Banana bread is pretty common, but I swear you’ll go bananas for mine. I’ve made so many different versions of this delicious sweet bread, but this one is moist, bursting with banana flavor, and is by far my favorite. Ever. Period.
Banana bread is easy to make and a delicious use for all of your leftover bananas.
If you’ve ever found yourself curious why banana bread is so popular, I think it’s because it’s so easy to make. Plus, if you bought a bunch of bananas that you didn’t quite get to in time—because let’s be honest, we all do—it’s a good excuse for dessert. If you’re short on time and your bananas are at the peak of ripeness, pop them in the freezer and make a loaf later.
Banana bread experienced a sort of resurgence in popularity during the pandemic lockdown in 2020, likely because the ingredients were cheap and it's a nostalgic treat. It's certainly one of my comfort foods. How about yours? And with fall just around the corner, a little bit of baking wouldn’t hurt anyone! Oh, I used to love popping a slice in my kids’ lunch boxes before school… and we loved it for breakfast and after school snacks.
Pro tip: use REALLY ripe bananas.
To make the best banana bread you can make, I recommend using really ripe bananas. If you're a cinnamon lover, go ahead and add ¼ teaspoon to the batter. If you love pecans, add half a cup. One last thing: When you’re ready to try a slice, don’t forget the butter!
Mary’s Favorite Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional to butter the loaf pan
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Mary’s Cognac Barrel-Aged Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional to prepare the loaf pan
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar. Beat for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Add the mashed bananas and beat until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Tap the pan bottom on the counter to remove any air pockets from the batter. Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 1½ hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the bread from the pan, then place it back on the cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.
