Dessert - Classic Banana Bread¶

A sweet, rich quick bread with a wonderfully moist and tender crumb.

Servings: 10 slices / 1 loaf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50–60 minutes
Cool Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: John Kanell

Equipment¶

9x5" baking pan (23x13 cm)
Medium mixing bowl
Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Electric hand or stand mixer
Wire cooling rack

Ingredients¶

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
All-purpose flour	1¾ cups	210g
Baking soda	1 tsp	1 tsp
Salt	1 tsp	1 tsp
Ground cinnamon	½ tsp	½ tsp
Brown sugar (light/dark)	¾ cup	165g
Unsalted butter (soft)	½ cup	113g
Eggs (large)	2	2
Mashed ripe bananas	1¾ cups	430g
Vanilla extract	1 tsp	1 tsp

Instructions¶

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan with butter or baking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together:
1¾ cups (210g) flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together:
¾ cup (165g) brown sugar
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
Mix on high speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Beat in the 2 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.
Mix in:
1 tsp vanilla extract
1¾ cups (430g) mashed bananas
(For best texture, leave some banana chunks.)
Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and fold gently until just combined—do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips¶

Measure flour accurately to avoid a dry loaf—use a kitchen scale or spoon-and-level method.
Use softened butter for a light and springy texture.
Room-temperature eggs incorporate better into the batter.
Banana texture tip: For a rustic feel, mash bananas with a fork and leave small chunks.

Nutrition (per slice)¶

Original recipe by John Kanell