Banana Bread Recipe (serves 8–10)

  • 3 very ripe bananas (heavily spotted, almost black — the riper the better)
  • 80g (1/3 cup) melted butter
  • 150g (3/4 cup) sugar (reduce to 100g for less sweet)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 190g (1.5 cups) plain flour
  • Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips
  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 175°C and prepare tin

    Preheat to 175°C (fan-forced 160°C). Grease a standard loaf tin (23x13cm) with butter and line the base with baking paper.

  2. 2

    Mash the bananas

    In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth with a few lumps remaining. The riper the bananas, the easier they mash and the sweeter the bread.

  3. 3

    Mix in wet ingredients

    Stir the melted butter into the mashed banana. Mix in sugar, beaten egg and vanilla until combined.

  4. 4

    Add dry ingredients — do not overmix

    Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture. Add flour. Fold together gently until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough. Fold in any optional additions.

  5. 5

    Pour into tin and bake 55–65 minutes

    Pour batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 55–65 minutes. Test with a skewer — it should come out clean. The top should be golden-brown and cracked down the centre. Cover loosely with foil in the last 15 minutes if browning too fast.

  6. 6

    Cool in tin 10 minutes then on a rack

    Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out. Cool on a wire rack. Slice when completely cool — hot banana bread is crumbly.

Banana bread keeps wellWrapped in cling wrap or stored in an airtight container, banana bread stays moist for 3–4 days at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge. It also freezes beautifully — slice before freezing and toast from frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Speed-ripen in a 150°C oven — place unpeeled bananas on a baking tray for 15–20 minutes until the skins turn completely black. The banana inside becomes soft, sweet and caramelised — perfect for banana bread. Let cool before peeling.
Either not baked long enough, oven too hot (browning outside while inside is raw), or the tin is too small/deep. Always test with a skewer. If the top is browning too fast, cover with foil and continue baking. A darker, more robust crust is fine — it is the raw centre that is the issue.