I’ve got a bunch of them on my counter Right This Minute. Spotted, slightly squishy, forlorn-looking bananas, just calling out to be cooked into something banana-wonderful. And while I have a whole pile of banana-rific recipes, sometimes there is nothing like warm, tender, sweet-smelling, classic banana bread…the kind that bakes up with a nice long furrow in the middle, the kind with little flecks of banana in each slice, the kind your mama used to make. So grab those weary bananas…here’s the that banana bread recipe you need!
All the usual suspects are here in this recipe – flour, sugar, butter, eggs – but the secret to the lovely texture of this particular recipe is a little bit of vanilla yogurt. If you don’t know it’s in there you would never guess, but it gives the banana bread that little something something. The recipe is as easy as easy can be: mix up all the dry stuff except for the sugar (I like to do this by hand with a whisk to make sure everything is all nicely combined). Now mix up all the wet stuff (eggs, butter, bananas, yogurt) with the sugar. Now combine the two, stirring until you can’t see any streaks of flour.
Scrape the glorious batter into a greased loaf pan and pop it in the oven for an hour or so, and then let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Let it finish cooling on a rack…but don’t let it get so cool that it’s not a little bit warm when you eat that first slice. And whatever you do, don’t let the whole loaf get eaten without toasting up a slice, spreading it with a little bit of strawberry jam and enjoying it with a nice cup of tea. This is the banana-bread-baker’s due, and it’s mandatory.
Happy banana bread, my friends! Sometimes it’s the simplest things that are the best.
The Only Banana Bread Recipe You’ll Ever Need!
Yield: One loaf
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 8×4 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl, stirring gently with a whisk.
- Combine sugar, butter, eggs, bananas and yogurt in another bowl, and stir vigorously until well combined.
- Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until no flour streaks remain. Scrape batter into loaf pan and bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, and then remove from the pan and continue cooling on a rack. Make sure to eat a piece while it is still warm, and make sure you try a piece toasted before it’s all gone!
I usually use the Simply Recipes banana bread which only has one egg and no yogurt. I usually have plain yogurt, so would you suggest adding some more vanilla if using that? I do like adding yogurt to cake/bread recipes. A couple of days ago I made a wheaten Irish soda bread, half wholewheat flour and half white, oatmeal, and yogurt instead of buttermilk. I halved the recipe that was published. I am always puzzled when I see soda bread listing fruit as an ingredient.
Rachel, sorry this took me so long to respond! I do think about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla would be perfect. And I agree with you on the yogurt – it gives things such a nice taste and consistency!
I’ve recently started adding yogurt into a TON of my baked goods and it seriously does wonders for them!
Right? I think it’s magic.
You have rescued my bananas from certain doom going to the trashcan… Thank you very much
No yellow fruit were harmed during this comment…. now off to the oven to satisfy my family!
Paul
Ha! Thank goodness – a banana tragedy averted! 🙂
I can finally do more than just look at your recipes, I can actually make them now !
Back in the USA with all the ingredients available ! yay !
I am going to make this .. right away, like tomorrow.
I have been eating chocolate muffins from the grocery store every day, just because I can taste them .. baked goods in Argentina were very low of flavor.
I can’t wait to bake this .. can I add chocolate chips ? 🙂
Well, of COURSE you can! You have my blanket permission to add chocolate chips to everything! Welcome home. 🙂
I am also going through all of your pasta recipes. You might get a thank you note from my husband next lol.
C
Ha! Tell him I say he’s welcome! 🙂
I made these i to muffins and added chocolate chips. First time I have ever had success with banana bread. So good. My husband ate them all in one day!!!!
Love the chocolate chip and muffin variation – yay for banana bread!
I also love banana bread and make it often, but when you have very ripe bananas and no time to bake, just peel them, break into chunks, pop into zip sandwich bag and freeze for future smoothies! Oh, and for a special touch add 1/4 tsp Garam Masala to your banana bread recipe.
Thanks Rob – the garam masala has me very intrigued!
This is the best banana bread recipe!! I have no luck with banana bread but this one is amzing. My son and I use it at least once a week to make muffins!!!
Hurray! And banana bread muffins…the BEST. 🙂