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Whole super moist banana bread loaf with two slices cut on parchment paper and oak board

Super Moist Banana Bread Recipe

A buttery, tender loaf with a soft crumb that stays moist for four days, made with three fats and overripe bananas for deep flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 10 slices
Calories 268 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 9×5-inch loaf pan Metal preferred for even browning
  • 1 Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 Potato masher or fork
  • 1 Parchment paper sheet Cut to 9×13 inches for sling
  • 1 Wire cooling rack
  • 1 Digital Kitchen Scale
  • 1 Toothpick For doneness test

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 cups Mashed overripe bananas 345 g, about 3 large or 4 medium
  • 2 cups All-purpose flour 250 g, spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda Not baking powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon Fine sea salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 teaspoon Ground nutmeg Optional, adds warmth
  • 0.5 cup Unsalted butter 113 g, melted and slightly cooled
  • 0.25 cup Neutral oil 60 ml, canola or vegetable
  • 0.75 cup Light brown sugar 150 g, packed
  • 2 large Eggs Room temperature
  • 0.33 cup Full-fat sour cream 80 g, or plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
  • 0.75 cup Chopped walnuts or chocolate chips Optional, 90 g

Instructions
 

Preparing

  • Heat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Move the rack to the lower third position so the top of the loaf does not brown before the center sets.
  • Line your loaf pan with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. Grease the exposed ends with butter.
  • Mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Leave a few small lumps for texture and pockets of banana flavor.

Mixing

  • Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl for 30 seconds. This evenly distributes the leavener so your loaf rises uniformly.
    Banana bread mixing steps in a 4-panel grid showing mashed bananas, wet ingredients, batter, and folding
  • In the large bowl, whisk melted butter, oil, and brown sugar until glossy, about 1 minute. The sugar should look wet and grainy, not pasty.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture looks smooth.
  • Add the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk until just combined.
  • Pour the dry mix over the wet. Switch from whisk to spatula. Fold 12 to 15 strokes, stopping when no dry flour streaks remain. A few lumps are fine and prevent overmixing.
  • Fold in walnuts or chocolate chips with 3 more strokes.

Baking

  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the back of your spatula.
    Banana bread batter in a 9x5 metal loaf pan topped with chopped walnuts ready to bake
  • Bake for 55 minutes. Tent loosely with foil at the 40-minute mark to stop over-browning.
  • Test with a toothpick at 60 minutes. The pick should come out with 2 or 3 moist crumbs and no wet batter. If wet, bake 5 more minutes and re-test. Internal temperature should read 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C).

Cooling

  • Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Skipping this step makes the bottom soggy because trapped steam has nowhere to go.
  • Lift the loaf out using the parchment overhang. Cool another 45 minutes on the rack before slicing. Slicing too early collapses the crumb.

Notes

  1. Banana weight matters more than count. Always weigh to 345 g. Three large bananas can range from 250 g to 400 g, and that swing causes most cases of dense, gummy bread.
  2. The 325°F bake temperature is intentional. A 350°F oven browns the top before the center sets, leaving a sunken middle. If your oven runs cold, raise the temperature to 335°F.
  3. Sour cream substitutes work one-to-one with full-fat plain Greek yogurt. Buttermilk works at 0.25 cup. Skip non-fat versions; the bread loses tenderness because fat carries the flavor and softens the crumb.
  4. For muffins, line a 12-cup pan and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then drop to 350°F for 14 to 16 minutes. Yields 14 to 15 muffins. The initial high heat creates a fast rise and rounded tops.
  5. High altitude (above 3,500 ft) requires three changes. Add 2 tablespoons flour, reduce sugar by 1 tablespoon, and raise the oven to 350°F. Check at 50 minutes [6].
  6. Storage: wrap a fully cooled loaf in two layers of plastic wrap. It keeps at room temperature for 4 days, in the refrigerator for 7 days, and in the freezer for 3 months. Slice before freezing for a 90-second microwave thaw per slice.
  7. Gluten-free swap: use 250 g of a 1:1 GF baking blend that contains xanthan gum. Add 1 extra egg yolk for structure.
  8. Dairy-free swap: use plant butter, neutral oil, and full-fat coconut yogurt. Texture stays roughly 95 percent identical to the original.
  9. To reduce sugar, drop to 0.5 cup brown sugar with no other change. Below that amount, the crumb loses tenderness because sugar holds water and tenderizes gluten.
  10. Why your bread sank, 9 out of 10 times, comes down to underbaking. Trust the toothpick and the internal thermometer, not the timer.
Keyword banana loaf, easy banana bread, moist banana bread, super moist banana bread recipe