Simple, reliable banana bread — sweet, moist, and endlessly adaptable. Weigh the flour if you’ve got a scale, it really does make a difference.
Banana Bread
Classic, no-fuss banana bread — moist, sweet, and ready for whatever mix-ins you’ve got on hand.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted (brown it for extra flavor, or keep it simple)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 180 grams — weighing it makes a difference
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium bananas mashed
- Walnuts chopped (optional)
- Chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a loaf pan and dust it with sugar.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth.
- Whisk in the melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until combined.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined — don’t overmix. Fold in walnuts and/or chocolate chips, if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Browning the butter first adds a deeper, nuttier flavor — but plain melted butter works fine too. Fold in walnuts and/or chocolate chips if you’re feeling it.
