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Mom’s homemade banana bread recipe is easy to make with a soft crumb and a delicious banana flavor. It’s even better with chocolate chips.
Mom’s Best Banana Bread
This is my mom’s easy recipe for banana bread that I’ve been making forever. It originally came from one of her old cookbooks and has evolved over the years into this deliciously moist loaf we love today. My kids insist upon adding chocolate chips, but those are optional, as the bread is amazing without them.
If you love quick bread recipes, try our cake mix version or zucchini bread and pumpkin bread next!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you need to make it. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below. You will also need a loaf pan. I use a 10×5 or 1 1/2 pound pan.
- Ripe bananas — The browner, the better as these will be sweeter and have more flavor.
- Eggs — large, not jumbo
- Vanilla extract — adds a subtle flavor
- Milk — helps keep the bread soft and moist
- Melted butter — adds rich flavor
- Flour — all purpose is fine
- Sugar — adds sweetness
- Baking soda and powder — for leavening
- Salt — I use sea salt, but kosher salt or iodized salt will work
- Ground cinnamon — for extra flavor
- Chocolate chips — completely optional, but we love adding them
How to Make Homemade Banana Bread
First, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Then, mash the bananas, and add the remaining wet ingredients. Gradually add flour and remaining dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the chocolate morsels, if you are using them, then pour batter into a greased loaf pan, and bake. We like to add extra chocolate on top!
Let the bread cool slightly, then transfer it to a wire rack to cook completely. We love to slather butter or honey butter on each slice!
Storage
Store banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Placing a paper towel under the loaf will help absorb excess moisture. You can refrigerate the bread if your house is very warm. Freeze the bread, wrapped in foil, for up to 3 months for best taste.
Recipe Tip
Don’t over mix the batter as this may result in a tougher loaf. We use a wire whisk or fork and mix enough so that the batter is combined with no large lumps.
Banana bread really does taste better the next day as the flavor deepens over time.
Variation
You can sub vegetable oil or coconut oil for the butter. Or use half oil and half butter.
If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can make banana muffins or bake the bread in a 9×13 pan for about 20 minutes.
Mom’s Homemade Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3 medium ripe bananas about 1½ cups
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips plus extra for the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉, and grease a 10×5 loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, and beat well
- Add the bananas, and mash until most lumps are gone
- Add the melted butter, milk and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined
- Gently whisk in the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and sea salt until just combined. Do not over mix
- Stir in the chocolate chips
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, and top with extra chocolate chips, if desired
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean ( a few crumbs are fine), and bread is deeply golden brown. Cover bread with foil halfway through baking (if needed) to prevent bread from getting too dark
- Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, and remove from loaf pan to finish cooling on a wire rack or platter
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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