Moist Banana Bread Options (Printer View)

Tender banana loaf with options for chocolate chips or nuts, perfect anytime snack or breakfast.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Fruit

08 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)

→ Optional Add-Ins

09 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips (130 g) or
10 - 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (90 g)

# Method Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly mixed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Fold the mashed bananas into the wet mixture until fully blended.
06 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
07 - Fold in chocolate chips or nuts, if using, to incorporate evenly throughout the batter.
08 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the surface with a spatula.
09 - Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
10 - Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's nearly impossible to mess up, which means you get bakery-quality results even on a groggy Tuesday morning.
  • The texture stays tender and moist for days, and everyone who tries it asks for the recipe.
  • You can dress it up with chocolate chips for indulgence or keep it simple and nutty depending on your mood.
02 -
  • Ripe bananas are everything—if yours are still mostly yellow, wait a day or two for those brown speckles to appear because green bananas make the bread dense and faintly starchy.
  • Don't overmix the batter once you add the flour, as this is the quickest way to end up with a tough, rubbery loaf that tastes more like sponge than cake.
  • Room temperature ingredients genuinely matter here since cold butter and eggs won't blend smoothly and can leave little lumps throughout the crumb.
03 -
  • Use coconut oil or dairy-free butter if you need a vegan version, and the bread will be almost identical in texture and taste.
  • Chopping your nuts finely rather than leaving them in large pieces ensures they distribute evenly so you're not searching for them in certain bites.
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