This is by far THE BEST banana bread you will ever taste. It’s soft, moist, full of banana flavor and deliciously sweet.
I’ve been experimenting with different ingredients and I think I found the perfect recipe. Let me walk you through the key steps and answer some questions you might have.
WHAT MAKES THIS BANANA BREAD SO MOIST?
The key ingredients to make this bread ultra moist and soft are the brown sugar and yogurt. Creaming the butter and sugar together will help you build some structure and incorporate some air into the mixture, so you won’t have a dense bread. I love to add yogurt or sour cream for extra tenderness and flavour.
CAN I USE WHITE SUGAR INSTEAD OF BROWN SUGAR?
If you really have to, yes. But I strongly suggest using brown sugar. Why? Because brown sugar has molasses in it: this not only gives extra flavour and colour but also makes the texture moister. Plus, I’m using baking soda as a leavening agent in this recipe and to make the bread rise baking soda needs an acid: in this case brown sugar and yogurt are the acids.
CAN I USE OIL INSTEAD OF BUTTER?
I tried this recipe with creamed butter, melted butter and vegetable oil. I have to say it came out great every time, but there’s a slight difference texturally if you cream the butter with the sugar. But if you don’t have butter or are just feeling lazy (I see you) you can use the same amount (in grams) of vegetable oil.
DON’T OVERMIX THE BATTER!!!
Can you hear me shouting at the sky?? This is an advice that is valid for all cakes and cupcakes. The more you mix a batter/dough, the more gluten you develop. While this is a thing you want when making bread, bagels, chewy cookies or other leavened products, you definitely should avoid it if you want a tender and fluffy texture.
NUTS, CHOCOLATE OR PLAIN?
Listen, I love chocolate as much as the next person, but when it comes to banana bread, I’m a walnut girl. I think chocolate overpowers the banana flavour, but that’s my personal and humble opinion. You can get crazy with this: walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, dried cranberries, blueberries, chocolate chips, you name it. I like to add about 100 grams, but add as much as your heart desires.
EXTRA TIP TO MAKE IT EXTRA FANCY:
I once used berry yogurt in this recipe because it was all I had. I have to say that I was very pleased with the result: an extra fruity and delicious bread that made everyone happy. You can really have fun here, some flavours that I think would go great with banana are vanilla, coffee, strawberry, berry and coconut!
The Best Banana Bread
This is the best banana bread: moist, full of delicious banana flavour, nuts and with a crunchy sugar crust.
Ingredients
- 115 g of unsalted butter (1/2 cup, 4oz or 1 stick)
- 150 g of light brown sugar (3/4 cup or 5.3oz)
- 2 large eggs
- 80 g of yogurt or sour cream (1/4 cup)
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (300g, 10.6oz or 1 cup)
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 250g of plain flour (2 cups or 8.8oz)
- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- a pinch of salt
- 100g of chopped nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruit
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175°C/345°F and line a 25x10cm/9x5inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar until it's pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the yogurt, vanilla extract and mashed bananas.
- Add your dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir in the chopped nuts or the optional ingredient you chose to use. Don't overmix.
- Pour the batter into your baking tin and sprinkle some sugar on top to have a nice crunchy crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring the loaf to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Walnuts or pecans are the best option in a banana bread. Chocolate chips, chunks or dried fruit also work well with this recipe.
- How to freeze it: slice the entire loaf and freeze the slices, separating them with a piece of parchment paper to make sure they don't stick to each other. When you want a slice, take it out in the evening or simply defrost it in the toaster in the morning!
