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American

Banana bread

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A moist, tender quick bread that turns overripe bananas into a fragrant loaf with a caramelised crust, lightly spiced with cinnamon.

Banana bread is an American cake from United States, ready in about 1 hour 45 minutes and made with banana and all-purpose flour. It serves 10 and is rated beginner to cook.

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A rustic presentation of homemade banana bread with fresh bananas on a wooden board.
Photo: alleksana / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h 45 min
Serves
10
Level
Beginner
Calories
278

Ingredients

10 slices

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 175 °C and grease and line a 900 g (23 × 13 cm) loaf tin (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl whisk (opens in a new tab) the mashed bananas (opens in a new tab), melted butter, brown sugar (opens in a new tab), eggs (opens in a new tab) and vanilla (opens in a new tab) until smooth.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the flour, baking soda (opens in a new tab), salt and cinnamon (opens in a new tab) and fold gently until just combined; fold in the walnuts (opens in a new tab).

    • 3 min

  4. Step 4

    Scrape into the tin and bake until risen, deep golden and a skewer in the centre comes out clean, 55–65 minutes. Cover loosely with foil after 40 minutes if it browns quickly.

  5. Step 5

    Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

    • 30 min

About this dish

Origin
United States · Commonly attributedBaking-soda banana breads became popular in US home baking in the 1930s; today they are loved everywhere.Also popular in Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, New ZealandMore food from United States
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Cakes · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, fruity, buttery
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Budget-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Banana · All-purpose flour · Unsalted butter · Brown sugar · Egg · Vanilla extract
Techniques
Baking · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom unsalted butter
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom walnuts
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

278 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 98 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 60%
  • Fat 34%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy278 kcal283 kcal
Protein4.3 g4.4 g
Carbohydrate42.1 g42.9 g
Net carbohydrate40.5 g41.2 g
Sugars19.1 g19.4 g
Added sugars14.6 g14.8 g
Fibre1.7 g1.7 g
Fat10.6 g10.8 g
Saturated fat6.2 g6.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol62 mg63 mg
Sodium265 mg270 mg
Salt equivalent0.7 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
191 mg
Calcium
28 mg
Iron
1.5 mg
Magnesium
18 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
96 µg
Vitamin C
3 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
85 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: walnuts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The blacker the banana skins, the sweeter and more flavourful the bread.

Common mistakes

  • Overmixing after adding the flour makes the loaf dense with tunnels.

Serve with

  • Delicious toasted with butter.

Storage

  • Wrap and keep at room temperature 3 days, or freeze slices for 3 months.

Reheating

  • Toast slices or warm briefly in the microwave.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 15 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Bake · about 1 h at 175 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  3. Cool · about 30 min

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 45 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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