Recipe courtesy of the Editors of Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine

A easy banana bread recipe is the classic example of a quick bread. There are lots of versions out there—like this one we make with sour cream—but this banana bread recipe is the easiest, requiring only common pantry ingredients. Just mix flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl; butter, sugar, eggs, and banana in another; and combine them, adding a little water as you mix. In about an hour you’ll have a moist banana bread that’s great for breakfast, tea, or just a snack.

Try it with a healthy banana smoothie recipe or easy cold brew coffee.

  • Yield: 1 (9-inch) loaf
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 30 mins 

Ingredients (8)

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for coating the pan
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
  • 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (from about 3 medium bananas)
  • 1/3 cup water, at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan with butter; set aside.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. Whisk together the measured butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and banana and whisk until smooth.
  4. Add half of the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add half of the water and stir until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and water, stirring until just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake until the bread begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 70 minutes. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn the bread out onto the rack to cool completely.