Description
This Best Moist Banana Bread Recipe delivers a tender, flavorful loaf packed with ripe bananas, a hint of warm spices, and optional toasted nuts. Perfectly moist with a golden crust, this banana bread is easy to make using pantry staples and yields a delicious treat for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, 1 stick, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 2 and 1/2 medium bananas (9 ounces)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, blended into a powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves (optional)
Optional Toppings
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper for easy removal of the bread.
- Toast Nuts (Optional): If adding nuts, spread 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans on a dry baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat for about 2 minutes until fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract. Beat well until fully incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Mash Bananas: In a small bowl, mash 2 and 1/2 very ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until smooth and measure 1 cup. Add mashed bananas to the butter mixture and stir until combined.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a blender or food processor, blend old fashioned oats into a powder. In the same bowl with the mashed bananas mixture, add all-purpose flour, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and optional spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves). Stir to combine dry ingredients evenly without clumps.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Stir dry ingredients gently into the wet banana mixture until just incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Fold in Sour Cream and Nuts: Fold in the sour cream carefully to maintain moisture. If using, fold in toasted nuts. Optionally, reserve some nuts to sprinkle on top before baking.
- Bake the Bread: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 65 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with moist crumbs but no wet batter. The loaf should be golden and pulling away from the pan edges.
- Cool and Serve: Let the banana bread cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with butter for best enjoyment.
- Storage Tips: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, then refrigerate if needed. Banana bread freezes well either wrapped fully or sliced and individually wrapped, thawing at room temperature and optionally toasting before serving.
Notes
- You can increase mashed banana up to 2 cups (18 ounces) without changing other ingredients, but expect a denser, more gummy bread.
- If you don’t have old fashioned oats, replace the oat flour with 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.
- Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) are optional but add warm flavor and aroma.
- Use parchment paper in the loaf pan for easy removal and clean slicing.
- When baking nuts, watch closely to prevent burning and stir often for even toasting.
- Letting the bread cool at least 20 minutes prevents crumbling and improves slicing texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
