of bananas to brown all at once (at least in our home, they do), this is a great recipe to double, as shown in the photos. If you happen to have one lonely overripe banana, throw it in the freezer until it has a partner. Thaw and use in the recipe as usual. When frozen, the bananas will turn brown or black, which is totally fine.
• This bread freezes very well. When it is just cooled, tightly wrap the baked loaf in aluminum foil and pop in the freezer. It will keep for up to six months.
• Mash the bananas with a fork on a plate instead of in a bowl. The flat surface makes them easier to mash.
• Want smaller loaves? Use three mini loaf pans (measuring 5 3/4 inches by 3 inches) instead of a standard loaf pan. Be sure to prep the mini loaf pans with shortening (or oil) and flour just as with 9X5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees, cutting down the baking time to around 30-35 minutes. Use the clean toothpick/knife test as usual, to ensure that they are done. Perfect for homemade gift-giving!
• Banana bread makes a terrific gift! Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and tie a pretty ribbon around it for decoration. The perfect gift for any occasion… or just because.

FAQs

• Can bananas be too ripe for banana bread? Generally speaking, no, a banana can’t be too ripe for banana bread. However, if you spot mold or a hoard of gnats has moved in, count that banana as a loss and throw it away.
• Can I freeze banana bread? How long does frozen banana bread keep? Yes, remove baked loaf from the pan after baking and wrap tightly with foil. Frozen banana bread will keep for about six months.
• Can I make banana bread in smaller loaf pans? Absolutely. Prepare three mini loaf pans (measuring 5 3/4 inches by 3 inches) with shortening and flour as usual, and bake at 350 degrees, cutting down the baking time to around 30-35 minutes. Use the clean toothpick/knife test as usual, to ensure that they are done. I call these mini loaves “individual servings,” because admittedly, I can easily finish one of these babies in one sittings! This size also makes for perfect homemade gift-giving.
• Why is it banana bread and not cake? To be totally honest, it’s hard to know for sure. Many people associate “bread” with a dense loaf, while “cake” is lighter and fluffier. Call it what you want; this stuff is awesome.
• How do you ripen a banana quickly? Can’t wait for a fresh, warm slice of homemade banana bread? Put the banana in a brown paper bag and loosely fold over the top.

Do you agree that this is the world’s best banana bread recipe? If so, be sure to rate it and share the recipe.

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