Banana bread is one of my favorite things to have in the house! It reminds me of childhood, when my mom would make it, she had a secret ingredient that made her banana bread so moist and flavorful: sour cream. I still use her recipe today, but I have added my own twist: browning the butter. Browning the butter gives the banana bread a nutty and caramelized flavor that is irresistible. Plus, it makes the house smell amazing!
Another thing I love about this recipe is that it is very versatile. You can make it in a loaf pan, a muffin tin, or even a silicone mini donut mold. I like to use the mini donut mold because it makes perfect bite-sized snacks that my kids can grab and go. They also look adorable and are fun to decorate with glaze, chocolate, or sprinkles.
If you are looking for a delicious and easy banana bread recipe that will impress your family and friends, look no further. This is the best banana bread ever, and I’m going to show you how to make it.
Let’s make some Banana Bread
Cut the unsalted butter into small pieces and melt it over medium heat, in a small saucepan, stirring or swirling the pan often. Keep an eye on the butter as it turns from yellow to golden to brown, and as the milk solids on the bottom of the pan get darker. You’ll know it’s done when it smells nutty and the solids are chestnut brown, it should take about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn it! Quickly take the pan off the heat and pour the butter into a bowl, scraping all the browned bits with it, that’s where you find the magic of brown butter. Let it cool slightly.
After the butter is browned mix it into the sugar along with the eggs, one at a time, then the mashed bananas. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Adding a 1/2 cup at a time incorporate the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Once all together add the sour cream and vanilla.
Grease your preferred baking pan or mold, I use a silicone mini donut mold, and an 8×4 inch loaf pan, and pour the batter into the prepared pan or mold. If you would like to add a strussel crumb to the top, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Use a fork or your fingers to work the butter into the mixture until clumps form. Sprinkle evenly over the bread batter. Bake at 350°F for 34 to 45 minutes for mini donuts, or 1 hour for a loaf, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and learned how to make the best banana bread ever. This is my mom’s recipe with a twist, and I’m sure she would be proud of it. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and share your photos with me on Instagram using the hashtag #bestbananabreadever.
Happy baking!
Some of the supplies I used:
Banana Bread
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter browned
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 medium bananas mashed
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts optional
Streusel
- ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your preferred baking pan or mold. I use a silicone mini donut mold, but you can also use an 8×4 inch loaf pan or a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Let it cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl beat sugar and browned butter adding in one egg at a time, followed by the bananas.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt and add the nuts if desired.
- Add dry ingredients, ½ cups at a time, to the banana mixture. Once all incorporated add in sour cream and vanilla.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan or mold.
- To make the streusel, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Use a fork or your fingers to work the butter into the mixture until clumps form. Sprinkle evenly over the bread batter.
- Bake for 34 to 45 minutes for mini donuts, or 1 hour for a loaf, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the banana bread cool slightly in the pan or mold before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy as is, or decorate with your favorite glaze, chocolate, or sprinkles.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- The trick to giving your banana bread a great flavor is to use very ripe bananas – the blacker the better. I like to freeze my peeled, ripe bananas in a freezer bag, and then move them from the freezer to the fridge the night before baking. As the bananas thaw, they leak a lot of banana juice. I put all the juice in when mixed they bananas into the batter.
- You can store your banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and thaw it at room temperature before serving.