This is just a really great, really easy brown butter banana bread. For someone who is into baking, I’ve always believed that the simplest baking recipes tend to be the best, you don’t need to fuss too much with them, you don’t need to pull out all the appliances in your house, and you can use the shitty butter and it still will taste great. That’s my baking philosophy. Easy is best.
And while it’s still very fun to experiment with baking and making things that are shiny-and-new (hellooo my Tamarind Carrot Cake and Lemony Labneh Cookies), I’ve been itching to create a pile of staple recipes that are the tried-and-true basics. The baking recipes that people look for and rely on. And that’s when I realized I didn’t have a plain-old banana bread. So now, I present to you, my best banana bread.
There are many reasons this banana bread is the best, ranging from how easy it is to assemble (you only need a bowl and a whisk!), to how to mash the banana (right into the batter), to how to bake it. I’ll share all my tips below, along with the brown butter banana bread goodness, so that if you are ever looking for the best banana bread recipe, you have it all in one place!
Table of contents
- First, let’s talk about brown butter in banana bread
- Equipment you need for this recipe
- Ingredients for this brown butter banana bread
- Why does this recipe use grams?
- How to prepare this brown butter banana bread
- What makes banana bread moist?
- Tips & tricks on how to store brown butter banana bread to keep it moist
- Looking for other banana recipes?
First, let’s talk about brown butter in banana bread
Brown butter is just goooood, but in banana bread? It’s the BEST. The sweetness of bananas is just screaming to be paired with the rich, nuttiness of brown butter. It might not be the most traditional preparation of banana bread, but once you switch from basic-butter-banana-ing to brown-butter-banana-ing, it’ll change your whole banana bread world. The extra 3 minutes of prep is oh-so-worth it.
Equipment you need for this recipe
In the interest of keeping this recipe as basic and perfectly easy as possible, I really cut down on the equipment you need. Here is everything that is integral to this brown butter banana recipe:
- 1 large whisk
- 1 large bowl
- 1 9″x5″ loaf tin
Simple, no?
Ingredients for this brown butter banana bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 113 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 165 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large very ripe bananas, the more brown the better
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour. 210 grams
- 2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half if using Morton’s
Why does this recipe use grams?
Baking is a very finicky and exact science. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, and not volume. As much as I wish I could give you multiple ways to measure ingredients, in this recipe measuring by cups might cause some volatility and miss-matched results. I want to ensure you get the best results with this brown butter banana bread recipe (and I want to keep this recipe fool-proof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe!
How to prepare this brown butter banana bread
This recipe is as easy as they come, here’s a step-by-step on how to make this brown butter banana bread:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small saucepan, brown the butter. Do this by melting the butter, then letting it foam and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until flecks of brown form at the bottom of the pan. Transfer it to a bowl and whisk to let it cool slightly.
- Whisk the sugar and butter together for a minute or so. Crack in the eggs and add the vanilla. Whisk vigorously into a smooth mixture.
- Add the bananas directly into the bowl. Use a fork to mash them into small pieces, but you don’t need the bananas completely smooth. Switch to your whisk and whisk together.
- Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine into a nice, thick batter.
- Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined loaf tin and bake at 375°F for 50-55 minutes.
What makes banana bread moist?
There are many factors to what makes a good, moist banana bread, from the levels of fat, to the amount of moistening agents (think dairy, mashed vegetables, fruit, etc.) to how you prepare the ingredients themselves.
And moisture factor in baked goods comes from a LOT of external sources. I’m very well known for throwing whole vegetables into my cakes, just because I know how goooood the moisture can be. But bananas, vegetables and other fruits alone are not the sole source for what makes a cake moist. It also depends on your flour-to-fat ratio, and if you are using any additional moistening agents. Moistening agents typically include a dairy product, like sour cream, crème fraîche, or in this case, skyr or yogurt.
But the bananas do matter too – In fact, they are the only moistening agent in this recipe. And a high level of moisture comes from two main reasons:
- The more brown your banana, the more moist your cake will be. This is because the sugars break down in bananas as they ripen, which will directly impact the results of your banana bread. So brown on, ladies!
- The way I prepare the banana in this recipe is I mash it directly in. Contrary to popular belief, the more mashed your banana is in the loaf, the less moist the loaf will be. You actually want pockets of some big banana pieces, because that will give you the UTMOST moisture.
Tips & tricks on how to store brown butter banana bread to keep it moist
How you store a baked good greatly impacts how it will taste over time. And don’t we all want our leftovers to be 10/10? This banana loaf will last up to a week, and here are my best tips on how to store it:
- Store in a cool, dry place like a pantry or a cool part of your kitchen – this is not the best recipe to store near the stove! Temperature variance won’t affect the moisture, but it will affect your bread’s ability to keep for the full week.
- Store in an air-tight container – this is imperative to keeping a loaf’s moisture. Let the bread cool completely before moving it to a tupperware container with a snap-lock lid.
- For extra moisture, throw in a damp paper towel over your slice before rewarming – it’s wild, but it works! Just microwave your slice for 15 seconds with a wet paper towel draped over it. I learned this from Emily Mariko and I’m never going back.
Looking for other banana recipes?
I’m definitely on a streak lately with my banana content – but don’t worry, it’s slowing down soon! Here are a few other banana options if you have more browning bananas on hand!
And that’s everything for this brown butter banana bread!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Brown Butter Banana Bread
Equipment
- 1 large whisk
- 1 large bowl
- 1 9"x5" loaf tin
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 165 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large very ripe bananas the more brown the better
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 210 grams
- 2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half if using Morton’s
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small saucepan, brown the butter. Do this by melting the butter, then letting it foam and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until flecks of brown form at the bottom of the pan. Transfer it to a bowl and whisk to let it cool slightly.
- Whisk the sugar and butter together for a minute or so. Crack in the eggs and add the vanilla. Whisk vigorously into a smooth mixture.
- Add the bananas directly into the bowl. Use a fork to mash them into small pieces, but you don't need the bananas completely smooth. Switch to your whisk and whisk together.
- Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine into a nice, thick batter.
- Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined loaf tin and bake at 375°F for 50-55 minutes.
AMAZING!!! Saw this recipe just posted today and I had to try it. Holy frack, it’s so so delicious and the brown butter adds such dimension to an otherwise regular banana bread recipe! My whole family loves it and I will definitely be making it again.
Oh YAY – I’m so glad you like it as much as I do!
Hi Justine, could you also specify the amount of baking powder in grams? Thank you!
I didn’t use my scale for the BP so I’m actually not sure the grams measurement – let me get back to you on this one!
can i put in some chocolate chips to this recipe? should i make any adjustments if adding them?
thanks justine, i just adore your recipes & style! xxx
Hello! You can absolutely do chocolate chips. I recommend adding no more than 100 grams (which the volume measurement will vary based off the size of your chips!) and chopping them roughly before adding. I hope this helps <3
So… I did not realize this was posted just yesterday, but boy, oh boy did I make it yesterday. And it may just be the best banana bread I’ve ever made. Browned butter – a champion paired with the ripe bananas and JUST the right amount of sugar. DELISH. Excited to have it toasted with butter later today. Definitely a keeper of a recipe, thanks Justine!
This comment made me so happy!! I’m so excited you think so – because I think so too! This recipe is my pride and joy at the moment <3
Hi Justine!
Can i make the batter in the evening, store it overnight in the fridge and bake it in the morning? Or do you recommend to bake it straight away.
Thankyou!
Hello! I recommend baking straight away, baking powder and soda have limited reaction times, so storing the batter might affect the rise. You can bake and store in the fridge for great results!
Excited to make this! Any way to substitute the sugar for coconut sugar or maple syrup?
I personally haven’t tried with those substitutions – if you’re going to try, I’d recommend starting with coconut sugar first, using a the same amount that the recipe calls for with normal sugar!
Would like to know this as well
This was the best banana bread I have ever made and it was taking the time to brown the butter that made all the difference. It smelled wonderful and was absolutely delicious. Thank you Justine!
Ahhh I’m so glad you liked it!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating/review!
Can I make this in cupcake pan? If so, how long and what temp would you rec to bake for? Can’t wait to try it!
Yes, but it will bake a little drier (it shouldn’t be too noticeable though!) I’d suggest 20-22 minutes of bake time at 375°F.
so excited to make this!! around how many grams of bananas did you use? thanks 🙂
330 grams!
Just made this! So easy and so good! Had to sub one flax egg but ofc turned out fine 🙂
Would pecans pair well with this?
Absolutely! I’d recommend starting with about 1/2 cup, chopped.
loved this recipe.. it’s getting cooler where I live and I just wanted a quick, simple, but flavourful banana bread that I could slice, and chuck in the oven to heat up on those cold autumn mornings. I added chopped dark chocolate because I had some laying around and it was amazing. Justine, you’re totally right. Those biggerpockets of mashed banana does make it extra moist. Deffo going to be a regular in my house
This comment made my DAY – so thrilled you like it!
I made this for some co workers and they loved it. Use this recipe a lot now 🙂
Your TikTok video making this was fresh in my mind when I saw how overripe my bananas were getting. Just had a warm slice and it’s to die for! So moist and fluffy. I did add 100g of dark choc chips and a little bit of cinnamon too. I’ll be making this one again.
Ah!! I’m so glad you liked it!
This was INCREDIBLE even with my swaps for my dietary restrictions and preferences (reduced sugar to 1/2c and used coconut sugar, did half almond flour and half whole wheat, added cinnamon, chocolate chips, and walnuts.) I will probably make this banana bread forever now!
This banana bread recipe is a big hit in our house! Definitely going to be in the regular rotation.
This makes me SO happy – I’m so thrilled you liked it!
I’m going to make this today! Out of curiosity why do some breads use baking soda in addition to the baking powder? and I noticed yours uses more baking powder than most recipes. what exactly does it add to the bread?
Baking powder is actually just baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with an acid and anti-caking agent added! What this does is it ensures the batter doesn’t need an acidic element, which baking soda requires to activate. Additionally, when sodium bicarbonate is activated with the additional acid in the baking powder, it mitigates any acrid flavor, which I prefer. You’ll notice I cook mostly with baking powder, truly because I prefer the taste and find it most effective!
This is the first of your recipes I’ve tried and it was a big success! I only had 180 grams of all-purpose flour so I had to substitute 30 grams of Mochiko flour for the required amount of flour and it still came out super tasty. I had always been daunted by the process of making browned butter, but after trying it in this recipe I want to use it in all of my baked goods! This will now be my go-to recipe for when I have a few bananas that are just a bit too ripe.
Aw yay! This makes me so happy – I’m so glad you made it and liked it!