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Best Banana Bread

Best banana bread made in one bowl for a moist, dark-golden loaf with a deeply caramelized, slightly cracked top crust. Ripe bananas are folded with baking soda and cinnamon, then baked until the crumb is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

mashed bananas
  • 3 very ripe bananas Mash until mostly smooth with a few small lumps for flecks throughout.
wet ingredients
  • 0.33 cup unsalted butter Melt and cool slightly so it doesn’t scramble the egg.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Use granulated sugar for classic caramelized crust.
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Position a rack in the middle so the loaf browns evenly.
  2. Melt the butter and whisk it directly into the mashed bananas in a large bowl. Stir until the mixture looks glossy and evenly colored.
  3. Stir in the sugar, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Mix just until smooth with no streaks of dry egg or vanilla.
  4. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over the banana mixture and fold in. Stop when no dry streaks remain and the batter looks thick.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place it in the oven. Bake for 60–70 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes. This firms the crumb so it releases cleanly without tearing.
  2. Turn the loaf out onto a rack and let it cool slightly before slicing. Wait until it’s cool enough that the crumb holds together when cut.

Notes

Pro tip: use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots—this is what gives the dark golden crumb and deeper banana flavor. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze sliced or whole for up to 3 months (wrap well to prevent freezer burn). For a dietary swap, you can use melted coconut oil in place of the melted butter for a dairy-free version with a slightly different flavor.