When I was 15 I was bored at home one day when I started to flip through a very old copy of the Betty Crocker Cook Book. I’d never really made anything on my own before, but we had soft bananas so I gave banana bread a try. Wow, was it delicious! Fast forward 15 years, and many banana breads later, and I am still making a variation of that recipe on a regular basis (with a few adjustments to fit my taste). This has become a bread I share with neighbors, give to my kids, and make when I just want a comforting warm treat. I hope it becomes something you want to share too!

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I hate nuts in my banana bread! I think they throw the whole flavor and texture off. Instead, I like to top my bread with a dusting of cinnamon. It adds a wonderful depth to the bread and makes the house smell SO good! But if nutty bread is your thing by all means you can add them to this recipe (I promise I won’t judge). Cut in to this while it’s still warm, spread on some butter, and I guarantee this will become a regular treat in your house!

Classic Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 60-75 minutes | Total Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Softened Butter
2 eggs
3 to 4 Over Ripe Bananas, Mashed
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
1.5tsp Vanilla
2.5 Cups Flour
1tsp Baking Soda
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Cinnamon For Dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3 loaf pan.
In a medium bowl mash bananas and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together sugar and butter.
Add in eggs and mix well.
Add in buttermilk, vanilla, and bananas and stir until well combined.
Add in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until the dough just comes together.
Pour dough into prepared loaf pan and lightly dust the top with cinnamon.
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool for at least an hour before cutting into it.
Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

Bananas- Make sure your bananas are extra ripe to give the bread more sweetness. If the bananas are large only use 3. For smaller bananas use 4. Too much dough in the loaf pan will take longer to cook and the crust may burn while the center is still raw (speaking from personal experience).
Buttermilk- I often don’t have buttermilk on hand so a useful trick is to use regular milk, remove half a tablespoon of milk, and add half a tablespoon of lemon juice (milk and lemons are staples in my fridge).
Bake Time- My oven runs hot so I find that between 60-75 minutes (usually around 70 minutes) is enough time for this loaf. But it will depend on your oven and how much dough you add to your loaf pan.
Cutting- It’s tempting to cut into this right away, especially with how good it will smell, but let it cool for at least an hour or you risk it falling apart (after 1 hour if cooling it will still be warm).

Classic Banana Bread

Classic Banana Bread

Iced Lemon Loaf