Moist Banana Bread Loaf (Printable Version)

A tender loaf with ripe bananas, nuts, and a hint of cinnamon, ideal for any time of day.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
04 - ½ cup granulated sugar
05 - ¼ cup brown sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

→ Add-ins (optional)

11 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - ½ cup chocolate chips

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until fully blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon if using.
04 - Gently fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing to maintain tenderness.
05 - Fold in chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips if desired, distributing evenly through the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean or with a few moist crumbs.
08 - Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in fifteen minutes of actual work, and the oven does the rest while you sit with coffee.
  • Those brown spots on overly ripe bananas aren't a problem—they're the secret to moisture and natural sweetness.
  • The crumb is tender but sturdy enough to slice cleanly, and it actually tastes better the next day.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the most common mistake and it turns tender bread into dense disappointment—fold gently and stop as soon as you can't see dry flour anymore.
  • Bananas that are almost black are your best friend, because the more spotty they are, the sweeter and moister your bread becomes.
  • If your toothpick comes out with liquid batter rather than just moist crumbs, the bread needs more time, but if it comes out completely dry your bread might be overbaked and tough.
03 -
  • Use melted butter that's cooled to room temperature so it won't cook the eggs when you whisk everything together.
  • If you forget to sift the dry ingredients, whisk them vigorously together in the bowl for about a minute to break up any flour lumps.
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