This moist banana bread recipe is a perfect way to use up overripe bananas at home! It is very easy to make, and the result is amazing - It's perfectly moist, soft, and packed with amazing banana and warm spice flavors.
📌 Perfectly Moist Banana Bread
There is something about homemade banana bread that makes us feel so cozy and content. Sometimes, it's just what I need as a dinner dessert or during my quick break. For me, banana bread has to be:
- Very moist: Seriously, this is the most moist banana bread I've ever had!
- Soft
- Not overly sweet
- Not too dense
And after multiple tests, I think I finally nailed it. This is by far the best banana bread that meets all 4 criteria.
You can also add chocolate chips, walnuts, or other ingredient to add textures to it.
And here are my little secrets to the moist banana bread:
1. Almond flour
Almond flour does not contain gluten, unlike all-purpose flour, so the cake gets less bouncy with the addition. It also soaks up lots of moisture, making the cake feel tender and moist.
2. Oil
Adding oil instead of butter makes the cake feel softer and more moist after the cake cools down. That is because oil stays fluid at room temperature while melted butter slowly turns into a solid after the temperature goes down to 32 to 35 °C (90 to 95 °F). That is why I often like to add oil to make classic cakes, such as chocolate cake, red velvet cake, and vanilla butter cake.
3. Lots of liquids!
A maximum amount of liquids (banana and milk) is added to the cake to make it feel extremely moist without losing its body.
📌 Is Banana Bread... A Bread Or Cake?
I wanted to address this because it kind of confused me at the beginning. I hope it also clears out your question!
There are 2 types of banana bread: one is an actual bread, and the other is a quick bread, which is basically a cake.
- Classic bread is made using yeast which is a living organism that produces carbon dioxide gas. It pushes the dough up during the fermentation process to create a fluffier texture for the bread.
- Quick Bread is leavened with a chemical leavening agent, such as baking soda or baking powder, just like other classic cakes.
And this banana bread I am sharing today is a quick bread. Some people like to call it banana cake, which is also right! Just like, some people call a chocolate banana cake a chocolate banana bread. Just note that when people call banana cake banana bread, it is almost always baked in a loaf pan.
📌 Video Tutorial - Watch How To Make It!
Watch the video tutorial to learn how to make banana bread visually and deeply understand each step and technique!
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📌 Tips For Banana Bread Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Almond flour: By adding the almond flour, the texture of the cake gets tender and not too bouncy due to less gluten. It also adds the amazing flavor.
- Granulated sugar: I recommend using white sugar, such as granulated sugar and caster sugar. I do not recommend alternating it with brown sugar since the cake tends to get too heavy, at least for my liking!
- Light brown sugar: You can alternate it with granulated sugar if you don't have it. Adding brown sugar provides a deeper flavor and makes the bread feel moister - it also makes the cake a bit heavier, so I do not add it too much.
- Baking powder: It works as a leavening agent.
- Baking soda: It also works as a leavening agent.
- Salt
- Cinnamon: Adding spices adds a warm flavor to it. They are optional, but I highly recommend you add them, especially when you add nuts and chocolate chips. They match SO well.
- Clove
- Nutmeg
- Walnut: Optional. Omit it if you like! Ensure it is baked in advance until it looks toasty. Otherwise, it feels too gooey.
- Chocolate chips: Optional. Omit it if you like! If the chocolate tablets are too big, cut them into smaller pieces so that they do not sink during the baking process.
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour?
It is possible, but I do not recommend alternating all the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour since whole wheat flour contains more glutens, which makes the cake feel dense when added too much.
Wet Ingredients
- Banana: Use an overripe banana for the best results.
- Egg
- Oil: I used olive oil. You can also use other oils, such as canola and vegetable oil.
- Vanilla extract
- Milk (warm): Use whole-fat milk. I used to add cold milk, but warm milk works even better! The cake gets baked a little bit more evenly in a shorter time.
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
You'll see a lot of brown spots on the skins: Which means the banana is soft and sweeter. They are mushy and not the best thing to eat themselves but perfect for banana bread!
📌 Step-by-Step Instructions To Make Banana Bread
Preparation
- Preheat the oven: to 350ºF (176ºC) or 340ºF (71ºC) if your oven runs hot.
- Toast walnuts beforehand at 350ºF (176ºC) for 5 - 7 minutes. Crush the walnuts by hand.
- Apply a thin layer of softened butter all over the loaf pan. Attach parchment paper on the bottom so that the cake comes out more easily after being baked.
- I recommend leaving the ingredients at room temperature. We need to bake the cake for longer time with cold ingredients. (and the surface gets browned a little bit more.)
Mix all the dry ingredients.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix.
- Add the chocolate chips and toasted walnuts. (optional)
TIP💡: Sift brown sugar and almond flour if they are lumpy!
Mix all the wet ingredients.
- Mash the banana with a fork in a large bowl. Leave small chunks. It should look like an oatmeal breakfast meal.
- Add eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and warm milk to the mashed bananas. Mix until combined.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix gently just until everything is evenly incorporated.
Bake!
Pour the cake batter into the greased loaf pan and bake it for 55 - 70 minutes.
How to check if banana bread is baked enough
- Insert a toothpick and see if it comes off clean. You might see the toothpick is a little bit wet because of the mashed banana, which is fine. Just make sure it's not a wet batter.
- Or touch the center of the cake. The cake is baked enough when it feels dry and bounces back nicely!
What should I do if the top of my banana bread is browning too quickly?
Cover the top of the cake with foil if needed, or lower the temperature toward the end. Depending on the oven, the surface might get caramelized quickly, especially when you bake in a big loaf pan like today.
Let it cool for some time before taking it out from the pan.
And ENJOY!! The smell of banana bread is so incredible. It spread to the entire kitchen as soon as it came out of the oven. Add any toppings or frostings you like, such as cream cheese frosting, chocolate ganache, etc.
Enjoy it with a cup of tea during your break time, or bring it to your family gathering, work party, and more! Let me know how you enjoyed it for your special occasion😉 - Aya
The plain version
This is how the cake looks like without nuts and chocolate. I added all the spices.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store banana bread?
When you have a leftover, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap to prevent it from getting dry. Store it in the fridge if you are not consuming it within the day.
What's the shelf life of banana bread?
You can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. It tastes great even when it's chilled, but you can also warm it up or leave it at room temperature for some time to enjoy a lighter texture.
Can I make mini banana bread loaves instead of a full loaf?
Yes! Follow the same steps and bake it for a shorter time. Check with a toothpick to see if it's baked enough.
📌 The Printable Recipe
💬 If you loved this classic banana bread recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.
Moist Banana Bread
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Sieve
- Spatula
- Fork
- 1.5 QT (1.4 L) Loaf pan
- Parchment paper for a pan
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 120 g (1 cup) All-purpose flour
- 95 g (1 cup) Almond flour
- 85 g (⅓ cup + 1.5 Tablespoons) Granulated sugar
- 56 g (¼ cup) Light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Clove
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 60 g (½ cup) Walnut
- 85 g (½ cup) Chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients
- 350 g (3 large bananas) Banana (Ripe)
- 108 g (2 large eggs) Egg
- 110 g (½ cup) Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 120 g (½ cup) Milk
NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience.
Instructions
Preparation
- * Preheat the oven: to 350ºF (176ºC) or 340ºF (71ºC) if your oven runs hot.* Toast walnuts beforehand at 350ºF (176ºC) for 5 - 7 minutes. Crush the walnuts by hand.* Apply a thin layer of softened butter all over the loaf pan. Attach parchment paper on the bottom so that the cake comes out more easily after being baked.*I recommend leaving the ingredients at room temperature. We need to bake the cake for longer time with cold ingredients. (and the surface gets browned a little bit more.)
Cake
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Sift brown sugar and almond flour if they are lumpy. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts in flour. (Optional)120 g All-purpose flour, 95 g Almond flour, 85 g Granulated sugar, 56 g Light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons Baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons Baking soda, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Clove, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, 60 g Walnut, 85 g Chocolate chips
- Mix all the wet ingredients: Mash the banana with a fork in a large bowl. Leave small chunks. It should look like an oatmeal breakfast meal. Add eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and warm milk to the mashed bananas. Mix until combined.350 g Banana (Ripe), 108 g Egg, 110 g Oil, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 120 g Milk
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix gently just until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Bake! - Pour the cake batter into the greased loaf pan and bake it for 55 - 70 minutes. Insert a toothpick and see if it comes off clean. You might see the toothpick is a little bit wet because of the mashed banana, which is fine. Just make sure it's not a wet batter.Let it cool for some time before taking it out from the pan.
Video
Lucy says
Hello chef, the banana moist cake recipe is too rich and addictive haha. But I have a question, is the weight of the banana (350 g) already without the skin?
ayacaliva says
Hello! Yes, it is 400g without the skin😊
Rita says
My word! This was so delicious! I had to use heavy whipping cream because I didn't have any milk, but it was still delicious!!! I hope to make more when I have some "mature" bananas again! I didn't use the chocolate chips, but I added more walnuts! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!!
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing the result🙏🏻
Rita says
This was the best banana bread that I've made in a long time. The texture was soft, but it was moist as well. It was so aromatically beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm about to make it again -- it's my go-to now!!!
Donna says
Can regular all purpose flour be sustituted instead of Almond flour?
ayacaliva says
Hi,
I've never tried it, so I won't be able to give you the exact answer for this, but the texture of the cake should change a lot - probably more doughy with a lot more flours. It might work if you add less amount.
If you ever tried it and worked, please let us know!