Homemade Banana Bread Recipe (Video)
Published October 9, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Learn how easy it is to make the most delicious homemade banana bread recipe that is light, fluffy, and nothing short of delicious.
We are huge bread fans in our house, especially when it’s homemade. If you love baking bread then you have to check out my pretzels recipe or my dinner rolls.
Banana Bread
There is nothing like homemade bread, and if you happen to have quite a few bananas on hand then banana bread should be on your baking list. There is no firm date on when it was created but it’s said to be created in Southeast Asia quite a long time ago, i.e. 77 a.d. It is very easy to make and can definitely be made with just a whisk and a bowl, with no need for a stand mixer.
How Ripe do the Bananas Need to Be?
It is debatable how ripe bananas need to be to make banana bread. It seems nowadays that it is made with leftover bananas that have begun to go brown. My personal take is that the bananas definitely need to be ripe, but they do not have to be brown.
With that being said, the browner they become, the more intense in flavor the banana will be, and ultimately your bread. I usually look for bananas to be bright yellow with a few brown spots on them for me to use in this recipe.
How to Make It Moist
The trick to ensuring that your banana bread is moist lies in a few different factors being:
- Fat – You have to have plenty of fat such as butter or oil in banana bread for it to be moist, this is the most important factor.
- Cooking Time – Often times people overcook baked goods and they immediately dry out. I believe if you cook it just to 197° to 198° internally and pulling it out and letting it sit until cool is the perfect recipe for success.
- Over Mixing – Do not over mix this, you want some of those small chunks of ingredients in the batter before baking it.
How to Make Banana Bread from Scratch
Follow these simple instructions for making this amazing banana bread recipe:
In a large bowl completely whisk together the melted butter and sugar until combined.
Next, add in 1 egg at a time until they are completely mixed in.
Pour in the vanilla, oil, and milk into the batter and whisk until mixed in.
Add in the mashed bananas and whisk until combined.
Now, add in the baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until they are mixed together.
Whisk in the flour and salt just until combined.
Fold in the walnuts into the batter and evenly divide it between two 9×5 greased loaf pans.
Top off with a little mixture of walnuts and brown sugar and bake at 350° for 80-90 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center, or until it reaches 197° to 198°.
Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Variations
There are a few different things you can do to alter the flavor and overall texture of this recipe to make it work for your needs.
- Pecans – Simply swap out the walnuts for pecans in this recipe.
- Gluten-Free Flour – Exchange the current amount of all-purpose flour for 1 to 1 gluten-free flour.
- Almond Flour – Swap out the all-purpose flour for the same amount of almond flour.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this banana bread recipe up to 1 day ahead of time.
How to Store: Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or covered and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator until soft.
chef notes + tips
- You can just use oil, or just use milk, or a combination of both like I did in this recipe. Feel free to also swap out the milk for full-fat yogurt.
- You can easily make 24 muffins using this recipe if you prefer banana muffins instead. Bake them for 25-28 minutes.
- In addition to the walnuts in this recipe, you can also add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
More Amazing Bread Recipes
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Video
Homemade Banana Bread Recipe (Video)
Ingredients
- 2 sticks melted unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 8 mashed bananas
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 ½ cups roughly chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl whisk together the butter and sugar until completely mixed.
- Next, add in 1 egg at a time until mixed in.
- Pour in the vanilla, oil, and milk until combined and then pour in the bananas and mix them in.
- Now, whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until completely mixed together.
- Whisk in the flour and salt until combined and then fold in the walnuts using a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter between 2 9×5 loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.
- This part is optional but mix together ¼ cup of packed light brown sugar with ¼ cup of roughly chopped walnuts and evenly sprinkle it over the top of the bread.
- Bake at 350° for 80-90 minutes or until browned and cooked in the center. If you press a toothpick in the center it should come out relatively clean. In addition, it will have an internal temperature of 198°.
- Remove from the oven and set on a rack and cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Best banana bread I have ever eaten. Made it many times
My search for a good banana bread is over! This banana bread is fantastic!
I followed Chef Parisi’s instructions to a T and the bread came out light, moist and oh so flavourful!! Thank you yet again for an amazing recipe!
Every member of my family has said this is the absolute best banana bread! It is moist and yummy! Another comment was that it actually has flavor! Thank you Chef
I followed your recipe to a T, including stop the baking at 198F. What an excellent recipe. The sweetness was just right, not overpowering. Thank you.
Thanks for the tip of the temp to cook to: 197° to 198° internally. (Just in case someone doesn’t know). I love the topping of walnut brown sugar! Great recipe.
This was an easy and delicious banana bread. I thoroughly enjoy watching all of Billy’s recipes. His directions are very clear. I am a home cook for over 32 years. Cooking is a passion of mine and when you find a chef who has the same warmth for family and cooking it is a win win…Thank you Billy
Delicious! Thanks for recipe.
This banana bread recipe is perfect!
The first time I used I followed the recipe exactly, using pecans for the nuts. It was awesome!
But today I got halfway through the project when I realized that the recipe calls for 8 bananas, and I only had 5. So I added a cup and a half of peanut butter in replace of the 3 missing bananas, and crossed my fingers.
Whew! Not only is it okay—it’s DELICIOUS! Peanut butter-Pecan Banana Bread, by me & Chef Billy!👍🏼😝
This is an easy and delicious recipe. I’ve made several batches with chocolate chips but without the walnuts for my students. They always love when I bring these in.
This banana bread was amazing. I received so many compliments on this recipe. The video helped me a great deal. I’ve made several banana breads and this one I got the most compliments on. Thank you