The Best Banana Bread Recipe Ever!

This is one of my oldest and most trusted recipes. I am not sure where it came from because its been in my recipe scrap book for years and years. I started making this recipe in college and haven't looked for a new one since.

as you can see from the stains and notes, this recipe is well loved!

I don't know about your family, but we seem to accumulate brown bananas. Some weeks we will eat a whole bunch of bananas in a few days and the next week we won't eat any, resulting in brown bananas. I hate wasting food and the nice thing about bananas is that once they turn brown you can just pop them in the freezer and leave them there until you are ready to make banana bread or breakfast cookies, or whatever else you might need smooshed-up ripe bananas for.  

Like I said, I have been making this particular banana bread recipe for years and years. In that time I have made bread, muffins and mini muffins. I have mixed in walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, and mini chocolate chips. I have thought about adding peanut butter and chocolate chips. I have thought about adding cocoa powder. I have thought about adding blueberries. I have thought about cutting the banana and adding pumpkin instead. I have thought about baking it in a cake pan and then icing it with cream cheese icing or chocolate, or Nutella, or even salted caramel! Oh so many culinary ideas! (What would you add?)

I have learned a few things after making this recipe so many times. First, do not over fill your pans or muffin liners! This batter will rise quite a bit. I learned the hard way with banana bread burning on the bottom of my oven. Fill whatever your baking pan is only about 1/2-1/3 of the way full. Second, make sure to check with a toothpick for done-ness (technical term) and check a few places when making bread. The bread will usually be a lovely golden brown and still gooey in the middle. I usually let it get a nice color and then cover with tin foil to finish baking through. Third, you can make this recipe with or without a mixer. If you have the arm strength/willingness to cream the butter and sugar the rest is a breeze. Forth, one banana equals about half a cup, so you will need roughly four bananas for this recipe. Fifth, experimenting with flavors is awesome! My favorite is chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips is making mini muffins. Sixth, shmere with butter or cream cheese and have some coffee. 

I really hope you enjoy this recipe. It the best banana bread recipe I have encountered.

follow me on instagram (@coreysuzanne) for more yummy inspiration!

What mix-ins do you add to your banana bread?

XOXO,
Coco

The Best Banana Bread

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 large over-ripe bananas)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
• 1 cup chopped nuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, etc... (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour three loaf pans, or put liners in muffin tins.

Mash bananas and mix with lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.

Cream the butter and the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until well combined. Beat in bananas.

Sift all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) together. 

Add the flour and sour cream to the butter alternatively, starting and ending with the flour. Mix well after each addition. (Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix until combined. Add 1/2 of the sour cream to the butter mixture, mix until combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix until combined. Add 1/2 of the sour cream to the butter mixture, mix until combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix until combined.)

Fold in nuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, etc... 

Pour batter into greased pans or spoon into muffin cups. DO NOT over fill pans. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes for loaf pans, 17-20 minutes for regular-sized muffins, 12-15 for mini-sized muffins, or until a toothpick that is inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. If the bread has developed a golden brown color but hasn't baked all the way through, cover with tin foil and bake until done.