The BEST Moist Banana Bread Recipe (No Mixer!)
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This Best Moist Banana Bread Recipe is perfectly tender, soft, and bursting with amazing banana flavor. This is one of the most popular recipes on Everyday Easy Eats, for good reason. Learn how to make homemade banana bread with this simple and foolproof recipe. No electric mixer needed!
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Recipe
This recipe makes the best banana bread ever – seriously. It is super moist, fluffy, flavorful, and so simple to make. You don’t even need an electric mixer, just a fork to mash the bananas and a wooden spoon to mix the batter together.
The mouthwatering flavor in this recipe comes from using four whole bananas, melted butter, and less sugar than most banana bread recipes call for. The recipe is also flexible, so feel free to throw in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, or dried fruit into the batter if you like.
Tips for Making Moist Banana Bread
Here are a few important things I have learned over the years about how to make the best homemade banana bread:
- Use very ripe bananas. The yellow peels should look very freckled or browned and the fruit inside should be soft and browning. In fact, the riper the bananas, the sweeter your bread will be, as the starches turn to sugar. This will naturally kick up the flavor of your banana bread and can help lessen the amount of other added sweeteners you use.
- If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, use this trick: Put them in a 300°F oven, unpeeled, for 15 minutes to soften.
- For extra moist and soft banana bread, don’t over-mix the batter! Especially when you add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients – just lightly mix it in. Over-mixing the batter will result in a dense and tough bread, which you don’t want.
Use my simple tips above to ensure your banana bread turns out perfect, every single time!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some frequently asked questions (with my answers!) that you might have about banana bread:
What is Banana Bread?
Banana bread is a moist, cake-like bread that is a made using ripe, mashed bananas. It is a “quick bread” which means the leavening agents in the batter are baking soda and baking powder, rather than yeast, which is used in regular bread recipes. No resting time is required, so it is ready to bake right away.
Is This Banana Bread Recipe Healthy?
If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I generally like to keep things as healthy as possible. However, I truly believe that pleasure and health go hand in hand. Healthy eating can definitely include consuming a reasonable amount of sweets and carbs.
So, this is one of those recipes for times when you feel like treating yourself. Frequency and portion size are important concepts to keep in mind, so enjoy recipes like this one in moderation.
Can you Freeze Bananas?
Yes! Just throw whole, unpeeled bananas directly in the freezer (they come in their own natural storage container!). The peels will turn black with time, but the fruit inside won’t ripen any further once frozen.
Bananas will keep in the freezer for up to six months. Simply defrost on the counter an hour before you want to start baking. You can also heat frozen bananas in the microwave, then peel them once thawed.
Can you Freeze Banana Bread?
Absolutely! Follow these steps to freeze banana bread and preserve its fresh flavor and texture for months:
- Cool the baked banana bread completely.
- Tightly wrap the loaf or bread slices in aluminum foil or plastic wrap (I usually freeze banana bread in slices, because it thaws much faster that way).
- Place the wrapped bread in a large freezer-friendly storage bag or a reusable container.
- Date the bag and freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw wrapped or unwrapped in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Other Easy Bread Recipes
Looking for more simple homemade bread recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
- Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
- Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread
- Homemade Flatbread (No-Yeast)
- Sally’s Banana Bread Recipe
- Southern Cornbread (No Buttermilk)
All of the recipes featured above are super easy to make and of course, delicious to eat!
If you make this Best Moist Banana Bread Recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡
The BEST Moist Banana Bread Recipe (No Mixer!)
Ingredients
- 4 ripe bananas, peeled
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in the sugar, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then, remove the banana bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Notes
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This is an amazing banana loaf recipe! It’s so moist. I added dark chocolate chips and chopped up pecans.
Thanks Debbie! Adding chocolate chips and pecans sounds delicious!
This was very moist and delicious. Truly BEST EVER!! Added blueberries and walnuts.
Oh my goodness thank you so much Veronica! I’m so happy you liked the recipe!! ♡
I’m making two loaves in the disposable pans and adding one grated zucchini. How long do I need to bake them?
Hi Diane, I haven’t ever made two loaves at a time or added zucchini to this recipe before, so I can’t say for sure if this will work, but here is what I recommend doing: Bake for batter for the same amount of time as the original recipe indicates, 50 minutes – 1 hour, but make sure you do the toothpick test. Around the 50-minute mark, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and see if it comes out clean. If it comes out with wet crumbs, bake it for another 5-10 minutes and check again. Keep repeating that step until the toothpick comes out clean. Hope that helps!
Delicious! Every time I bake this bread its a HIT!
Thanks so much, I’m so glad you like the recipe! 🙂
My bananas are already mashed. How many how many cups mashed banana would your recipe call for? Is that about two cups?
Hi Melissa! Yes, about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of mashed bananas should work just fine in this recipe. 🙂
I made this recipe as muffins, as I couldn’t find my loaf pan. It is excellent. Very moist and flavorful.
Thank you so much, Carol! I’m very happy you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
I’ve been searching for the “best” moist banana bread and I finally found it!! Absolutely wonderful plain but would not hesitate to try it with nuts, blueberries or chocolate. Thank you for the recipe. My search is over!!
Hi Brenda, thank you for your kinds words! I am very happy you liked my banana bread recipe so much! You’re very welcome, and please let me know if you try of my other recipes!
I loved this recipe, mostly because I’m used to there being way too much sugar in recipes like this. I subbed some maple syrup and coconut sugar for the regular sugar, and used like 3/4 of the recommended amount but I really could have used it all, and the flavor would have still been great. I added a few chocolate chips, and also subbed the butter for 1/3 C of coconut oil to make it dairy free. I baked it for about 50-55 minutes and I probably could have done it for 45-50 min and it would have been just slightly more moist. Overall, I found this to be a great base recipe that you can sub things in and out of, super easy and simple ingredients that most people have on hand and can make, and DELICIOUS. Would recommend!
Hi Analisa! Thank you so much for your detailed review. I really like the substitutions and additions that you made to the recipe. One of the main reasons why I developed my own banana bread recipe is because all of the other recipes I tried were way too sweet for me. Please let me know if you try of my other recipes! 🙂
This was so easy and had great results! I substituted the butter with no-sugar-added applesauce and replaced the sugar with a monk fruit sugar substitute. Chopped walnuts in and sprinkled them on the top. So moist and cuts back on calories and less oil/butter and the sugar substitute makes it more diabetic friendly. Perfect with your recipe as the base.
Hi Bee! I really like the healthy and creative substitutions you made. I’m also very happy you enjoyed the banana bread recipe. Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Really good moist banana bread! And I really like that the very ripe bananas provide the sweetness rather than loads of sugar. I did add walnut pieces and chocolate chips, which just made the whole loaf even better. Okay, the chocolate chips add some of that sugar back into the recipe, but it’s still a great treat.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes, I really wanted to create a banana bread recipe that had less sugar than most of the other recipes I’ve tried. And I agree, chocolate chips do add some sugar, but it’s nice to treat yourself sometimes. 🙂
First loaf in the oven, without nuts, for Christmas for our daughter Belinda. Will make another loaf, with walnuts, for me and my hubby. Delicious recipe, thank you.
Hi Barbara, I’m so glad you are enjoying my banana bread recipe! You’re very welcome, and thank you for letting me know. 🙂 Merry Christmas!
I made this with 4 large overripe bananas, and i used SR flour instead of Plain Flour + baking soda/powder. It was incredibly dense but so soft and delicious. I really enjoyed it. I ate half of it almost straight away lol.
Hi Koffy, thank you for letting me know you made my banana bread recipe! I’m very happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
So yummy! This has become my go-to banana bread recipe. I’ve made it just-as-written a number of times now and it has turned out perfect and delicious every time. Only problem is that sometime I just don’t have the patience to wait for it to cool completely before having a slice. Thank you for sharing this gem!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed my banana bread recipe, Kristin! You’re very welcome and thank you for letting me know. 🙂
I made this recipe. I followed all ingredients, except I used 1/3 cup of oil, 1/3 cup of butter, and added blueberries. Very tasty, thanks.
Hi Betty, you’re very welcome! Thanks for letting me know that you liked my banana bread. 🙂
Excellent moist and fluffy Banana Bread. A hit with everyone who ate it. I make it frequently now, since it is in high demand by a very special woman who is so kind to me. Just love the taste, texture and aroma. My go-to for muffins also. This is a winner.
Thank you Desiree! I’m very happy you enjoyed my banana bread recipe.
Loved this recipe, it was so yummy. I used 5 bananas, brown sugar, Nuttelex instead of butter, and added dates.
Thank you, Janine! I’m very happy you liked the recipe.
Awesome! Super moist and tasty!
Thank you, Joseph! I’m glad you enjoyed my banana bread recipe. 🙂
Best banana bread ever!!
Yay! Thank you, Linda!
Love this recipe! So simple and moist, but still cooks all the way through. One thing I picked up from another recipe is melting the butter in the bowl first and then creaming the bananas into the melted butter. Next level taste.
Hi Kat, I’m so happy you enjoyed my banana bread recipe! Thanks for the tip about creaming the bananas into the melted butter. I’ll have to give it a try sometime! 🙂
I am only being allowed to give either 2 stars or 5 stars for some reason. I would actually give the bread recipe 4 stars, as it is a little dry. I made it exactly as the directions say to do. I also shortened the cook time to about 45 minutes, as longer than that would result in it being burnt. Overall, it’s a good recipe, but next time I would add in some sour cream or something else to make it more moist.
Hi Dina, thanks for your feedback! If you do decide to try the banana loaf again with the adjustments you mentioned, please let me know. I’d love to see if the recipe works out better for you next time. 🙂
Very moist, I used 5 bananas, felt they tasted a little like flour, I followed the recipe to a T. It could use a little something for flavor, not sure if it’s brown sugar or I saw in the comments some used maple syrup, maybe next time I’ll add a little spice like cinnamon or something. Overall, they are delish. At the last minute I didn’t realize I didn’t have a loaf pan so I made cupcakes.
Hi Angela, thank you for your feedback! I’m glad you liked the recipe overall. 🙂