Classic Banana Bread

Breads & Savory Bakes

Classic Banana Bread

The best use for over-ripe bananas ever invented — a moist, fragrant loaf that needs one bowl, no beater, and 10 minutes of effort.

⏱️ Prep: 10 min🔥 Bake: 55–60 min at 175°C🍞 Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices)⭐ Level: Beginner

Ingredients

  • 3 very ripe bananas (the spottier, the sweeter)
  • 115g butter, melted
  • 150g (¾ cup) sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 190g (1½ cups) maida
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
  • Handful of chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Method

  1. Prepare. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and line your loaf pan.
  2. Mash. Mash bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Whisk in melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
  3. Fold. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Fold until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Fold in nuts or chips.
  4. Bake. Pour into the pan and bake 55–60 minutes. If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil at the 40-minute mark.
  5. Cool. Rest 15 minutes in the pan, then cool on a rack. It slices best (and tastes even better) the next day.
👩‍🍳 Baker's Tip: No ripe bananas? Bake unpeeled bananas at 150°C for 15 minutes until the skins blacken — instant ripeness. Overmixing is the enemy here: stop stirring the moment the flour disappears.