This banana nut bread is fast and simple! With just a few everyday ingredients, some overripe bananas, and maybe even a handful of chocolate chips, you can whip up this recipe in just one bowl!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This moist, quick bread freezes well!
- Uses up over-ripe bananas!
- Can be made into muffins or into mini loaves!
- Nuts can be added, or this sweet treat can be a nut-free banana bread!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- What Bananas to Choose - overripe but not mostly brown and mushy. Bananas with brown spots or freckles are best. They're sweeter and make moist bread.
- Nuts - nuts are totally optional. If you're allergic or just don't want them, you don't have to add them. You can also use either pecans or walnuts.
- Butter - I always use salted butter, but unsalted butter can be used as well.
- Flour - All-purpose flour, never self-rising flour.
- Chocolate Chips - you can add ¾ cup of chocolate chips to the batter if you like to make this a one-bowl chocolate chip banana bread recipe instead. Chocolate chunks taste delicious as well!
- Zucchini - since zucchini would greatly increase the amount of liquid in the batter, see my Banana Zucchini Bread recipe for this variation.
A couple things you'll need!
Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix melted butter and white sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Add bananas to the bowl and mash them.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour.
- When the flour is nearly mixed in, add chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.
- For best results, mix just until the flour is mixed in. More than that will overmix the bread.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 45 minutes, tenting with foil at the 20-minute mark during the baking time to avoid over-browning.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before turning out of the pan.
- Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing if you want to eat it warm; however, it will slice much better once completely cool.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Sure, fill muffin tin cups ½ full and bake for around 15 minutes. You'll want to either spray the muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or use muffin liners.
This easy recipe can make 3 mini loaves instead of one regular-sized loaf. Spray 3 mini loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray, divide the batter among them, and bake for 20-ish minutes.
After I let my banana bread cool, I like to store it in a gallon-size Ziploc bag just on my countertop. If you live in an area with high humidity, I'd recommend you store it in the fridge.
Yes! Banana bread freezes extremely well. Cool completely before wrapping well in plastic wrap, followed by foil or a freezer bag and popping the loaf in the freezer.
Related Quick Bread Recipes
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One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ Cup Butter melted
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 3 Ripe Average Size Bananas *see note at end
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ Cups Flour
- ¾ Cups Walnuts or Pecans if you want
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, melt the butter.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Peel and place the bananas in the mixing bowl with the butter/sugar mixture.
- Mash them with a potato masher or fork and mix in.
- Stir in the egg and vanilla
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix in the flour until the mixture comes together.
- If you are adding nuts, stir them in with the flour.
- Dump the batter in the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake in the center of your preheated oven for 20 minutes, tent with foil, and bake for another 25 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean.
- Cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes at least before loosening the edges and turning out.
- Cool and eat!
Notes
- An average size banana to me is roughly 6-7 inches long. 3 ripe bananas give you about 1 cup to 1 ¼ cups mashed bananas.
- Nuts - nuts are totally optional. If you're allergic or just don't want them, you don't have to add them. You can also use either pecans or walnuts.
- Chocolate Chips - you can add ¾ cup of chocolate chips to the batter if you like.
Nutrition
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Doris
I have 8 by 4 loaf pan and 9 by 5 loaf pan and what is the right one
Mindee
Either will work. Mine is an 8 x 4.
Tara
You had me at one bowl! Such a wonderful way to use up leftover bananas. Definitely sounds perfect with a handful of chocolate chips.
Andrea
Oh wow! This banana bread looks moist and delicious! Love that it's easy clean up too.