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Two stacked food photos show banana bread as a sliced golden loaf on a wooden board and a close-up slice on a cooling rack, with the headline Banana Bread and subtext Soft, Simple, No Mixer.
Hannah Brooks

Classic Banana Bread

Banana bread made with ripe bananas, yogurt, and melted butter bakes into a tender loaf with a lightly spiced golden crust.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams; spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla bean
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas about 3 to 4 bananas; measure after mashing
  • 1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Equipment

  • 9 by 5-inch loaf pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Two mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Flexible spatula
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
  2. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, fine salt, ground cinnamon, and ground vanilla bean in a medium bowl.
  3. Whisk the melted unsalted butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the mashed ripe bananas and plain whole-milk yogurt, until evenly combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold with a flexible spatula just until no dry flour remains. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  5. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns early, loosely tent with foil for the final 15 minutes.
  6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Lift out using the parchment and cool for at least 45 more minutes before slicing. Let the loaf cool completely before wrapping for storage.

Notes

Use heavily speckled bananas and measure the mash; extra banana can leave the center gummy. A smaller loaf pan needs a longer bake and can overflow. Wrap the cooled loaf and keep at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze wrapped slices for up to 3 months. Nutrition values are estimates.
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