My Easy Banana Bread is perfectly moist thanks to the greek yoghurt in the recipe, and has a crunchy turbinado sugar topping. It is the best way to use up over ripe, sad looking bananas.
Hi hi! I Hope you are well - I am just popping in to share this Easy Banana Bread Recipe. We are coming up to the one year anniversary of staying inside our homes and making banana bread, and so I thought what better time to add this recipe to the other 433,000,000 other hits that come up when you google banana bread!
My original recipe for Banana Bread actually comes from my friend's Dad, Barry (Hi Barry!). The blog post is one of the first things that I posted here so is super old, so I re-shot the recipe and tweaked it just a tiny bit - adding in some greek yoghurt and finishing it with some crunchy turbinado sugar. Rich can take down almost a whole loaf of this by himself in one day - it's super, super good.
Banana Bread made with Greek Yoghurt
I'm not going to give you a whole spiel on why this is the best banana bread you've ever made - because to be honest, it's just another banana bread recipe. I did loads of research into other people's recipes and they are all relatively similar, but use different ingredient ratios. However this is the recipe that I make all the time, and so thought I might as well share it here with you!
I added some greek yoghurt into the recipe because I love the moisture and super subtle tang that it adds to baking without making the batter too runny. It is my go to if I need something to help texture wise in baked goods, and I almost always have a container of it in the fridge, so popped some into this banana bread. The yoghurt will give the banana bread a nice soft crumb, and will help to keep it moist for a few days.
What are the best bananas to use for Banana Bread?
The best bananas for banana bread are ones which are SUPER ripe and squishy. Ideally you want to leave them until they are almost black all over, and super mushy. Using these bananas will give you the sweetest, moistest banana bread. However, I make this all the time with bananas that are just looking a bit tired and beaten up - just make sure that they are some form of over ripe!
Banana bread with Frozen Bananas.
I get asked this often - can you make banana bread with frozen bananas?
Sometimes If bananas look like they are going to go rotten on me, I will throw them into the freezer with the skins still on to use for baking at another time. These work just great in baking - I thaw them at room temperature on a plate and then once they are ready to use, proceed with the recipe as usual. If they have leaked any moisture onto the plate, then just discard that. The banana quantity in this recipe is done by weight so you don't have to worry about accounting for any moisture lost in the freezing process.
What pan should I use to bake this in?
I used a one pound loaf pan (8"x4"x2 ¾") to make this. Here is the exact pan that I used. There are generally two sizes of loaf pan and this is the smaller of the two. If you use a bigger pan that's totally fine too, your bread will just come out a little wider and flatter! Add image
Can this be frozen?
Yes! I make this and freeze it all the time. I like to slice it into thick slices and then freeze the whole thing tightly wrapped. That way when you want some you can defrost it by the slice. Rich does this often and actually does it in the toaster!
Do I have to use the Turbinado sugar on the top?
Nope! If you don't have it, that's totally fine! Just leave it off.
Do I have to use an electric mixer for banana bread?
I tested this both by hand and with a handheld electric mixer and both worked great. The electric mixer makes things quicker but making this by hand works perfectly too.
What can I use in the place of greek yoghurt?
Sour cream or cream fraiche should work great as a sub for greek yoghurt. I sub sour cream for greek yoghurt 1:1 all the time and it works perfectly.
How do I know when the banana bread is baked?
I like to use a paring knife or a skewer (I find cake testers are too thin) to insert into the middle of the cake. If it comes out with wet batter on it, it needs a little more time - it should come out clean or with a few crumbs. Add some foil to the top of the banana bread if it needs a little more time and you are worrieda bout it getting too dark.
Do I have to use the cinnamon?
The cinnamon is just there to add a tiny little bit of warmth. I really like it but if you don't like cinnamon, just leave it out! I live with a cinnamon hater (who eats cinnamon rolls, go figure), and he didn't even notice it in there!
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Easy Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Easy Banana Bread is perfectly moist thanks to the greek yoghurt in the recipe, and has a crunchy turbinado sugar topping. It is the best way to use up over ripe, sad looking bananas.
Ingredients
- 420g over ripe bananas (weight is flesh of bananas only, not including skin)
- 70g full fat greek yoghurt or sour cream, at room temperature
- 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 80g granulated sugar
- 120g light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 235g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Turbinado (sugar in the raw / raw sugar) for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Grease a 1 lb (8"x4"x2 ¾" approximately) loaf pan with butter or baking spray and line with a piece of parchment paper with the edges extending over the sides to form a sling. You can clip the parchment down to make adding the batter easier but take the clips off before baking or you will bake them into the banana bread (I am speaking from personal experience here).
- Add the over ripe bananas and greek yoghurt to a medium bowl. Either using a handheld stand mixer or a fork, mash the bananas until fairly smooth and the yoghurt is incorporated.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the banana and yoghurt mixture to the bowl and mix until incorporated.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl (I quickly wipe out the banana bowl and use it for the dry ingredients but use a new one if you like). Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over beat the mixture. I like to stop just before it is incorporated and finish it off by hand.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar if using. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Tent the top with foil toward the end of the baking period if you are worried it is getting too brown.
- Remove the banana bread from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing and placing on a wire rack and allowing to cool completely.
- Store leftovers lightly wrapped at room temperature.
Notes
To add brownie bites: Make a ⅓ batch of my forever brownie recipe following the directions in the notes section (the quantities are there too), and chill completely and then freeze. Cut into small squares and separate on a parchment lined pan and freeze again. Make the banana bread as directed (I omitted the cinnamon), add a little to the bottom of the pan to cover (this provides a barrier to stop the brownie from sinking), and then add the brownie bits to the remaining batter and mix to incorporate. Transfer to the pan, smooth down, and top with turbinado sugar. Bake as directed - you may need to add a 10-15 minutes onto the bake time. Tent the top of the banana bread with foil if you are worried about it getting too dark toward the end of the baking period.
Comments
jane li says
I just made this recipe, as I had just made some yoghurt. I used about 60g less of sugar (brown and white) and I'm really, really happy with how it turned out. Thanks for this recipe!