Easy Banana Bread

This easy banana bread uses just one bowl and is the perfect way to use up old bananas that are past their prime.

It happens to the best of us. You buy a bunch of bananas and they just sit on your counter, until they’ve moved just past the point of no return. And though the idea of making delicious and moist banana bread to enjoy for breakfast seems great, it also seems like a lot of effort.

But fear not! Easy banana bread is exactly what it sounds like. It’s EASY and mixed up in one bowl. Read my tips on when the bananas are perfect to bake with below or click here to head straight to the recipe.

Jump To:

1. Making Easy Banana Bread
2. What’s The Ideal Banana For Banana Bread?
3. What If My Bananas Aren’t Ripe Enough?
4. Podcast Episode: Baking Banana Bread
5. Easy Banana Bread Recipe

Making Easy Banana Bread

This banana bread recipe requires just one bowl (to make the batter in), a fork (to mash the bananas), a spatula or wooden spoon (to mix the batter), and a loaf pan (to bake it all up). And even better than not letting bananas go to waste? You’ve got awesome banana bread with minimal effort and less dishes to wash up afterwards.

What’s The Ideal Banana For Banana Bread?

A lot of folks will tell you that the blacker the banana, the better it is for banana bread. But I disagree. I’ve got a pretty sensitive palate and there’s a fine line between overripe and rotten.

Bananas start out with starch in the flesh. This is why a green banana is so firm and not very sweet. As the banana ripens, those starches turn to sugar and the banana flesh softens and becomes creamier.

But the ideal banana for banana bread isn’t completely black, which indicates the banana flesh has started to decompose. Nor does it have any green in it (which means it’s not ripe at all). The banana should be yellow and freckling with black spots. A lot of black spots are fine. An almost black banana? Those should be composted or tossed.

What If My Bananas Aren’t Ripe Enough?

Fear not! If your bananas are still more on the yellow side and feel firm, you can help ripen them along. Try sticking them in a paper bag for a day or two. Bananas produce ethylene gas as it ripens. The more ethylene gas it produces, the faster it ripens. Placing the banana in a paper bag helps trap the gas and encourages the bananas to ripen faster.

But if you’re really in a time crunch, you can roast them! Preheat your oven to 300°F and poke some holes in the bananas peel with a fork. Place the bananas (with the peels) on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. The peel should turn completely black from the heat. Once roasted, let the bananas cool until you can handle them, then peel and use.

Podcast Episode: Baking Banana Bread

Listen to our editor, Christine Pittman, explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

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Easy Banana Bread Recipe

Contributor: Irvin Lin

This easy banana bread is a one bowl recipe that anyone can make! It’s a great way to use up ripe bananas. The touch of cinnamon and nutmeg in the recipe is subtle and enhances the banana flavor but you can omit it if you wish.

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• Author: Irvin Lin
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cooling Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 10–12 slices 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 to 3 medium ripe bananas (about 400 g after peeling)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (165 g)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 g)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking oil then line it with a piece of parchment paper.
2. Mash the bananas with a fork into a large bowl. You should have about 1 and ¾ cups of mashed bananas. Add the egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Add the butter and repeat, stirring with a whisk to combine.
3. Stir in the brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a large spatula. Add the flour and fold together until all the dry ingredients are absorbed.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread the batter evenly. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes before grasping the sides of the parchment paper and lifting straight up to remove it from the pan. Move to the wire cooling rack, peel off the paper, and let the banana bread cool another 15 minutes further before serving warm or at room temperature.

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