The Best Banana Bread (The One We Actually Make)

We clean hard, bake harder. When the bananas on your counter start to turn that questionable shade of brown, don’t toss them. Turn them into this. It’s Sarah’s go-to banana bread, straight from Simply Recipes. Simple, fast, no-fuss, and totally customizable.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas (mashed but still a bit chunky)
• ⅓ cup melted butter (salted or unsalted)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup sugar total (Sarah does ¼ cup brown sugar + ¼ cup white sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup large semisweet chocolate chips
• A handful of small semisweet chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F while you mix.
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl. Leave some lumps for texture.
3. Add melted butter, baking soda, salt, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
4. Mix in the flour until just combined. Don’t overmix.
5. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Pour the batter into a greased 8×4-inch loaf pan.
7. Top with extra chocolate chips or nuts if you’re feeling fancy.
8. Bake for 55–65 minutes. Start checking at 55. A toothpick should come out clean (or with a few crumbs).
9. Cool before cutting if you can wait. It’s soft, gooey, and smells amazing.

🎥 Watch the Video

Want to see us in action? Watch the process below.

Sarah’s Tips

• You can mix it by hand; you don’t need a mixer.
• Don’t over-mash the bananas. You want texture, not soup.
• Test early so you don’t overbake.
• It’s even better the next day (if it lasts that long).

Printable Recipe Card

Credit: Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes For more of our favorite recipes, see the food section of our blog.