Banana Bread Recipe - Two Loaf Solution the Overripe Banana Problem (2024)

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This simple homemade banana bread recipe is a classic. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

I was looking through my recipes the other day, and I realized that I somehow left off one of my favorites. Banana bread is one of the first recipes I ever felt comfortable with – and probably the first recipe I followed that I tweaked to make my own.

I make it frequently around here for one reason. Tell me I’m not the only one with this problem?

I’m a person who thinks that a banana looking like this is too ripe to eat.

I like my bananas firm and somewhat bitter. Once they turn yellow, they’re too sweet for me. That means I generally have one to two days to eat whatever bananas I buy. Otherwise, it’s banana bread time!

Ok, I make more thanjust banana bread. I may make frosted banana bars or banana split s’mores or use them in my favorite dessert nachos.

But a simple banana bread is the fastest and easiest recipe to use up those overripe bananas.

I love that this recipe makes two loaves. That’s one to devour right away and another to freeze or give to (grateful) friends and family. If I go through the effort to make the batter, I may as well make two loaves, right?

How to Make Simple Banana Bread

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees before you start. The banana bread batter comes together to quickly, my oven often doesn’t finish heating before I’m ready to bake!

In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and 3/4 c of brown sugar on high until lightensin color and texture and startsto come back together again.

This works using both a stand mixer and a hand mixer, but you definitely want the power of something mechanical to help you!

Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the flour and blend until it is integrated. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat your eggs, then slowly add them to the other mixture.

Add your very ripe bananas to the mixture, and mix again. I don’t mash mine before I put them in, as I find that that the beaters in the mixer smash them up to just the right size as it is. I like my bread to have a few larger pieces in it as well as the mash throughout.

Grease two loaf pans (seriously, why make a single loaf? It’s never enough, but almost all quick bread recipes seem to make only one loaf).

Split the batter between the two loaf pans and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c of brown sugar atop the loaves before placing them in the oven. If you want to get fancy, use a scale to weigh the loaf pans with the batter in them to ensure you split exactly in half, but as long as you’re close, they will bake evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, making sure you check the centers with a cake tester before taking them out. You should have a few crumbs stick to your tester but not batter. If it comes out completely clean, you may have overbaked it slightly.

Let them cool for five minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Store them in a tightly sealed container on the counter for up to three days. If you plan to save them longer, double wrap them in plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer for up to a month.

What’s your favorite way to use overripe bananas? Do you have a favorite banana bread?

Banana Bread

Yield: 20 slices

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This recipe for banana bread is a classic. It's delicious and the perfect way to use up overripe bananas. This recipe makes two loaves because - let's be honest - when is one loaf enough?

Ingredients

12 T butter, unsalted at room temperature
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar - divided
3 eggs
4 bananas
1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 c flour

Instructions

In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and 3/4 c of brown sugar on high until lightened in color and texture and has started to come back together again.
Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Add flour and blend until integrated. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat eggs, then slowly add them to the other mixture. Add bananas to the mixture, and mix again.
Grease two loaf pans. Split the batter between the two loaf pans and sprinkle the remaining 3/4 c of brown sugar atop the loaves before placing in the oven.
Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, making sure to check the centers with a toothpick before taking them out. Let cool for five minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Did you make this recipe?

Please rate the recipe above and save it on Pinterest so you can find it to make again and again. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think about it, too!