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Best Ever Classic Banana Bread

A wonderfully moist and tender classic banana bread recipe, perfect for using up ripe bananas. This easy-to-follow recipe yields a flavorful loaf that's ideal for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
  • ¾ tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 3 very ripe large bananas mashed well (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ¼ cups Walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare Oven and Pan: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.
  • Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  • Gently Combine Mixtures: Pour wet banana mixture into dry flour mixture. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do NOT overmix; batter will be thick and chunky.
  • Fold in Walnuts (Optional): If using, gently fold in toasted and chopped walnuts.
  • Transfer to Pan: Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
  • Cooling: Let loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
  • Unmold and Finish Cooling: Invert loaf onto wire rack and cool completely for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

For best results, ensure your bananas are very ripe with lots of brown spots.
Avoid overmixing the batter, as this can lead to a tough loaf. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined.