Description
This Simple Banana Bread recipe is a classic, moist, and flavorful loaf that uses ripe bananas, warm spices, and basic pantry ingredients. Perfect as a comforting breakfast or snack, this easy-to-make bread requires minimal prep time and bakes to golden perfection with a soft crumb and subtle cinnamon and nutmeg aroma.
Ingredients
Scale
Banana Bread Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Butter, melted
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2–4 Very ripe Bananas (about 1¼ to 1½ cups mashed, preferably 3 medium bananas)
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it is ready for baking the banana bread.
- Prepare Loaf Pan: Grease a loaf pan with butter, oil, or non-stick spray like Pam to prevent sticking.
- Combine Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter and granulated sugar until well blended.
- Add Bananas: Mash the ripe bananas with a fork, then add them to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly.
- Mix in Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the banana mixture, stirring until fully combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Incorporate the baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and all-purpose flour. Stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing to keep the bread tender.
- Pour Batter into Pan: Transfer the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Use the toothpick test by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of the bread; if it comes out clean, the bread is done. Baking times may vary between 30 to 55 minutes depending on your oven.
- Cool the Bread: Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan to set. Cool fully before slicing for clean, neat slices.
Notes
- I recommend using 3 medium bananas to yield about 1¼ to 1½ cups of mashed banana for optimal moisture and flavor.
- If you don’t have baking soda, there are alternative banana bread recipes that omit it, but this will affect the texture slightly.
- Baking times vary based on the oven type—convection ovens may bake faster, so keep an eye on the bread after 30 minutes.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 1/10th of loaf)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 2.5g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
