Moist Banana Bread Loaf (Printable)

Tender loaf with ripe bananas, nuts, and chocolate for a moist, flavorful breakfast or snack.

# 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 bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon if using.
04 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined to avoid overmixing.
05 - Fold in chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips if desired.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
08 - Allow the loaf 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 under twenty minutes of actual work, and your whole house smells incredible while it bakes.
  • Those dark spots on overripe bananas are exactly what you want—they're where all the sweetness lives, so you need barely any added sugar.
  • It stays moist for days and tastes even better the next morning, making it a gift to your future self.
02 -
  • Overripe bananas with those dark brown spots are not a mistake—they're exactly what you want because the starches have turned to sugar, making your bread naturally sweet without needing to add extra sweetener.
  • The moment you see a toothpick come out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter, that's done; overbaking is how you end up with something that tastes like cardboard, and it dries out even more as it cools.
  • Folding gently instead of mixing vigorously is the secret to that tender, almost delicate crumb that people describe as melt-in-your-mouth—it keeps the gluten from developing into tough strings.
03 -
  • If you're slicing your bread and it crumbles, that usually means it wasn't completely cool when you cut it—give it at least a couple of hours on the rack, or even slice it the next day when the structure has fully set.
  • A bread knife with a serrated edge changes everything; it glides through without crushing, whereas a regular knife can squeeze and tear the soft crumb apart.
  • Store your finished loaf wrapped loosely in a kitchen towel or paper towel at room temperature for up to three days—the cloth lets it breathe so it doesn't go soggy, but it keeps the surface from drying out.
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