Mom's Classic Banana Bread

Mom's Classic Banana Bread recipe is simply the best! Sweet, moist, and full of buttery banana flavor, it's perfect for breakfast, lunch, or any time you need a sweet little pick-me-up!

Whenever I make my mother's classic banana bread recipe, I am transported back to our turquoise kitchen, and I am sitting on my knees at our slick yellow chrome table, watching her move across the linoleum in her brown, flour-covered apron. The rich, familiar scent of baking banana bread, with its tendrils of vanilla and walnut, is like a time machine.

Mom's banana bread recipe is simply the best. If you're here in search of a classic banana bread recipe like your mom or grandma used to make, this is probably it.

Jump to:

• Banana Bread Ingredients
• How to Make this Easy Banana Bread Recipe
• Variations
• Tips for Moist Banana Bread
• How to Quickly Ripen Bananas for Baking
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• More Quick Bread Recipes
• Mom's Classic Banana Bread

Banana Bread Ingredients

• Bananas: Use overripe bananas. This banana bread recipe takes about 2 large or 4 small bananas to make a loaf of banana bread.
  • If you can't wait for your bananas to ripen, read below about how to ripen bananas quickly. Prep the bananas by mashing them with a fork. DO NOT puree them!
• Sugar: Mom's recipe calls for equal amounts of brown and white sugar; however, you can use all white or all brown sugar.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe. You can sub in gluten-free flour as well.
• Butter: Use real butter if possible. Using margarine or other butter substitutes can make the loaf too oily.
• Sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream. You can substitute applesauce for half of the sour cream with good results.
• Eggs: We use USDA large eggs (EU size medium).
• Walnuts: (optional) You can substitute in your favorite nuts, or leave them out entirely. Mom used to make this loaf often with filberts (i.e.,hazelnuts) when I was young. The nuts should be chopped somewhere between medium and fine.
• Lemon juice & zest: The lemon is optional, but we like the subtle lift it gives to this loaf.
• Vanilla
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt: We use kosher salt.
• Cinnamon

How to Make this Easy Banana Bread Recipe

This recipe is simple and easy to make. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes to mix up, and about an hour to bake. 

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick coating, or grease with butter.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Either sift or whisk them together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the room temperature butter first, and then add the sugars and cream them all together.

Add the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla, and lemon juice and mix to combine.

With mixer on low, add half of the sour cream and half of the mashed bananas.

From this point on, mix everything by hand. (Hand-mixing is one of the secrets to tender, moist banana bread.)

Using a spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. (Do not do it the other way around.)

Fold in the remaining sour cream, walnuts, lemon zest, and bananas.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven at 350°F (177°C) for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

If, toward the end of baking, your loaf looks like it's getting a little brown on top, just throw a loose piece of aluminum foil over the top for the last 10 minutes or so. (This is usually only necessary if you use exclusively brown sugar.)

Cool loaf for 10 minutes before removing from pan, and then allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Variations

Ginger-spiced Banana Bread: Crystallized ginger gives this spiced banana bread recipe a delicious new dimension. This simple, easy, nut-free twist on classic banana bread is perfect for the holidays; and as it bakes, your whole house will smell heavenly!

Tips for Moist Banana Bread

• Use very ripe bananas. Overripe bananas have a higher sugar content and more intense banana flavor, making them the perfect choice for baking. Bananas used for bread should soft, with a peel heavily spotted brown. 
• Mash the bananas with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Do not puree them! You want the texture of the bananas to be slightly "chunky." 
• Add the ingredients in Order. You are basically making a cake, and the order you do things matters. 
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet - not the other way around. Believe it or not, this matters. Adding the wet ingredients to the dry can result in pockets of flour and clumpy, inconsistent mixing. 
• Mix in the dry ingredients by hand.
• Don't overmix the batter. Over-mixing can result in extra gluten development, which can make your quick bread gummy and unpleasantly chewy.
• Never use a blender to make banana bread (or any other quick bread). Banana bread can be made with a stand mixer, an electric hand-mixer, or even a hand whisk (if you've got the arm strength to cream butter by hand). However, I have experimented with - and DO NOT recommend - using a blender to mix the batter. Doing so will make the bread ridiculously dense and heavy.

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas for Baking

If you don't have over-ripe bananas sitting out on your counter, there are a few easy ways to speed up the process. 

Warm Spaces (24-48 hours): Place bananas in warm areas such as near a heater or above your refrigerator. Bananas are ready to use when brown spots begin to form on the peel. 

Paper Bag (24 hours): Place bananas in a paper bag. If they are in a bunch, do not separate them. You can add an apple to the bag to speed up the process. (Both apples and bananas emit ethylene gas which causes ripening.) 

Oven (20 minutes): Place bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 250˚F | 121˚C for 15 to 20 minutes. The heat brings out the bananas' sugars. Bananas are ready when the peels become shiny and black. They may also be a bit "weepy." This is not a problem. 

Note that this method will not work on very green bananas. 

Microwave (1-2 minutes): Pierce the peel of the banana a number of times to allow air to escape, and to avoid having a banana blowout in your microwave.

Microwave the banana on high for 30 seconds at a time. Cool enough to safely check for doneness between each round in the microwave. If not, microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Continue this process until desired ripeness is obtained.

Equipment

We suggest using a shiny aluminum loaf pan for quick breads. This will result in the most consistent in color and texture. The bright surface prevents the baking surfaces that touch the pan from baking up too dark. Silicone loaf molds are also a great option.

Storage

Banana bread stays moist and holds its flavor for some time, making it a perfect choice for gift-giving during the holidays, or whenever you need a little something to cheer someone's day.

To maximize the shelf life, wrap banana bread tightly with foil or cling film to prevent it from drying out. If you are going to freeze it, add an extra layer with a resealable freezer bag.

• Counter: 2-3 days.
• Refrigerator: About a week.
• Freezer: If properly frozen, banana bread will last for over a year; however, it is best eaten in the first 3-4 months, as it may develop freezer burnt if kept longer.

FAQ

More Quick Bread Recipes

We love quick breads because they are dependable, easy to make, and always welcome!

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Originally published May 2, 2013.