This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

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

A close-up of a freshly baked banana bread loaf, partially sliced, with a golden-brown crust. The breads moist texture and small air pockets are visible, highlighting its homemade quality. It rests on a wooden cutting board.


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. It never fails and it fits whatever you need it for.

  • 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

Ingredient Notes

  • 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: I now use a combination of milk and vinegar. The acid helps activate the baking soda for a moist and fluffy bread recipe. Some banana bread recipes use sour cream – mine uses sour milk instead.

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

A rectangular baking pan with a light coating of flour or sugar. The surface appears slightly uneven, indicating previous use or preparation. The pan rests on a white marble background, viewed from above.
A glass mixing bowl with a frothy, golden-brown batter sits on a white marble surface, viewed from above. The batter contains visible bubbles and small bits, indicating preparation for baking or cooking.
A glass bowl filled with flour and a small glass of milk are placed on a white marble surface. The bowl is on the right and the glass of milk is on the left.
A loaf pan filled with banana bread batter placed on a white marble countertop, ready to be baked.

How to make the BEST Banana Bread Recipe

  1. One of my mom’s secrets is to sugar the pan. This is similar to “flouring” the pan (where you grease it with butter or shortening and then dust it with flour) but instead of using flour we use sugar. This creates a flavorful crunch on the outside.
  2. I use a large bowl and a hand mixer for this – you’ll need to cream the softened butter and sugar before adding the other ingredients. You could also use a stand mixer.
  3. Mash your bananas with a potato masher or a fork.
  4. I also like to whisk my dry ingredients separately from the wet ingredients.
A freshly baked loaf of banana bread in a rectangular metal pan. The bread has a golden-brown crust with a slight crack down the middle, resting on a light surface with a striped cloth next to it.

Variations

  • You can use buttermilk, if you have it, or simply use vinegar or lemon juice and any milk you want. The bread needs the acidity to activate the baking soda, so don’t omit!
  • Non-dairy milk will work just as well as regular.
  • Add 1 cup walnuts or pecans for banana nut bread or 1 cup chocolate chips for chocolate chip banana bread.
  • 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).
  • Sugar: You can use a combination white sugar and brown sugar or all brown sugar if you prefer.
  • Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter for extra flavor.
  • Top this with cream cheese frosting – cream cheese goes so great with my banana bread recipe.
Close-up of slices of banana bread stacked on a wooden cutting board. The bread has a golden-brown crust and a moist, dense interior with visible banana flecks. More slices and the loaf are partially visible in the background.

Storing Banana Bread

  • Store on the counter at room temperature loosely covered with plastic wrap. To make it last longer, keep it in an airtight container.
  • You can freeze the entire loaf by wrapping it with plastic wrap and placing in a freezer bag.
  • Freeze slices in sandwich bags for grab and go dessert!

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.
  • Do not use cooking spray if you’re sugaring the pan (grease it with butter or shortening).
  • I don’t normally use vanilla but you can add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract if you want.
  • You can use 3 mini loaf pans, make 12 muffins, or use an 8×4-inch loaf pan with a few muffins. I usually use a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  • 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 and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs from the center of the crack.
A close-up of a freshly baked banana bread loaf, partially sliced, with a golden-brown crust. The breads moist texture and small air pockets are visible, highlighting its homemade quality. It rests on a wooden cutting board.

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
Rate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 2 medium tired bananas brown spotted
  • 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar plus more for the pan
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened (plus more for the pan)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 7 tablespoons (103ml) sour milk see note
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

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.)
  • Mash bananas in a small bowl with a potato masher or fork and set aside.
  • Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer in a large bowl. Add bananas and eggs to the butter mixture and mix until somewhat combined (mixture will be chunky).
  • Add the flour mixture, milk, and vinegar to the banana mixture and mix until combined (mixture will be slightly lumpy). 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

Substitutions:
  • If you have buttermilk, use that in place of milk and omit vinegar.
  • You can use lemon juice in place of the vinegar.
  • Nondairy milk may be substituted.
  • Salted butter: reduce added salt to 1/4 teaspoon
  • 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 or use 3 mini loaf pans.
  • 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



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.

Learn More About Me
4.11 from 102 votes (77 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




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