Easy Banana Bread Recipe
Can Bananas Be Frozen For Later Use
Even after I bought 25 bananas to test the recipes for this post, I still needed more bananas believe it or not. Good thing I have been saving over ripe bananas in my freezer for literally years! Heres what I do: when you have brown bananas on the counter but dont have the time or inclination to make banana bread right away, peel them and freeze in a ziplock. If you have a whole bunch, you may want to lay them out on a baking sheet and flash freeze for an hour, then transfer to a ziplock. You can also freeze bananas in their peels, Ive done that before. Just zap them in the microwave when you need them, then peel and use them for bread or whatever.
When you use frozen bananas for banana bread , you will have to microwave it long enough to be able to mash it. When you microwave it, a bunch of liquid will melt off of the banana. Dont throw it away! Add it to your banana bread. It will make your bread extra moist!
Why This Recipe Works:
If you love a good baking recipe, you’re going to be thrilled with this banana walnut bread recipe.
- It’s super moist because the recipe uses sour cream and a lot of ripe mashed banana.
- There’s a sweet and crunchy topping
- There are tons of walnuts and loads of smashed ripe banana in this recipe which means tons of flavor and great texture
- This banana bread freezes exceptionally well, so plan on making a lot if you have extra bananas
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How To Store And Handle Sour Cream
You can keep freshly bought sour cream in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Its also possible to store it in an environment with a temperature below 40°F, or 4.4° C.
Like most other dairy products, its perfectly safe to freeze sour cream. However, freezing has an adverse effect on its quality, so youre better off not doing that if you could help it.
What Causes The Speckles In Banana Bread
Have you ever wondered why some banana bread has dark speckles and others dont?
Ive done a lot of reading and testing to figure out why some banana bread loaves have a light-colored crumb and other recipes produce the dark speckles like you see in these pictures.
The reason? Baking soda.
Banana bread recipes that have a larger amount of baking soda and less baking powder usually have a darker, more speckled crumb. This sour cream banana bread has a full teaspoon of baking soda and no baking powderand it clearly results in darker speckles.
This much lighter buttermilk banana bread only has 1/8 teaspoon baking soda .
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How To Make Banana Bread With Sour Cream And Brown Sugar
How To Make The Best Banana Bread
Like I mentioned earlier, Im a little nuts for banana bread. Its one of my favorite things to bake!
Since Ive made what feels like thousands of loaves over the years, Ive discovered a few tips and tricks for making the very best moist banana bread every time:
- Use very ripe bananas. Im talking over ripe, with lots of brown spots! You just cant get the same results from yellow bananas. . . and please dont try mashing green under ripe bananas for this recipe. Theyll be harder to mash and the bread wont taste as good.
- Speaking of mashing, make sure to mash the bananas in a separate bowl before beginning the recipe. A potato masher or heavy fork both work well.
- Dont over mix! For soft moist banana bread, mix the dry ingredients gently into the wet just until everything is combined.
Looking for a great banana muffin recipe? Try these Butterscotch Banana Muffins and these Banana Bread Muffins next.
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Best Banana Bread Recipe
My sister Nikki called me a few years ago, confused that I didnt have a banana bread recipe on the blog. Its such a basic, how dare I not have a recipe for it anywhere?? Im finally getting around to it. Everyone needs a great recipe for this classic.
Banana bread has never been my favorite, so I knew it would take me a while of testing tons of different recipes to find out what I like most about banana bread, and then perfect my own version. Im happy to say Ive found the moist banana bread that will be my go-to from now on!
In anticipation of all the testing, I went to the store and bought over 25 bananas. The store clerks were totally giving me the side eye, because who does that?? I needed to let them sit and ripen so I could get on with the Great Banana Bread Bake-Off of 2020!
Erics parents were in town several days later when my bananas were just starting to brown. From the other room one morning I heard my mother-in-law Kris say something about making banana cake, and I came barreling into the kitchen like a psycho person, telling her the precious brown bananas were claimed. Sorry Kris!! Ripe bananas dont just grow on trees! They take days to get to the perfect level of banana bread perfection!
I ended up making at least 12 batches of bread. Here are the first 8. Props to my in-laws Kris and Chip for helping me narrow down the best features of each one so that we could find the Perfect Banana Bread.
Why This Recipe Works
If youre looking for a moist slice of banana bread, look no further.
This easy recipe uses ripe bananas and the addition of sour cream to add tang and moisture to a flavorful, bakery style bread.
- I love that this recipe makes TWO loaves of bread. Perfect to store an extra loaf in the freezer for later, or share it immediately with family and friends.
- Flexible recipe- add chocolate chips, walnuts, or top it with a vanilla icing.
- Super moist and flavorful.
I prefer my banana bread on DAY two. Do your own taste test and let me know what you think. The rich flavor is enhanced on day two, in my opinion!
MORE Breakfast Favorites: Waffles | Cinnamon Rolls
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How To Make It:
Cream butter and sugar. First, youll cream together the butter and sugar int he bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Once its nice and fluffy, add in the eggs and sour cream, mixing to combine.
Combine dry ingredients. Next, in a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda by whisking together.
Alternate. With the mixer on the lowest speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and mashed bananas in separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
Once the batter is mixed, pour it into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake. Youll bake the loaf at 350F for about 50-55 minutes. Let it cool a bit before slicing, then serve!
Banana Bread With Sour Cream
The moist Banana Bread recipe youve been searching for! I tested a ton of different recipes so you dont have to. The result is a bread that is super moist and perfectly fluffy. Its full of banana flavor without being too dense. Its my favorite banana nut bread! And its easy to make!Originally posted May 28, 2020.
Charlotte was in the living room the other day and called me over with an accusing look on her face. Mom, was dad watching TV last night? And eating something? Because I thought I heard something, and there are crumbs on the couch. Um. Good sleuthing, Sherlock. This is what we do literally every night after you are in bed: eat snacks and watch TV.
I have no idea how its taken her 9 years to figure this out! I told her that this is the kind of behavior she can look forward to indulging in when shes in her 30s. I didnt mention the mortgage and the job and the lawn to mow I didnt want to crush all her dreams of staying-up-late-eating-cookies-bliss.
How was everyones Memorial Day weekend? Eric and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary! It was so fun, and you guys, we stayed at a place that wasnt our house! We ate in a restaurant that wasnt our kitchen! We had a full 30 hours away from our children! There is nothing like coming out of quarantine to make the sun shine brighter and food taste even more amazing. Maybe we should always shut ourselves in our houses for 2 months before a vacation. We would enjoy it more!
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Some Tips For Making The Perfect Banana Bread
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY BANANAS ARE RIPE ENOUGH? The longer your bananas sit on the counter, the sweeter they become. So it really is up to you how ripe your bananas need to be. I prefer bananas like pictures above, that still have some yellow to them, but are soft and mushy. This usually is about 3-4 days of sitting past perfect for me.
USING SOUR CREAM. I prefer to use full fat sour cream for the perfect richness and extra moisture to the banana bread, but you can use low fat if that is what you have on hand. I have also subbed in butter milk and greek yogurt before and they have worked also. Use what you have!
ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS. If you have the time to plan ahead, using room temp ingredients will help with the consistency of your loaf. The softened butter will mix better with the sugars, and when your ingredients aren’t cold they seem to mix better without any clumps forming.
How To Store And Serve Banana Bread With Sour Cream
Banana bread should be removed from the pan and cooled completely before storing, but I highly recommend enjoying a slice while its still warm. Slather that baby with butter or whipped cream cheese! Hooo baby! Thats the good stuff.
Once the banana bread is cooled, wrap it in saran wrap and store at room temperature. It will stay perfectly moist and lovely for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
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How Should I Store Sour Cream Banana Bread
If you plan to eat the loaf all in one day I usually just allow it to sit out on the counter and it generally stays nice and moist. If we have leftovers, which rarely happens at our house, I like to wrap it in tinfoil. This keep the top of the loaf crispy, where as if you store it in a ziplock bag it will soften it more.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Uses up those bananas that are about to go bad. Thats the best part about making banana bread! You want to use bananas that are overripe dark, black and speckled.
- Quick to whip up Banana bread is so quick to whip up. In about 15 minutes its ready to go in the oven.
- No mixer needed To make banana bread all you need is a good whisk and a spatula and thats it. No mixer needed here!
- Wonderfully moist Sorry for those M word haters out there, but the addition of sour cream to this banana bread makes for a moist, soft, and just sweet enough with lots of banana flavor.
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How To Make Sour Cream Banana Bread
This super moist banana bread recipe only takes about 5 minutes of prep work and uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Our easy sweet bread is loaded with flavor and will quickly become your go-to recipe.
BRUCREW TIP: If the top of the sour cream banana bread is getting too dark, cover it with foil during the last 10-15 minutes.
Can You Freeze Banana Bread
Yes, We wrap the banana bread in plastic wrap tightly and then put it into freezer bags. You can freeze full loaves or slices of banana bread.
Try to remove as much air as you can before placing the banana bread in the freezer. This will help prevent freezer burn.
When you are ready to enjoy the bread remove it from the freezer and place it on the counter. It should take about 4 hours for the bread to fully thaw.
If you are thawing slices of banana bread you can leave them on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes and they should thaw. Another option is to unwrap the bread and microwave it for 30 seconds.
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Why Youll Love Sour Cream Banana Bread
Ive found that sour cream is one of the keys to creating perfectly moist banana bread! Its such a simple addition, but it really makes a big difference!
This bread is light in color, so its much more appetizing than dark, heavy bricks of banana bread.
Plus, its super easy to make, and the absolute perfect way to use up ripe bananas!
I have been known to buy extra bananas just so that I can let some get over-ripe so Ill have an excuse to make this banana bread.
My kids can practically inhale it, and who can blame them? It really is the most delicious banana bread. Seriously.
Classic Sour Cream Banana Bread
For a classic, traditional, perfect banana bread recipe, you cant go wrong with this sour cream banana bread.
If you take a quick glance through the comments, youll easily see that many, many, many of you have fallen in love with this banana bread over the years. This recipe has over 500 5-star reviews!
No surprise! It is so easy one bowl! So delicious supremely moist and tender!
It really is one of the best banana bread recipes out there.
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What Makes This Banana Bread With Sour Cream Recipe The Best
There are a few reasons why this recipe won the battle for the best banana bread.
- First, it tastes amazing. Its sweet, rich, and buttery, but it still tastes like bread, not cake. .
- The brown sugar and sour cream keeps it very moist without being too dense.
- Its got a good banana flavor without being overwhelming, so even those who are iffy about bananas will likely enjoy this.
- Its the perfect vehicle for all your favorite banana bread additions – more on that below!
What Is Sour Cream
Cultured sour cream is created when a colony of lactic bacteria is added to pasteurized light cream and then allowed to ferment for a period of time. The bacterias acid thickens the cream, coagulates protein, and creates the trademark sour taste.
A less common variant of sour cream is made by the addition of an acid to the cream, such as vinegar. Known as acidified sour cream, this foregoes the addition of cultured lactic bacteria and fermentation entirely.
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Moist Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe
I love that this sour cream banana bread is equally perfect as a breakfast, snack, or dessert. Talk about versatility!
You can add chocolate chips to the batter to amp up the decadence, or serve each slice warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and suddenly your wholesome breakfast banana bread is an over-the-top dessert!
Oh, and I cant forget my favorite part: when youre baking sour cream banana bread in the oven, your kitchen will smell like bananas!