Classic Oven-Baked Banana Bread
Three overripe bananas, one bowl, and a buttery walnut crumb baked into a golden 9x5 loaf with the ideal moist center.
oven Timer
Set for 60 mins @ 350°F (177°C)
Ingredients
Base recipe calibrated for 8 adults.
Get to the Point Execution
Mash 3 overripe bananas. Stir in 1/3 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1 tsp vanilla.
Sprinkle in 1 tsp baking soda and pinch of salt, then fold in 1 1/2 cups flour until just combined.
Optional: fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Pour into greased 9x5 loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake 55-65 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick pulls out clean and internal temp reads 200°F.
Step-by-Step Guided Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) with the rack in the center position. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray and line the bottom with a parchment sling.
The parchment sling lets the loaf lift out cleanly after cooling — no more sad, dented bottoms from prying with a knife.
In a large bowl, mash 3 overripe bananas (black-speckled peels required) with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. You should have about 1 1/4 cups of mash.
The blacker the banana, the deeper the flavor. Yellow bananas with no spots produce bland, dense bread — always wait for the ugly ones.
Stir 1/3 cup melted butter into the mashed banana. Whisk in 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until fully blended and glossy.
Let the melted butter cool for 2 minutes before adding — hot butter will scramble the egg the moment they touch.
Sprinkle 1 tsp baking soda and a pinch of salt evenly over the wet ingredients, then whisk in. Add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined — no dry streaks.
Overmixing develops gluten and gives you tough, chewy banana bread. Stop the second the last flour streak disappears.
Gently fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional). Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the back of the spatula.
Reserve 2 tbsp of chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top before baking — they toast in the oven for a crunchy, bakery-style crown.
Bake on the center rack for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and an instant-read thermometer registers 200°F.
If the top browns too fast around the 40-minute mark, loosely tent with foil to prevent burning while the center finishes.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment sling and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Slicing warm banana bread crushes the delicate crumb. Cold-from-the-fridge slices are cleaner, and the flavor actually deepens overnight.
The freezer is a banana-bread bank. When bananas get too ripe to eat, peel and freeze them in a zip-top bag. Thaw and drain the excess liquid before mashing — thawed bananas release more water and can throw off the batter consistency if you skip that step.
Skip the walnuts (many kids reject nuts in baked goods) and fold in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips instead. Serve slightly warm with a smear of salted butter.
- Warm slice with salted butter or cream cheese
- Fresh berries and Greek yogurt
- Hot coffee or a tall glass of cold milk
Toast slices in a 350°F oven for 3-4 minutes, or in a toaster oven for 2 minutes until edges crisp. Microwave 15 seconds for a soft-warm center without the crunch.