Ultimate Banana Bread

Caramelized exterior, moist crumb, and silky-sweet bananas in a vanilla-scented batter. This recipe is the quintessential formula for impeccable banana bread! Plus, it’s healthy and easy too.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword banana bread, bananas,, overripe bananas, quick bread, quickbread

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Cooling Time 20

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 266kcal

Author Robin Miller

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas about 3 medium bananas
1/4 cup applesauce preferably unsweetened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. If desired, line the pan with parchment paper so you can remove the whole loaf after baking. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a fork to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture (with a spatula) and mix until just blended; ignore any small lumps. If adding ingredients (nuts, chocolate chips), fold them in now.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any bubbles.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out with little moist bits clinging to it (timing will depend on the size and color of your pan and whether you added nuts, chips, etc.).
Cool the bread in the pan, on a wire rack, for 20 minutes before slicing.

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