Are you ready for moist, tender banana bread that will melt in your mouth? Try this Best Ever Banana Bread Recipe! This delicious bread features ripe bananas and simple baking ingredients to make a moist and flavorful banana bread you can enjoy for breakfast or dessert!
Banana bread is a staple comfort food that is popular to make when you have ripe bananas on hand. This banana bread recipe is moist, flavorful, and has just the right amount of sweetness!
What makes this the best banana bread is the addition of sour cream to the batter. While sour cream is usually used in savory recipes, it gives the banana bread a moist and tender texture you won't find in any other banana bread recipe.
This recipe is great for when you have overripe bananas on hand and only requires a few pantry baking ingredients!
Enjoy moist banana bread toasted with butter and a cup of coffee for breakfast, or serve it with a scoop of your favorite ice cream for dessert!
Pair this banana bread with sausage egg muffins or a slice of breakfast casserole for a well-balanced meal!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A great way to use up any overripe bananas you may have on hand.
- This recipe uses simple baking ingredients you can find anywhere.
- Banana bread is versatile and can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, or as an after-school snack.
- This recipe uses sour cream to make a moist and dense texture that is comforting and satisfying.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Margarine - This ingredient gives the banana bread a buttery flavor and also adds to the overall moistness.
- Bananas - Overripe mashed bananas are what gives the bread its natural banana flavor along with natural sweetness.
- Sour Cream - Contrasts the sweetness with a bit of tangy flavor while making the bread dense and moist at the same time.
- Salt - Helps balance the sweetness in the bread.
- Baking Soda - Helps the banana bread rise.
- Granulated Sugar - Gives the moist banana bread a little extra sweetness.
- All Purpose Flour - The main ingredient to hold it all together! All-purpose flour is best for moist banana bread like this one.
- Vanilla Extract - Adds a fragrant depth of vanilla flavor that compliments the banana.
- Eggs - Help to bind the ingredients together and keep it set while baking.
How To Make Moist Banana Bread
Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 300°. Lightly grease and flour a bread pan (9.25 long x 5.25 wide x 2.75 deep) and set aside.
Cream the margarine and sugar: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, cream together softened margarine and granulated sugar. Next, mix in eggs and vanilla and mix well. You can also use a hand mixer.
Mix wet and dry ingredients: To the margarine and sugar, add the mashed bananas, sour cream, salt, and baking soda. Mix until well combined, then switch to the paddle attachment and slowly add the flour just until combined.
Bake the banana bread: Pour the batter into the greased flour pans up to the halfway mark. Bake for 50-60 mins. Poke a toothpick into the middle of the bread to determine if the bread is thoroughly baked. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done if it comes out with batter on it, bake the bread longer.
Cool and slice: Leave the bread in the loaf pans for five minutes, then remove. Place the loaves on a wire baking rack and cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use overripe bananas to get the best flavor and natural sweetness. An underripe banana will not mash well and will not be as sweet.
- If you don’t have margarine, butter can be used instead.
- Substitute the sour cream with plain yogurt for a similar moist texture.
- When mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, do not overmix. This can cause the bread to become tough.
- Only fill the banana bread batter halfway up the loaf pans as the bread will rise in the oven and you do not want it to spill over the sides.
- Make sure the banana bread is completely cooled before slicing, as warm bread can crumble easily.
Variations
- Add nuts: Chopped walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts all work great in moist banana bread.
- Add chocolate chips: Add a handful of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for added sweetness to the moist banana bread.
- Add spices: Play around with different spice combinations like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or cardamom.
- Add peanut butter: For an added boost of flavor and moist texture, mix ¼ cup of peanut butter right into the batter.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Once cooled, cooked banana bread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Freezing: Wrap moist banana bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place it into a freezer bag and store it in the freezer for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
FAQ
Overripe, mashed bananas work best for moist banana bread. They provide natural sweetness and a strong banana flavor.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the moist banana bread, and if it comes out clean, the moist banana bread is ready to be removed from the oven.
Moist banana bread can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, but it should not replace more nutritious options like whole fruits or vegetables. Enjoy banana bread as a treat or as an occasional sweet start to your day!
More Easy Bread Recipes
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Best Ever Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup margarine (softened)
- 2 cups bananas (mashed)
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°. Lightly grease and flour a bread pan (9.25 long x 5.25 wide x 2.75 deep) and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together softened margarine and granulated sugar. Next, mix in eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Add mashed bananas, sour cream, salt, and baking soda. Mix until well combined.
- Switch to the paddle attachment. Slowly add in the flour until thoroughly blended.
- Fill the greased and floured pans halfway with the banana bread batter.
- Bake for 50-60 mins. Poke a toothpick into the middle of the bread to determine if the bread is thoroughly baked. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done if it comes out with batter on it, bake the bread longer.
- Cool the bread for 5 mins. And then, remove the bread from the pans and place the loaves on a wire baking rack. Once the bread is cooled, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
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