One-Bowl Banana Bread
Very ripe bananas, melted butter and one bowl. A soft, tender loaf for the bananas going brown on the counter.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Makes
- 1 (9x5-inch) loaf, about 10 slices
The riper the bananas, the better the bread: look for skins that are heavily speckled or mostly brown. They are sweeter, more fragrant and mash easily with a fork.
Only have two bananas?
Use 2 large bananas (about 1 cup mashed) and add 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt to replace the lost moisture.
A quick bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and the center reads about 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. If the top browns before the middle is done, tent it loosely with foil.
One-Bowl Banana Bread
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Makes
- 1 (9x5-inch) loaf, about 10 slices
Ingredients
Method
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the melted butter.
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the bananas and stir well. Stir in the brown sugar, egg and vanilla.
Add the flour and fold just until no dry flour remains. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if using.
Pour into the pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil after 40 minutes if the top is browning quickly.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
A new recipe from our editors: times are estimates and have not yet been confirmed in our own test kitchen. Use the doneness cues and temperatures above.
Storage
Wrap the cooled loaf and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. To freeze, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months; slices thaw in about 30 minutes.
Having trouble with a dense or gummy loaf? Read why banana bread turns out gummy.
Questions, answered
Can I make banana bread with 2 bananas?
Yes. Use 2 large bananas and add 1/4 cup of sour cream or plain yogurt to keep the loaf moist.
How do I ripen bananas quickly?
Bake unpeeled bananas on a sheet pan at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skins are black. Cool before mashing. They will be soft and sweet, though less complex than naturally ripened ones.
