Easy One-Bowl Best Banana Bread Recipe
This Easy One-Bowl Banana Bread is incredibly moist, soft, and full of rich banana flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and mixed in just one bowl, this classic loaf comes together quickly and bakes into a perfectly tender treat ideal for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.
Ingredients
Banana Bread Batter
- 3 large very ripe bananas mashed
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 0.75 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.25 cup sour cream or plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 0.5 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Stir in the melted and cooled butter. Add the brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon directly to the bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing; a few streaks of flour are fine.
- If using walnuts or chocolate chips, fold them into the batter now.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then carefully remove it and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
For the best banana flavor, use bananas that are heavily speckled with brown or black spots. Bringing the egg and sour cream to room temperature helps create a smoother batter. Sour cream can be replaced with the same amount of full-fat Greek yogurt for a slightly tangy variation.
