Easy banana bread
A moist, tender loaf that turns overripe bananas into something brilliant. Mixes in one bowl and keeps well.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 55 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Serves
- 10
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget
Recipe: Easy banana bread
Easy banana bread
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas, about 300g peeled
- 110g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 140g light brown soft sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 225g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 pinch salt
- 75g walnuts or pecans, chopped, optional
Kitchen kit
- 900g (2lb) loaf tin Search Amazon for 2lb loaf tin
- Loaf tin liners or baking parchment Search Amazon for 2lb loaf tin liners
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links go to search results for the kit, never food.
Method
-
Step 1: Prepare
Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line it with baking parchment or a loaf liner.
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Step 2: Mash and mix the wet ingredients
Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
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Step 3: Add the dry ingredients
Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt and fold together until no dry flour remains. Fold in the nuts if using. Don't overmix.
-
Step 4: Bake
Scrape into the tin and bake for 50–60 minutes until risen, deep golden and a skewer comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil after 35 minutes.
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Step 5: Cool
Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Tips
- The blacker the banana skins, the sweeter and more flavourful the loaf.
- Freeze overripe bananas in their skins; defrost and they mash beautifully for this recipe.
Storing & reheating
Wrap well and keep at room temperature for up to 4 days. It's lovely toasted after day 2.
Freezing
Freeze whole or in slices, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Toast slices straight from frozen.
Variations
- Chocolate chip: swap the nuts for 100g chocolate chips.
- Wholemeal: replace half the flour with wholemeal self-raising flour.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/banana-bread/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
Can I make it with less sugar?
You can reduce it to about 100g – ripe bananas add plenty of sweetness – but it will be a little less moist.
Why is my banana bread dense?
Overmixing after adding the flour or using too much banana. Fold until just combined.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
