This banana bread recipe is so easy to make, and incredibly delicious! Best of all, the entire batter can be made in just one bowl! Simply combine all of the wet ingredients, fold in the dry ingredients, mix in the chocolate chips and it’s ready to bake!
Ingredients
There are so many reasons why I love this banana bread recipe. Here we will discuss the ingredients used and possible ingredient substitutions!
Melted butter: Makes this banana bread dense and so much tastier. You could substitute with an equal amount of vegetable oil, but I really recommend using melted butter.
Granulated sugar & light brown sugar: I use both granulated and light brown sugar. A traditional banana bread recipe typically uses only granulated sugar, but I feel the combination of both gives it extra flavor.
Eggs: Binds all the ingredients together and helps give structure.
Pure vanilla extract: Adds an extra touch of delicious flavor!
Plain yogurt: Makes this banana bread moist and succulent. If you don’t have plain yogurt on hand, any equal substitutions such as sour cream, Greek yogurt, or buttermilk work as well.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Any type of chocolate is an easy swap in this banana bread recipe or leave them out completely if you don’t like chocolate!
Coarse sugar: Baked on top of the loaf to create crunchy and sweet crust.
Extra ripe bananas: The riper they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your banana bread will turn out! They will also bring out a stronger natural banana flavor, without using any artificial extracts.
If you plan on making this banana bread recipe today, but don’t have extra ripe bananas, don’t worry! Simply preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Place your unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes (or until they are completely black). Once out of the oven, let the bananas cool completely before peeling and smashing.
How to make Banana Bread
I truly enjoy making this recipe, especially as an early Saturday morning treat. My family loves waking up to the smell of fresh banana bread baking in the oven, and I know yours will too!
Mash bananas
Remove the bananas from the peel and place into your mixing bowl. Use a fork, masher or mixer to mash up the bananas. I like to mash them until creamy with small, even chunks of bananas throughout.
Add wet ingredients
Add the melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and plain yogurt to your mashed bananas. Mix all the ingredients until they are evenly incorporated.
Fold in the dry ingredients
Add the ground cinnamon, baking soda, all-purpose flour, and salt to the mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients just until you no longer see any clumps in the batter.
Fold in the chocolate chips
Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to the mixture and fold until evenly distributed.
Prepare loaf pan
Grease an 8.5”x4.5” or 9”x5” loaf pan with non-stick baking spray. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle the top with coarse sugar.
Bake
Preheat your oven to 375 °F. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool
Allow the banana bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10–15 minutes. Then, flip the loaf pan upside down to remove the banana bread, and let it fully cool before slicing.
Common Questions About Banana Bread
What is great about this banana bread recipe is it comes out great every time when using 3 or 4 bananas. If you really want to be precise with your measurements, mash your bananas one at a time, and then add them to your measuring cups until you get 1 cup + ¾ cup.
This is most likely due to your loaf pan not being greased enough. Be sure to generously grease the sides and bottom of your loaf pan, to ensure the bread will come right out when un-molding.
Yes! Just be sure to line your muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray the tins that you are using with non-stick baking spray! The baking time will be much quicker, so be sure to check the muffins within the first 20 minutes of baking, as over baking will make them dry.
This may happen for a few reasons:
1. Over working the dry ingredients will leave you with a dry crumbly banana bread. The more you work the flour, the more gluten is developed. Make sure to gently fold in the flour, just until incorporated.
2. Accurately measure your flour! Don’t pack the flour in the measuring cup, simply scoop the flour into the cup, and level the top of the measuring cup with a knife or offset spatula.
3. Don’t over bake! Make sure to keep your eye on the banana bread once the top is set. Test it by carefully inserting a toothpick in the center and pulling it out. If there is no wet batter on the toothpick, your banana bread is done!
You can store banana bread in an airtight container, or in a Ziploc bag (sealed airtight). It can last for 3-5 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
Yes! You can freeze banana bread and it will last for up to 3 months. When ready to defrost, leave it out at room temperature until fully defrosted or wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and leave it in the oven at 200 degrees until warm in the center.
Delicious Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ripe bananas
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F(190°C). In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas.
- Add in the melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and plain yogurt. Mix until evenly combined.
- Gently fold in the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Then fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non-stick baking spray. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan, making sure that the batter is evenly spread on top. Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly on top of the batter.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the Banana Bread to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before removing onto a wire rack to cool.
- Cut the loaf into 1 inch thick slices (or your preferred thickness) and enjoy! I like my Banana Bread slices lightly toasted with a smear of soft and creamy butter on top.
We made these into muffins & they were out of this world.
this was ridiculously good, can you use salted butter?
Added reeses peanut butter chips to mine but followed your exact recipe, amazing!
Best freakin banana bread ever 😀
amazing ! made it today ! love banana bread
Came out so moist and yummy! I added half a cup of chopped up walnuts to mine but kept evrerything else the same. So good!
That sounds delicious Elise! Be sure to take pictures and tag @recipebinge on instagram so I can check it out!
OMG! I’ve been trying to find a good banana bread recipe for so long and stumbled upon this one. It was so moist and delicious, my kiddies (and hubby) loved it! Thanks sooo much Danielle!
Glad you and your family enjoyed it Janine!