Banana Bread Old Fashioned Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray and line the bottom with a parchment sling for easy removal, if desired.

Toast nuts (if using): spread nuts on a small baking sheet and toast in preheating oven 5–7 minutes until fragrant; cool and roughly chop.

Mash bananas

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps, about 1–2 minutes. Measure out 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas.

Combine wet ingredients

Stir the granulated sugar and brown sugar into the mashed bananas. Add the melted (cooled) butter, then whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream (or yogurt) until evenly combined.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon until homogenous.

Fold wet and dry

Add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.

Add mix-ins

Fold in the toasted chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips if using, reserving a tablespoon of chips or nuts to sprinkle on top.

Fill pan

Transfer batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle reserved chips or nuts on the surface and lightly press in. If desired, sprinkle demerara or turbinado sugar for a crunchy top.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 55–70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.

Cool

Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then lift the loaf out using the parchment sling (if used) and cool completely on the rack, at least another 45 minutes, before slicing. Cooling fully improves texture and makes slicing cleaner.

Serve and store

Slice and serve at room temperature. Store any leftovers tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze sliced or whole (wrapped) for up to 3 months.