About This Recipe

This is the best moist banana bread recipe — the one readers say they've made 50 times and never once changed. One bowl. 10 minutes of prep. Three spotty bananas you were about to throw away. The result is a loaf with a deeply golden, slightly crisp top, an incredibly tender and moist crumb, and a sweet banana flavor that fills your whole kitchen while it bakes. This is the easy banana bread that becomes your go-to forever.

Why You'll Love It

  • One bowl, one loaf pan — minimal cleanup
  • Uses up those overripe bananas you were about to toss
  • Ridiculously moist and tender — stays fresh for 4 days on the counter
  • Endlessly customizable: walnuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, swirled peanut butter

Best Moist Banana Bread

Sliced banana bread loaf with moist tender crumb
10 min
Prep
60 min
Bake
70 min
Total
10
Slices
⭐ 5.0
Rating
220
Calories

Ingredients

  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • ⅓ cup melted butter
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ cup walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. 1Preheat Oven to 350°F. Grease loaf pan.
  2. 2Mash Bananas in a large bowl until smooth.
  3. 3Mix wet Stir in butter, sugar, egg, vanilla.
  4. 4Add dry Stir in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, flour.
  5. 5Fold Add mix-ins. Pour into pan.
  6. 6Bake 55–65 min until toothpick is clean.

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas ⅓ cup melted butter ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 1½ cups flour ½ tsp cinnamon Walnuts (optional) Choc chips (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat and prepare

    Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray, then lightly dust with flour (or line with parchment paper for easy removal). A properly greased pan ensures the bread releases cleanly after baking.

  2. 2

    Mash the bananas

    Peel and place 3 very ripe bananas into a large mixing bowl. The riper the better — black-speckled bananas with soft skins are ideal and produce the sweetest, most flavorful bread. Mash thoroughly with a fork until mostly smooth with just a few small lumps remaining. You should have about 1½ cups of mashed banana.

  3. 3

    Mix in the wet ingredients

    To the mashed banana, stir in the melted butter until combined. Add the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until just incorporated. Brown sugar can replace white sugar for a deeper, more caramel-like flavor — both work beautifully.

  4. 4

    Add the dry ingredients

    Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon directly into the bowl. Stir briefly to distribute, then add the flour all at once. Stir gently until just combined — stop as soon as you don't see dry flour streaks. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes the bread tough and dense instead of tender.

  5. 5

    Add mix-ins and pour

    If using, fold in ½ cup of chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (or both — it's a great combination). Pour the thick batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. For an extra-pretty top, press a few banana slices lengthwise on top and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sugar.

  6. 6

    Bake to golden perfection

    Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes. At the 55-minute mark, insert a toothpick or thin knife into the very center — it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The top should be deeply golden brown and have a slight crack down the center. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out.

Pro Tips

🏆 Secrets to the Moistest Banana Bread
  • Use the RIPEST bananas possible — black spotted bananas are sweeter and contain more moisture than barely-ripe yellow ones.
  • Don't overmix after adding flour — stir only until combined. Overmixing = tough, dense bread.
  • The slight crack on top is a sign of a properly baked loaf — it means the outside set before the inside finished rising.
  • For extra moisture, substitute ¼ cup of the butter with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
  • Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Speed-ripen them in the oven: place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 15–20 minutes until the skins turn black. Let them cool completely before using. They'll be perfectly soft and sweet, just like naturally overripe bananas.
The oven temperature is likely too high, causing the outside to set before the inside cooks through. Make sure you're baking at 350°F, not higher. Also, check that your loaf pan is standard size (9x5 inches) — a smaller pan makes the loaf thicker and requires more time. Tent with foil if the top is already very brown and keep baking.
Yes. Replace the egg with 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes), or ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, or ¼ cup plain yogurt. The texture will be slightly denser but still delicious.
Absolutely — banana bread freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, then wrap the whole loaf (or individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2–3 hours, or microwave individual slices for 30–45 seconds.

Nutrition Per Slice

220
Calories
3g
Protein
38g
Carbs
7g
Fat
1.5g
Fiber
19g
Sugar
160mg
Sodium
210mg
Potassium