🍌 Classic Banana Bread
This is the banana bread recipe to keep on the fridge door. It uses one bowl, no mixer, and the bananas you were about to throw away — the browner and spottier, the better. Brown sugar keeps the crumb moist for days, and a little cinnamon rounds out the flavour without taking over. Perfect toasted with butter the next morning.
Method
- Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 23×13 cm (9×5 in) loaf tin and line it with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and add texture.
- Whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt directly over the wet ingredients. Fold together with a spatula until you no longer see dry flour. Do not overmix — a thick, slightly lumpy batter makes tender bread.
- Fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips, if using. Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil after 40 minutes.
- Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out using the paper overhang and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Cook's tip: No overripe bananas? Bake unpeeled bananas at 150°C for 15 minutes until the skins turn black — they’ll soften and sweeten enough to use straight away.
Variations & Swaps
- Swap 50 g of the flour for whole wheat flour for a nuttier loaf.
- Add a swirl of peanut butter on top before baking.
- Turn it into muffins: divide between 12 cases and bake 20–22 minutes.