BA’s Best Banana Bread

There was a time in the BA test kitchen when everyone had their own go-to banana bread recipe. Then, after baking a bunch of loaves (14, to be exact), we aligned on this tender, ultra-moist banana bread as our collective favorite. Readers agree: With over 1,000 rave reviews, this easy recipe consistently produces bakery-quality results.

What’s the key to the best banana bread? Details. Dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content than light brown, which helps the crumb stay soft and supple for days. Some banana bread recipes call for melted butter, which makes a dense, oily loaf; here we cream softened butter until light and fluffy, resulting in a plush, springy texture. A dollop of mascarpone gives the quick bread tang, but whole-milk Greek yogurt or sour cream work too. As for the bananas, go for very ripe, overripe, or nothing. Spotty, speckly bananas bring the boldest, sweetest banana flavor—so if the bunch is still green, let it hang on the countertop for a few more days.

This recipe requires very little prep time, but a relatively long bake time, so plan ahead. A stand mixer makes the process smoother, but an electric hand mixer does the job. As for add-ins, chopped chocolate and walnuts are our ultimate combination, but this is your banana bread, so feel free to swap in dried cranberries or pecans. (If you want to lean even more heavily into the chocolate, head over to our chocolate banana bread recipe.) Or if you’re a purist, leave the banana mixture plain and sprinkle the top with raw or regular white sugar before baking for a crackly top.

There are lots of other ways to mix it up too: For a heartier loaf, swap up to 25% of the AP flour for whole wheat flour, or for an easy on-the-go option, portion the batter into a muffin tin to make banana muffins (note that the cook time will be shorter, start checking at 30 minutes). But we like this banana bread best as is: Spread thick-cut slices with cream cheese or softened butter for serving. And if you have any left over, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.