Ingredients

Scale

For a flawless banana bread, you’ll need:

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, carefully spooned and leveled to ensure accuracy.
1 teaspoon of baking soda for that perfect rise.
A pinch, or 1/4 teaspoon, of salt to balance the flavors.
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a warm, aromatic touch.
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons; 113g) of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature to mix smoothly.
3/4 cup (150g) of packed light or dark brown sugar for sweetness and moisture.
2 large eggs, best at room temperature for better blending.
1/3 cup (80g) of plain yogurt or sour cream at room temperature, adding extra tenderness to your bread.
2 cups (460g) of mashed bananas, which is about 4 large ripe ones, for that rich banana flavor.
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for a hint of vanilla essence.
Optional: 3/4 cup (100g) of chopped pecans or walnuts if you like a bit of crunch in each bite.

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Instructions

Preheat the oven
Before anything else, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This gives it time to heat up evenly while you’re preparing the batter.
Mash the bananas
In a large mixing bowl, mash those ripe bananas until smooth. If you like a bit of texture, leave a few chunks. I’ve even used a potato masher for this step before—works like a charm!
Cream the butter and sugar
Stir in the softened butter until it’s fully incorporated into the bananas. Then, add the sugar and mix until combined. The mixture will start to look creamy, which is exactly what you want.
Add the wet ingredients
Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the yogurt (or sour cream) and vanilla extract. This is where the magic happens—everything gets nice and smooth.
Incorporate the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly add this to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Overmixing is your enemy here—stir until the flour is just incorporated, and then stop!
Optional: fold in the nuts
If you’re adding nuts, fold them in at this stage. I love using pecans for their sweetness, but walnuts are great too. Just be sure to chop them finely so they don’t overpower the bread.
Bake it up
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and pop it in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, but start checking around the 50-minute mark. You want a toothpick to come out mostly clean, with maybe a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
Cool and slice
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. If you slice it too soon, it might crumble (though I’ll admit, I’ve eaten many warm slices, crumbles and all!).

Notes

Presentation ideas for the perfect slice

When it comes to serving, banana bread is pretty much perfect on its own. But if you’re looking to elevate it, try serving it warm with a pat of salted butter or a drizzle of honey. For a fancier touch, I like to dust the top with a bit of powdered sugar or even top it with a cream cheese glaze. A side of fresh berries or a scoop of vanilla ice cream turns it into a dessert worthy of any dinner party.

Author: Lily
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Dessert