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Best Basic Banana Bread

Our best basic banana bread is made with buttermilk! So easy to make 2 loaves with one recipe.

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword banana bread, quick bread
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature, OR 1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup canola or coconut oil
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar OR 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 3 ripe bananas mashed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 1/4 cups All purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt if using salted butter, 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 medium size loaf pans. 

  2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs, and beat mixture until smooth.

  3. Mash banana, add to the butter/sugar egg mixture. If the bananas are very soft, just add to the bowl, the paddle or beaters will mash the banana.

  4. Mix in buttermilk and vanilla until blended well. Turn off mixer.

  5. Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl, and pour all at once into the wet mixture.

  6. Fold together, just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. Don’t over mix. I use a large spoon or spatula for this step. No need to use the mixer. See notes.

  7. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Recipe Notes

  1. If you like "Hawaiian" Banana Bread, substitute 1/2 cup drained, crushed pineapple and use 2 bananas.
  2. I don't use a mixer after the wet ingredients are mixed. The best quick breads are made without using  a mixer. Over mixing this batter will result in a spongy texture instead of a quick bread with a tender crumb.
  3. I like using 1/4 butter and 1/4 oil in this recipe instead of all butter. I think the texture of the banana bread is a little more moist and it doesn't seem quite as heavy. 
  • In Spain, I have made this banana bread recipe many times. Through much trial and error, I have found the following alterations to work the best at sea level in a very humid environment:
  • 1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup sunflower oil
  • 3 small ripe bananas
  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
  • 325 degrees, baked on bottom rack, 50-60 minutes.