Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes The Best Banana Bread 4.0 (2,756) 229 Reviews Martha’s go-to banana bread recipe uses a secret ingredient to make it extra moist and flavorful. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 9, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Servings: 8 Yield: 1 loaf Jump to recipe Martha's best banana bread recipe was featured in her first book, Entertaining, and has been her go-to ever since. Martha says your family will "go bananas" for this classic quick bread as a breakfast treat or afternoon snack. The batter for this easy-to-make favorite is enriched with sour cream, which gives it a subtle tang and super moist yet dense texture that slices well. Martha always adds pecans, but chopped walnuts (or no nuts) also work. The hardest part about making our best banana bread recipe is waiting for the loaf to bake and cool—but we guarantee it will be worth the wait! Grant Webster 20 Easy Quick Bread Recipes to Bake and Enjoy Any Time Key Ingredients Bananas: Everyone’s favorite quick bread is all about bananas. They are the defining ingredient in the loaf, adding sweetness and keeping it moist. Our banana bread recipe calls for very ripe bananas—they add maximum sweetness to the bread. If you make banana bread with just ripe bananas, you’ll notice a difference. Sour cream: This recipe is set apart by using sour cream. While many banana breads use milk and some call for buttermilk, sour cream is a much richer and fatter dairy product that adds moistness and richness to tender layer cakes. When added to banana bread, it adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the bananas and sugar. If you don’t have sour cream, you could substitute plain yogurt, preferably Greek yogurt, which has a texture more like that of sour cream and offers even tangier results. Nuts: Our recipe calls for 1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans, but you can make banana bread without nuts if you prefer. We like to add the nuts for texture and nutrition, but the loaf is delicious without them. Use very ripe (but not bruised) bananas for this recipe. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas ½ cup sour cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans Directions Grant Webster Preheat oven, prepare pan, and cream butter and sugar: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Grant Webster Add eggs: Add eggs and beat to incorporate. Grant Webster Whisk dry ingredients and add to butter mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Grant Webster Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla: Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Grant Webster Add nuts and transfer to prepared pan: Stir in nuts and pour into prepared pan. Grant Webster Grant Webster Bake: Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Grant Webster Cool: Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool. Grant Webster Cool the banana bread completely before slicing, wrapping, or transferring to an airtight container. If it is not completely cooled, it will tear when sliced and create condensation if stored, making the loaf gummy. How to Store Banana Bread Banana bread keeps well. Make sure the loaf has cooled completely before wrapping it in plastic wrap, parchment, or wax paper and placing in an airtight container for up to four days. If your kitchen is hot and humid, you may want to store the loaf in your refrigerator but allow time for it to come back to room temperature before eating. How to Freeze Banana Bread Banana bread also freezes well. We like to bake an extra loaf to keep in the freezer for when we don’t have time to bake. The loaf should be completely cool before you wrap and freeze it. Wrap it in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze the whole loaf, or give yourself more flexibility by slicing it and freezing the slices—that way you can defrost just a couple of pieces when desired. Banana bread will last up to three months in the freezer. Variations Try one of these yummy spins on the classic banana bread recipe. Banana Bread With Cream Cheese Frosting Top the banana bread with this easy cream cheese frosting if you want to get fancy: Combine 6 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until frosting is smooth. Use an offset spatula to frost top of cooled banana bread. Cream Cheese Frosting-Filled Banana Bread Martha made this variation on The Martha Stewart Show. Once the banana bread is baked and cooled: Halve loaf horizontally.Using an offset spatula, spread frosting evenly over bottom half.Top with remaining half; slice and serve. Frequently Asked Questions Can my bananas be too ripe for banana bread? Your bananas are never “too ripe” for banana bread. The riper, the better; an overripe banana is a much better choice than an underripe one. Ripe bananas add sweetness to your banana bread, while unripe ones do not. Why is my banana bread not moist? Your banana bread is not moist for a couple of reasons. It could be the result of using too much flour, or you may have over-mixed—our recipe calls for mixing the dry and wet ingredients just until combined. Over-mixing can produce a dry, rubbery loaf. How should I wrap banana bread if I am gifting it? If you are gifting it, wrap banana bread in parchment or wax paper to protect the loaf and make it look neat. You can tie a ribbon around the loaf to make it even more festive. Other Banana Bread Recipes to Try Test Kitchen’s Favorite Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Banana Bread With Walnuts and Flaxseed Streusel Banana Bread Vegan Banana Bread Banana-Chocolate Bread Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, August 2004 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.