The easiest banana bread recipe I've ever made uses just one bowl, no mixer, and has a perfectly plush, soft texture using melted butter, Greek yogurt, and a bit of brown sugar. Add an extra sprinkle of sugar over top before baking for a caramelized crust!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword banana bread, easy, quick bread
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 50 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 12slices (1 loaf)
Author katiebirdbakes.com
Equipment
1 loaf pan (9"x5" or 8.5"x4.5")
Ingredients
1/4cup (56g)unsalted butter(4 Tbsp)
3overripebananas(the browner, the better - equals about 1 and 1/2 cups mashed banana or 270-290 g)
1/3cup (66g)granulated sugar
1/3cup (66g)brown sugar(packed)
2largeeggs
1/4cup (56g)plain Greek yogurt(or sour cream)
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonsalt
1 and 1/2cups (188g)all-purpose flour
1Tablespoon (11g)turbinado sugar(or additional granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top of the batter)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease an 8.5 x 4.5" or 9 x 5" loaf pan and set aside.
Melt the butter and add to a large bowl (I just microwave the butter in this bowl to melt it). Add the bananas to the bowl and mash them very thoroughly into the melted butter until completely smooth with no lumps, using a fork or potato masher.
Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until well-combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk in each until well-combined. Add the yogurt, vanilla, salt, and baking soda to the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth.
Add the flour all at once and stir with a fork or a spatula until a batter just comes together and no big flour pockets remain. Do not over-mix!
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Sprinkle the additional tablespoon of turbinado or granulated sugar evenly over top.
Bake for 45-55 minutes (you will need the shorter time with a 9"x5" pan and the longer time with a 8.5"x4.5" pan), until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs attached.
Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely (if you can stand to wait that long).
Video
Notes
Storage: bread keeps at room temperature, well-wrapped in foil or in an airtight container, for about 3 days; in the refrigerator for up to a week; in the freezer, well-wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. I also like to wrap individual slices in foil and keep them in a freezer bag. Simply unwrap and microwave for 30 seconds!
Add-ins: If you want to add in chocolate chips or chopped nuts, fold in up to 3/4 cup (128g) just before scraping batter into the pan. Sprinkle a few on top, then bake as directed.
Make into muffins: recipe will make 12 muffins; line muffin tin with parchment liners and bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 12-14 more minutes. If you want more banana muffin recipe ideas, check out my small batch banana muffins or double chocolate banana muffins.
Replace the butter: use olive oil, another neutral oil, or melted coconut oil
Replace the Greek yogurt: use sour cream, a thick Greek-style plant based yogurt, or 1/4 cup (56g) additional melted butter.
Make it gluten-free: use an equal weight (188g) of gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1.
Make it veganor egg-free: use flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 tbsp water) or a commercial egg replacer, plant-based Greek-style yogurt, and either melted coconut oil, olive oil, or vegan butter.