Description
Unlock the secret to the most incredibly moist and flavorful banana bread you’ve ever tasted. This authoritative recipe guarantees a perfect caramelized top and tender crumb every time.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but recommended)
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 3 very ripe medium bananas (about 1.5 cups mashed)
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Prep Pan & Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
- 2. Mash Bananas: In a large bowl, mash ripe bananas until mostly smooth with a few small chunks remaining.
- 3. Combine Wet Ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add melted butter, vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Whisk until fully combined and smooth.
- 4. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using). If adding nuts or chocolate chips, toss them in with the dry ingredients now.
- 5. Gently Fold: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix; a few streaks of flour are okay.
- 6. Bake: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- 7. Cool: Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes before carefully removing and cooling completely on the rack before slicing.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 60-70 mins