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This is the Best Banana Bread Recipe in the entire world – I promise! It’s my mom’s banana bread recipe and I’ve been making and eating this my entire life. The quick bread is soft and fluffy with perfect banana flavor – you’re going to LOVE it.

whole banana bread overhead photo with crack down the middle.


BEST Banana Bread in the Whole World

I make a lot of banana bread. Every single banana bread recipe or banana muffin on this site has been based off of one recipe: my Mom’s. It’s one of those recipes I’ve eaten my whole life.

I have to say, I think it’s the best banana bread recipe, ever. And while I love all my variations, I still love the original recipe the best.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s SUPER easy with banana in every bite
  • Stays moist for days
  • Has a nice long crack down the center and tons of banana flavor.
  • Is a bit crunchy on the outside and super soft on the inside
  • Banana bread is the perfect way to use up overripe bananas – and it’s so easy to make. You’re going to love my mom’s recipe.
  • She has two simple things she does that makes her bread stand apart: the milk and the pan.
ingredients in moms banana bread

Banana Bread Ingredients

The worlds best Banana Bread (no kidding) is a simple quick bread recipe. “Quick Bread” is bread that doesn’t have yeast (as in, it’s quicker to make it because it doesn’t need to rise).

  • Bananas: You need to use overripe bananas for this. They should be nice and brown spotted – my mom calls them tired bananas.
  • Butter: you can use either salted or unsalted (see recipe notes).
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar goes into the bread AND my mom uses it on the pan – one of her secret tips!
  • Sour Milk: Basically, sour milk is the same thing as buttermilk. Back when this recipe was written, I’m figuring that milk went sour more than it does now, but if you don’t have sour milk sitting around, don’t worry, you can make your own.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

process shot of moms banana bread.
process shot of moms banana bread.
process shot of moms banana bread.
process shot of moms banana bread.
process shot of moms banana bread.
process shot of moms banana bread.

How to make the BEST Banana Bread Recipe

  • Make your sour milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  • Cream together room temperature butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.
  • Option 1: Add bananas, eggs, baking soda, and milk to a blender and blend until smooth. Mix the wet ingredients into butter mixture with the all purpose flour.
  • Option 2: Mash your banana, then mix mashed bananas into the butter and sugar mixture with the eggs, baking soda, milk, and flour.
  • Mix until the mixture is smooth. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
  • Add to the pan and bake. Mom’s tip: grease and sugar your pan. Spread butter or shortening all over the loaf pan and then, instead of using flour, use granulated sugar to coat.

Recipe Swap: Sour Milk

This is a banana bread recipe with sour milk! Basically, sour milk is just buttermilk but since we rarely have that around, and milk doesn’t go bad like it used to, here’s what to do:

  • 1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice + 7 tablespoons milk or nonfat milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice + 7 tablespoons nondairy milk
  • 7 tablespoons buttermilk

The acidity in the sour milk (or vinegar or buttermilk) active the baking soda, making the bread rise.

sliced banana bread on a drying rack.

Substitutions + Additions

  • Butter: I use unsalted butter but my mom always uses salted. If you’re using salted butter, reduce salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
  • Oil: You can substitute vegetable oil, but make sure to use the salt in the recipe in that case (oil doesn’t have salt in it).
  • Flour: substitute half whole wheat flour (so 1 cup each whole wheat and all-purpose) if you want. Make gluten free banana bread using 1:1 All-purpose gluten-free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill teal bag).
  • Milk: You can use buttermilk or regular/lowfat/nonfat cows milk with 1 tsp vinegar, or even nondairy milk (any kind) with 1 tsp vinegar.
  • Add 1 cup of your favorite mix-ins for a new flavor banana bread: chocolate chips, nuts to make banana nut bread, chopped candy, even pumpkin spice!
  • Top this with cream cheese frosting – cream cheese goes so great with my banana bread recipe.
sliced banana bread on a drying rack.

Expert Tips

  • Did you know you can freeze bananas? Whenever my ripe bananas get too much so, I just throw them in the freezer (peels and all). Then I defrost them on the counter to make banana bread or cake whenever I want.
  • The sugar pan coating gives an amazing crunchy sweet crust to the bread. To get the amazing pan effect for this bread you grease the pan with butter or shortening, then you add some sugar and move the pan around so that you coat all the greased parts with sugar. Add the batter as you normally would and bake. Note: do NOT try and sugar your pan using a cooking spray instead of butter or Crisco.
  • I don’t normally use vanilla but you can add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract if you want.
  • You know banana bread is done when it is dark golden on the top and there will be that nice long crack running through the center. The crack is my favorite part! You know it’s done when a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs from the center of the crack.

FAQ

How do you store banana bread?

It won’t last long because you’ll eat it fast, but store it covered on the counter. If you’re like us, it’ll be gone in a day.

How do you freeze banana bread?

You can slice the cooled loaf and freeze the slices in sandwich baggies. Then pop one into a lunchbox for a yummy mid-morning snack.

Can you make muffins with this recipe?

This recipe also makes great mini loaves or muffins. I’ve done them all. Just adjust the baking time.

How do you mash bananas?

This recipe calls for blending them but you can also just mash the bananas with a fork and add them to the recipe that way. Or, use your mixer to mash them!

How do you keep banana bread moist?

The bananas and eggs in the recipe help keep it moist, along with the sourness/acid combination from the baking soda and sour milk. Don’t over bake it for ultimate moist bread and keep it wrapped well so it doesn’t dry out.

Can you make this banana bread recipe gluten free?

Simply substitute 1:1 gluten free flour for the all purpose flour.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in banana bread?

This recipe is written for baking soda, which is activated by the sour milk and helps the bread rise and be nice and soft and moist.

sliced banana bread on teal plate

Best Banana Bread Recipe

4.11 from 102 votes
The best banana bread recipe: it's my mom's recipe and is great for using overripe bananas. It's easy and so delicious.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 10 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar plus more for the pan
  • ½ cup (113g) salted butter softened (plus more for the pan)
  • 2 medium tired bananas brown spotted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 7 tablespoons (103ml) sour milk see note
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x5x3” loaf pan with butter and coat it with sugar. (You do this like you would grease and flour a pan. Grease it first, then add about 2 tablespoons sugar to the pan and move the pan side to side until the bottom and sides are coated with sugar. Do NOT substitute cooking spray for the butter. You can skip the sugaring and just use cooking spray, if you wish.)
  • Cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer. Set aside.
  • Add bananas, eggs, milk, and baking soda to a blender jar and blend until smooth.
  • Pour half the banana mixture into the butter mixture with 1 cup of flour. Mix with hand mixer until just incorporated, then add the remaining banana mixture and flour. Mix until just incorporated. Stir in nuts if using them. Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. The edges will be a dark brown and there will be a nice crack down the center.
  • Cool completely before removing loaf from pan, but you can cut slices from the pan after it’s cooled for about 15-20 minutes.

Recipe Notes

In place of the sour milk you can use:
  • 1/2 teaspoon vinegar + 7 tablespoons milk or nonfat milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vinegar + 7 tablespoons nondairy milk
  • 7 tablespoons buttermilk
Substitutions:
  • Unsalted butter: add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the recipe
  • Gluten-Free 1:1 AP Flour – use equal parts
  • Whole Wheat Flour: use 1 cup each whole wheat and AP flour
  • Oil: substitute 1/2 cup vegetable oil for the butter
  • Pan: Use an 8×4-inch loaf pan and make just 1-2 muffins along side
Don’t want to use a blender? Mash your bananas with a fork. Cream butter and sugar as directed, then add mashed bananas, eggs, milk, vinegar (if using), baking soda, and salt (if using) and mix with your mixer, then add flour.
Add-ins: add up to 1 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 363IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

Other Favorite Quick Breads

This is the BEST Banana Bread Recipe ever – it’s an easy moist banana bread that’s my mom’s recipe. Make this plain or with chocolate chips or walnuts – it’s such a simple classic and the BEST recipe!



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.11 from 102 votes (77 ratings without comment)

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229 Comments

  1. Thank you very much for this recipe. It was my mother’s as well. I just could not figure out sour milk. She did not sugar the pan, but that step makes it delicious. This recipe is back in the family keepsake box with the additional instructions that sour milk is actually buttermilk.

    Reply

    1. I’m so glad to have helped you figure that one out Sharon! And yes, sugaring the pan is the best. 🙂

      Reply

  2. Mom’s Banana Bread. This is the best bread. It is moist and the dusting with sugar instead of flour is wonderful. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe.

    Reply

  3. I had a banana bread recipe that called for soured milk. Found that an equal amount of plain yogurt or sour cream work great and impart a wonderful flavor and texture.

    Reply

  4. Hi Dorothy, This IS the best banana bread, I made it this evening and couldn’t wait until the morning to try a slice, so moist! And the sugar coating gives such a tender, sweet crust! My husband loves it too! LOVE your recipes and blog!

    Reply

  5. This was the most amaizing banana bread recipe ever! I added chopped chocolate covered almonds and this bread disappeared before I could have a second piece! I will definitely be making this again. The sugared pan left a nicely crunch sweet edge that was to die for! Thank you so much for this!

    Reply