Banana Bread Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon butter or nonstick spray, then line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper if desired and lightly dust with 1 tablespoon flour, tapping out excess.

Mash bananas

In a large mixing bowl, mash ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining (about 1 1/2 cups mashed from ~3 medium bananas).

Combine wet ingredients

To the mashed bananas add 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled slightly), 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until the sugars begin to dissolve and the mixture is smooth. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt until incorporated.

Whisk dry ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if using) to distribute the leavening evenly.

Combine wet and dry

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet banana mixture into it. Using a rubber spatula, fold gently just until the flour streaks disappear — do not overmix. The batter should be thick but pourable; if it's extremely stiff, fold in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.

Fold-ins: If using mix-ins, gently fold 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans and/or 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips into the batter, reserving a small handful to sprinkle on top. (Ensure mix-ins are coated lightly with flour to prevent sinking.)

Top and finish: Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle reserved nuts/chips over the surface and dust the top with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar if you want a slightly crunchy, sweet crust.

Bake: Place the loaf pan on the middle rack and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–65 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes: the bread is done when the top is golden brown, the center springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Cool in pan: Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes to set.

Transfer and cool completely: Run a thin knife around the edges, lift the loaf out using the parchment overhang (or invert onto the rack), and let cool completely (about 1 hour) before slicing to ensure clean slices.