Classic banana bread

Classic banana bread recipe

What do you do when you have bananas getting ripe in the fruit bowl? Make banana bread, of course. It’s a simple treat that everyone will love, and you can’t beat an easy banana bread recipe. This moist, fluffy banana bread only takes one hour from start to finish, so it’s also a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. Let them mash the banana, whisk the eggs and stir the wet and dry ingredients together – they’ll be so excited to try the end result. 

The best banana bread recipe uses brown bananas

It’s not often the case that an overripe fruit works in a recipe’s favour, but that’s where banana bread differs from all other fruit breads and sweet loaves. The browner the banana, the better the flavour. Overripe bananas have an intense fragrance, sugary flavour and mushy texture that makes them perfect for baking.

If you’re planning to make banana bread, ensure you’ve bought your bananas ahead so they have time to ripen. The ripening period depends on a number of factors like heat, humidity, sunlight, and how the bananas are stored. For example, bananas ripen quicker when stored with apples, and faster still when kept in a paper bag (which traps the natural ethylene gas). It could take anywhere from 24 hours to a week to ripen your bananas depending on how yellow or green they were when bought. Once they do begin to brown, it’s time to start keeping an eye on them.

Two large bananas (about 135 grams each) or three smaller bananas should be plenty for this recipe. For those extra-ripe bananas you almost forgot about (with a very dark, delicate skin and strong fragrance), you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe (by a third or even half) as they will provide plenty of sweetness on their own.

Make the most of this easy recipe for banana bread

There are a dozen different ways to enjoy banana bread, all of them excellent. Eat it plain with a cup of tea or coffee, crumble over yoghurt for a filling breakfast, or serve with fresh fruits like berries or stonefruits. For a comforting dessert, you could enjoy warmed banana bread with ice cream or custard. Banana bread also toasts beautifully under the grill. When spread with butter, nut butter, honey or maple syrup, a warm, toasty slice makes a decadent breakfast any day of the week. 

This banana bread recipe is ultra-versatile and leaves you plenty of room to play. To make it your own, sift spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves into the dry mix. For some crunch, fold chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans into the batter before baking. If you didn’t have an extra banana to top the bread with, a sprinkle of coconut would look (and taste) equally good.

Love this recipe?

Bananas are friends of all, which is why you’ll find them playing with other fruits like berries (try blueberry banana bread for bursts of blue sweetness), nuts of all kinds (hello, nutty banana loaf), and of course, chocolate. For the white chocolate fans, try this white choc chip banana bread, or add your favourite dark or milk chips or chopped blocks into this recipe during the last mix-through. For banana bread recipes with a twist, try Nutella and peanut butter banana bread or a cheeky cheese-infusion with strawberry cheesecake banana bread.