My favorite banana bread

This ultra moist and perfectly sweet, banana packed banana bread is the only recipe you'll ever need when a banana bread craving strikes.

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In June 2025, I was with my husband on a trip to visit family in Florida. Every time we visit, we stay at the same hotel and go to the same coffee shop in the hotel lobby every morning. For some reason on this trip when visiting that same coffee shop, I noticed that the banana bread looked especially good. Normally I wouldn't go for banana bread (especially without chocolate!) but I had to try it. And I'm so glad I did. It was truly the most amazing banana bread I've ever had. It was moist, perfectly sweet, full of banana flavor, and had a deep dark brown color I hadn't often seen in banana bread. The next day I bought three slices so my family could try some, and I bought it again on the last two days of our trip.

When I got home I was determined to recreate this banana bread no matter how long it took - and it took 12 rounds to be exact. And I was so glad I did because while I was testing the recipe I made another trip back to Florida to celebrate my grandma's Birthday and of course got a slice of banana bread while I was there. The banana bread I fell in love with was nothing like before. It was still a deep dark brown but the bread was dry with hard chunks of banana throughout. It reminded me that sometimes store bought isn't always reliable. It's very possible they were having a bad weekend, but either way I'm so thrilled to now be able to make it at home in case the first batch was actually the fluke!

We'll talk through the key ingredients, but first the pan. Typically I use a 1 pound or 8.5 x 4.5 inch pan. I had a feeling after my first two testing rounds that a slightly larger pan (1.25 pounds or 9 x 5 inches) would do the trick, and it really did make a difference. I haven't tested the final recipe in the smaller standard pan, and while I'm sure it would be delicious I just can't give guidance on how it would come out or the bake time. Also I highly, highly recommend using a metal (specifically aluminized steel) pan rather than glass as this already takes a long time to bake and glass will only extend that and could cause the loaf to bake unevenly.

As I mentioned, this went through a whopping 12 rounds of testing and while the last few rounds were to get the final ratios and bake time just right, the first rounds were really to test out different ingredients. So while the ingredient list might be long and include a few surprises, I promise each one was selected with care and out of necessity to get the absolute perfect taste and texture.

• Dark muscovado sugar - In the first rounds of testing I used dark brown sugar. It was delicious but I still wasn't achieving the dark brown color and deep sweetness I remembered. I also tried using molasses but it still wasn’t quite right. After some research, I bought dark muscovado sugar to try and instantly knew this was the key. In a pinch you can use dark brown sugar instead but this really is the key ingredient that makes this signature banana bread so incredible so I promise it's worth the purchase.

• Corn starch - In the early batches, I was having trouble with the texture, getting a loaf that was too damp rather than moist. I tried adding a small amount of cornstarch and it helped to soak up some of the moisture without making the loaf dry at all.

• Spices - For this recipe and based on the original inspiration, I wanted a low level of spice. The recipe calls for cinnamon and nutmeg, and both are really just complementing flavors to the banana without a strong forward flavor. If you don't have nutmeg on hand you can omit or swap in some additional cinnamon if you'd like.

• Baking soda - I played around a lot with different combinations of baking soda and baking powder, and found that this amount of baking soda with no baking powder brought us the perfect crumb and texture. Usually baking powder is what's used in a cake or loaf like this, so be sure you're grabbing for the baking soda this time.

• Espresso powder - In the final rounds of testing I knew something was missing but wasn't quite sure what. Then I realized (in that one one stale batch from Florida) that I could taste almost a hint of coffee. I tried adding a small amount of espresso powder and it really brought everything together, intensifying the flavor and sweetness just that extra bit more. I recognize this is an extra ingredient, so know that it will be delicious without it if you don't have it on hand - but I hope you get to try it out!

• Ripe bananas - This one is no surprise. The key to most delicious banana breads is using extra ripe bananas, with peels that have lots of dark brown spots. I tested ripening the bananas in the oven rather than waiting for naturally ripened bananas and I couldn't get the same result unfortunately so you'll have to wait for naturally ripe bananas. I also tested how much to mash the bananas and even blended them in a few batches to see how that impacted the loaf. In the end, the best result was from naturally ripe bananas which I mashed with a fork until the bananas looked wet, and with small chunks of banana left.

• Oil & butter - I started recipe testing with butter only and found that the loaf was too dense and heavy. The combination of oil and butter brought a perfect crumb with just the right amount of moisture.

• Sour cream - When it came to choosing an additional ingredient to bring moisture to this loaf, I wanted to ensure it was something that would also help with a tender and soft texture. I considered trying a milk or buttermilk, but found that sour cream was the perfect addition so this was one of the ingredients that remained consistent from the first test batch. Though I did play around with the quantity to get it just right.

Once I got the ingredients, it was time to perfect the baking time and temperature, and after-baking strategy. One of the things I had the toughest time with was the bake time and temp. Eventually I landed on 350 degrees and with a bake time around 75 minutes in total. Every oven can vary and I experienced a few loafs that had an underbaked strip near the bottom and it was so disappointing. To avoid this, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer. The center of the loaf should measure at about 200 degrees when fully baked, and by measuring it you can feel certain your bake is perfect.

After the loaf leaves the oven, you'll take a few steps. First you'll brush on melted butter - this is part one of ensuring that delicious sticky top that I think is critical for the perfect banana bread. After about 15 minutes, when the loaf is still quite warm but the pan has slightly cooled off, you'll add plastic wrap directly on top of the loaf so that it's clinging to the top of the loaf. This will help to trap steam and moisture into the loaf while it cools. I like to then cover the top of the pan with another sheet of plastic wrap once it's a bit more cooled off and then the toughest part - waiting 12-24 hours until slicing in. I found that it really does taste best on day two and for the few days after that, so I promise it will be worth the wait and you aren't missing anything in that first 12 hours especially!

For the best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements provided

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups (240g) dark muscovado sugar

• 1/3 cup (64g) granulated sugar

• 1 3/4 cups (210g) all purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons (16g) corn starch

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional

• Heaping 1 1/2 cup (420g) sliced, ripe bananas about 3 large or 4 medium bananas*

• 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature 

• 2 large eggs** 

• 1/3 cup (67g) neutral oil canola or vegetable

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

• 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream**

• 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, room temperature to use for your pan and for brushing on your banana bread after it's baked

*I recommend using grams for the entire recipe, but in particular for the bananas to ensure the correct measurement as they can vary greatly in size

**It's best for all of your wet ingredients to be at the same temperature, so I recommend taking out your eggs and sour cream about 30 minutes before you start baking

Prep time: About 15 minutes

Bake time: About 75 minutes

Chill time: At least 12 hours at room temperature

Equipment:

• Whisk and spatula

• Two large mixing bowls, one medium bowl, and a microwave safe cup or small bowl

• 9 x 5 (1.25 pound) loaf pan not glass

• Pastry/basting brush

• Plastic wrap and tin foil

Cooking instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add all of your dry ingredients - dark muscovado sugar, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, corn starch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and your espresso powder. Mix to combine, being sure to break up any large clumps of sugar using your hands.

In a separate smaller bowl, mash your bananas using a fork. You don't want any large chunks but some small chunks are good, and your mashed bananas should look wet.

In another large bowl (separate from the first two), add your room temperature unsalted butter (4 tablespoons, 57g). Soften it with a spatula or spoon. Then add in your mashed bananas and combine until your butter is mixed in evenly with your bananas. You don't want any large pieces of butter but small pieces are okay. Add in your remaining wet ingredients - eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Switch to a whisk and whisk together until your wet ingredients are fully combined.

Add your fully combined wet ingredients into the large bowl with your dry ingredients. Use a whisk to mix everything together until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl to make sure you haven't missed any unmixed pockets.

Take a tablespoon of your remaining unsalted butter and generously grease your 9 x 5 inch loaf pan so that all sides and the bottom are covered evenly. Pour your banana bread batter in and bake at 350 degrees for around 75 to 80 minutes. Be sure to check on your banana bread after an hour - if it is browning too much on the top, you can carefully cover it with tin foil (I often do this).

Note: it can be very challenging to tell when banana bread is done baking especially since this is such a dark batter, so if you have a kitchen/meat thermometer, check that the internal middle temperature is around 200 degrees and that will let you know the bread is fully baked.

Right when your banana bread is done, remove it from the oven. Melt your remaining tablespoon of butter and use a pastry brush to brush the butter evenly across the top of your banana bread. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then once it is still warm to the touch, but the pan is no longer too hot to touch, place plastic wrap so that it's clinging to the top of your banana bread. Once the pan has cooled off slightly more (another 30-45 minutes) I like to cover with another sheet of plastic wrap this time over the pan itself to ensure it has more airtight coverage.

Let your banana bread stay wrapped before slicing in for a minimum of 12 hours (the best result is to wait a full 24 hours if you can manage). When you're ready to slice in, use a butter knife to cut - and ENJOY!

For storing your banana bread, keep it wrapped fully in plastic wrap and inside of an airtight container. It will taste best in the 2-3 days after it was baked, and will stay fresh for a few days after that. You can also freeze slices of your banana bread and defrost or heat up to enjoy at a later time.

Carb and serving info:  

Servings: 12 slices

Carbs for full recipe: 583

Carbs per serving (1 of 12): 49

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.