Banana bread is a delicious way to use up fruit that is starting to go ripe. It’s a nutritious snack or way to start off your day. The traditional recipe is just one way of making it. There are so many other options that many of you likely haven’t heard of.
Well, here’s a look at 10 banana bread recipes. They are certainly ones that you will want to try out at some point. Get the kids involved because they’ll love baking these bread with you – and eat them afterward, of course.
This list has a range of vegan options, as well as a couple of must-try dessert options.
A Traditional Banana Bread Recipe
Let’s start with the more traditional recipe out of the lot. You’ll want overripe bananas for this recipe – you know the ones that have half brown peels? Squishy bananas are perfect, and you get to use them up without feeling like you’re wasting your food!
Ingredients:
- 2-3 bananas, peeled
- 1/3 cup of butter, melted
- 1tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup of sugar (or slightly more or less to taste)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups of flour
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 375F and grease a loaf tin with some butter
- Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl until smooth and then add the melted butter, mashing to combine
- Add the baking soda and a pinch of salt, before stirring in the egg, sugar, and extract
- Finally, mix in the flour and make sure everything is combined
- Pour the banana mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick to the center comes out clean
- Allow cooling in the loaf tin before removing
This works as a filling start to the day or as a snack. You can add it to your kids’ lunch boxes and not worry about questions over healthy eating.
Chocolate Chip and Banana Bread
This is a slight variation on your traditional recipe above. Banana and chocolate have long gone together well, and this bread is one that you want to make.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of flour
- 1tsp baking powder and baking soda
- 3 bananas, ripe, peeled, and mashed
- 1tbsp milk
- 1tsp cinnamon, ground
- ½ cup of butter, soft
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of chocolate chips of choice
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 325F and grease your loaf tin
- Mix the flour, baking soda and powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl
- Mix the milk, cinnamon, and mashed bananas in a separate bowl
- In a third bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until fluffy
- Add the eggs one at a time to the butter, beating completely
- Stir the banana bowl into the butter bowl and then stir all of that into the flour bowl, until everything blends
- Fold in the chocolate chips and then pour into the loaf tin
- Bake for around 70 minutes, until the batter is clean in the middle
- Allow cooling in the tin before placing on a wire rack
Like with the recipe above, a bread knife is best for cutting through this to avoid crumbling slices. It’s another delicious snack or starts to the morning, and perfect for all lunch boxes.
Try Out a Marbled Banana Bread
How about getting a little more adventurous with the type of banana bread you create? This marbled recipe looks like a piece of art, but it’s not that hard! Your friends will love to get the recipe from you afterward.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cups of flour
- 2oz chocolate, chopped
- 2 bananas, very ripe and peeled
- 2/3 cup of sugar
- ¼ cup of oil of choice
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup of whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2tsp baking powder
- 1/2tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup of buttermilk
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a loaf tin, dusting with a little flour afterward
- Microwave the chocolate on high for 30s intervals, until melted and smooth and then set to one side
- Combine the sugar and bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork to create a batter
- Stir in the eggs and oil and then add both the flours, the baking powder and soda, and salt
- Stir in the extract and buttermilk
- Add a cup of the batter into the melted chocolate
- Fill the loaf tin with half the banana batter and half the chocolate batter, repeating in layers and then swirl gently with a knife
- Bake for around 45 minutes, until the batter is clean with a knife in the middle
Like with the other recipes, allow the bread to cool in the tin before removing it to avoid a crumbling mess. Your kids will love to show off your baking skills to their friends with this artwork.
Banana and Strawberry Bread
Who said that your bread had to be just banana flavored? Here’s a banana and strawberry mixture that will give you the taste of summer throughout the year.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of oil of choice
- ½ cup of walnuts, chopped roughly
- 1 ½ cups of flour
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 1tsp baking powder
- 1/2tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1/2tsp nutmeg, ground
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1 eggs
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2tsp lemon zest
- 2 bananas, ripe, peeled, and mashed
- 8oz strawberries tops removed and chopped into pieces
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350F and grease your loaf tin
- Whisk the flour, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl
- In another bowl, whisk the oil, extract, eggs, and zest together
- Add the strawberries and bananas into the oil mixture, folding in
- Now fold that mixture into the flour, until combined with some lumps
- Pour into your loaf tin and sprinkle with a few bits of chopped walnuts (you may need to chop up some more)
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the middle of the batter, comes out clean on a knife
- Allow cooling before transferring to a wire rack
This recipe will keep in an airtight container for a few days. It will make one of those snacks that all kids will want to take to school.
Vegan-Friendly Banana and Chocolate Chip Bread
Now it’s time to create a vegan-friendly banana bread. This is one of the easiest recipes you’ll have to turn into a vegan-friendly dessert or snack.
Ingredients:
- 1tbsp ground flax
- 3tbsp water
- 1 ½ cups of whole wheat flour
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 1/4tsp cinnamon
- 2 bananas, ripe and peeled
- 2tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup of oil of choice
- ¾ cup of coconut sugar, plus some for topping
- 1/3 cup of milk alternative of choice
- ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 375F and grease your loaf tin
- Whisk the water and ground flax together and then allow to sit for 15 minutes in the fridge
- Mix the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl until completely combined
- Mash the bananas in another bowl and then add the extract, oil, milk, sugar, and flax mix, stirring together until combined well
- Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture, folding gently until just combined
- Fold in your chocolate chips
- Pour the batter into a loaf tin and sprinkle your reserved coconut sugar over the top
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the middle, comes out clean on a knife
Like with the other recipes, allow the bread to cool before you take it out of the tin. Your kids will never taste the difference when eating the mixture, and it will be like you’re not on any special type of diet.
One-Bowl Recipe for Banana Bread
If you want to save on the washing up, this is the recipe that you want to follow. Everything is done in the one bowl – except for the loaf tin for baking, of course!
Ingredients:
- 3 bananas, peeled and mashed
- 3tbsp butter, melted
- ¾ cup of brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cup of flour
- 1/2tsp vanilla extract
- 1tsp baking soda
- ½ cup of chocolate chips
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease your loaf tin
- Mix everything together in a large bowl, combining with a spatula or fork
- Pour it all into your loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes
You can make these into banana bread muffins if you’d like. Use paper or reusable cases for your muffin tin and bake the batter for about 15 minutes. Allow the bread or muffins to cool before you eat.
Banana and Blueberry Bread Recipe
Like with the strawberry and banana bread, this is another recipe that will add a different fruity texture. The benefit of this is that cooked just right the blueberries will burst while eating, so you get a full taste of the fruit with each bite.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups of flour
- 1tsp baking soda
- 1/2tsp baking powder, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg
- 1 cup of sugar
- ½ cup of oil of choice
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2tsp vanilla extract
- 2 bananas, ripe, peeled, and mashed
- 1 cup of blueberries, fresh
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350F and grease your loaf tin
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and powder, nutmeg and cinnamon together with a pinch of salt
- In another bowl, beat the extract, eggs, sugar, and oil together
- Stir in the fruits to the egg mixture and then add into the flour mixture until just combined
- Pour everything into the loaf tin and bake for about an hour
Allow the mixture to cool for about two hours before removing it from the tin. You’ll be able to store the bread for a few days in an airtight container – if it even lasts that long!
If you want to make muffins instead, bake in the muffin tin for about 15 minutes.
Bourbon Hard Sauce Over Banana Bread Pudding
I promised a dessert recipe, and this is it. Instead of making a traditional bread pudding, why not do a banana bread pudding? It works extremely well with this special bourbon hard sauce.
Ingredients for the Bread Pudding:
- 1 large loaf, cubed
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups of milk of choice
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups of brown sugar
- 2tbsp vanilla extract
- 1tbsp nutmeg
- 4 bananas, ripe and peeled, mashed
Ingredients for the Sauce:
- ½ cup of butter
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 3oz of bourbon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 egg
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a baking dish
- Toast the bread cubes in the oven until crispy
- Whisk the milk, eggs, sugar, cream, nutmeg, and extract together in a bowl and then add the mashed bananas
- Add the bread cubes and allow to sit for 15 minutes
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 60 minutes
- Meanwhile make the sauce by heating the butter with the bourbon, sugar, and nutmeg, until the sugar dissolves
- Whisk the egg in a separate bowl until frothy and then add to the sauce
- Simmer the sauce until it thickens and then allow to cool to serve at room temperature
You can use any type of liquor you want if bourbon isn’t your favorite. This works very well with rum or another type of whiskey.
Oatmeal Banana Bread
It’s time to take the flour out of your recipe with this option. If you want it to be completely gluten-free, you’ll need to make sure your oats are gluten-free – while raw oats are, many companies annoyingly add gluten to their oats!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of milk
- 3tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4tsp cinnamon
- 1/4tsp nutmeg
- 2 cups of oats, uncooked
- 2 bananas, ripe, peeled, and mashed
- 2tbsp toasted pecans, chopped
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 375F
- Chop your pecans and place in a foiled baking pan and then bake for 5-7 minutes
- Over medium heat, add the milk, sugar, and spices and allow to boil
- Stir in the oats and boil a little, before reducing the heat and simmering for 1-5 minutes until the liquid is absorbed
- Remove from the heat and add the pecans and mashed banana
- Place the oats into cereal bowls and top with your desired toppings
Some of the favorite toppings include Greek yogurt, sliced bananas, and chopped pecans. You can also add a bit of sugar or some honey.
This isn’t technically a bread, but it is certainly a breakfast option that will quickly become a family favorite.
Banana Bread Waffles
The final recipe of the day is a waffle mixture. This is another fun way to get your banana bread taste.
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups of flour
- ¾ cup of sugar
- ½ cup of walnuts, chopped
- 1tsp baking powder
- 1/2tsp baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- 2-3 bananas, ripe and mashed
- ½ cup of oil of choice
- ½ cup of sour cream
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Method:
- Preheat your waffle iron and your oven to 200F
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and powder, spices, sugar, and walnuts together in a bowl with a pinch of salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk the banana, oil, extract, eggs, and sour cream together
- Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture, until combined with some lumps
- Brush the waffle iron with a bit of oil and pour in your batter
- Make your waffles until done the way you like and place on a plate, keeping them warm in the oven
You can serve your waffles exactly the way you and your family like them. A few slices of bananas or strawberry with icing sugar will work well.
Try Out Your Favourite Banana Bread First
Which one of these recipes will you try out first? There’s something for all needs, whether you want something that is gluten free or vegan-friendly. You can also create a dish that requires minimal washing up – younger kids will love this since it’s just a case of putting it all together and mixing.
Share your favorite banana bread recipes below and let’s create something healthy and delicious daily.
