Perfect Banana Bread Ratio
3 : 2 : 1
Bananas : Cups Flour : Cup Butter
3 bananas + 250g + 115g + 2 eggs
= 1 moist 9x5" loaf (10 slices)
Classic Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- Very ripe bananas (mashed) 3 large (350g / 1½ cups)
- All-purpose flour 250g (2 cups)
- Granulated sugar 150g (¾ cup)
- Unsalted butter (melted) 115g (½ cup)
- Large eggs 2 eggs
- Baking soda 1 tsp
- Vanilla extract 1 tsp
- Salt ½ tsp
Instructions
- 1. Preheat 350°F. Grease 9x5" loaf pan.
- 2. Mash bananas with fork until smooth (some lumps OK).
- 3. Mix melted butter + sugar + eggs + vanilla.
- 4. Add mashed bananas. Mix well.
- 5. In separate bowl: flour + baking soda + salt.
- 6. Fold dry into wet until just combined (don't overmix!).
- 7. Pour into loaf pan. Smooth top.
- 8. Bake 60-65 min until toothpick comes out clean.
- 9. Cool in pan 10 min, then turn out onto wire rack.
🍌 The Riper, The Better!
Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots. They're sweeter, more flavorful, and mash easier. Freeze overripe bananas in peels for future baking!
Banana Ripeness Guide
| Stage | Appearance | Baking Quality | Sweetness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | Bright green peel | ❌ Don't use (starchy, not sweet) | ⭐ Low |
| Yellow | Bright yellow, no spots | ⚠️ Not ideal (not sweet enough) | ⭐⭐ Medium |
| Yellow with spots | Yellow with brown freckles | ✓ OK (acceptable for baking) | ⭐⭐⭐ Good |
| Very ripe | Mostly brown, soft | ✓✓ PERFECT (ideal sweetness) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent |
| Black peel | Black, very soft, leaking | ✓ Still good (freeze if not using now) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Maximum |
Popular Variations
Mix-In Ideas
- Chocolate Chip: Add 1 cup (175g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Walnut: Add 1 cup (120g) toasted chopped walnuts
- Blueberry: Fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- Peanut Butter: Swirl in ½ cup peanut butter
- Nutella Swirl: Swirl ½ cup Nutella through batter
- Coconut: Add ¾ cup shredded coconut + ½ tsp coconut extract
Healthier Swaps
- Whole Wheat: Replace half flour with whole wheat flour
- Oil Instead of Butter: Use ½ cup vegetable or coconut oil (more moist!)
- Less Sugar: Reduce sugar to 100g (bananas add sweetness)
- Greek Yogurt: Replace half butter with ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- Honey: Replace half sugar with ⅓ cup honey
- Oat Flour: Use oat flour for gluten-free (add xanthan gum)
Muffin Adaptation
Convert to Banana Muffins
Same recipe, different pan:
- • Use standard muffin tin (12 cups)
- • Fill each cup ⅔ full
- • Bake 350°F for 18-22 minutes
- • Test with toothpick (should come out clean)
- • Makes 12 standard muffins
Mini muffins:
- • Use mini muffin tin (24 cups)
- • Fill each cup ⅔ full
- • Bake 350°F for 10-12 minutes
- • Perfect for kids' lunchboxes
- • Makes 24 mini muffins
Troubleshooting
Common Problems:
- Dry, crumbly: Overbaked, not enough banana, or overmixed batter.
- Dense, gummy center: Underbaked. Bake until toothpick clean.
- Sinks in middle: Too much banana or baking soda, or oven too hot.
- Top cracks (normal!): This is actually good! Shows proper rise.
- Not sweet enough: Bananas weren't ripe enough. Use very brown bananas.
- Sticks to pan: Didn't grease well or didn't cool before removing.
Pro Tips:
- • Don't overmix! Stir until just combined (lumps OK)
- • Line pan with parchment for easy removal
- • Tent with foil if top browns too fast (last 15 min)
- • Bread is done when toothpick comes out clean
- • Cool completely before slicing (easier to cut)
- • Store wrapped at room temp 3 days, or freeze 3 months