One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe (Easy and Customizable)

This One Bowl Banana Bread is the kind of easy bake everyone should have in their back pocket. It is soft, moist, with just the right amount of banana flavor. It comes together with a whisk and one bowl in about an hour, with no mixer and no fuss. Keep it plain, add chocolate chips, fold in toasted nuts, or make it your own with warm spices and pantry mix-ins.

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This One Bowl Banana Bread recipe started as my chocolate chip banana bread, but the base was too good to keep boxed into just one version. The crumb is soft and tender, the banana flavor actually comes through without being heavy or stodgy, and it is sturdy enough to handle all your favorite add-ins without turning into a heavy loaf.

I wanted this to be the kind of banana bread you can make on a weekday morning, bake for a brunch table, or throw together when your bananas are one day away from becoming scary. It is simple, reliable, and exactly the kind of recipe that starts as a blank slate for your imagination and easily earns a permanent spot in your breakfast rotation.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Easy - Everything gets mixed together in one bowl with a whisk or a spatula, so cleanup stays blessedly minimal.
• Just banana enough - A lot of recipes have used a lot more bananas than my recipe. That's a personal preference, but I find them to be heavy and thick. I don't know how else to describe it. I find that two bananas is just enough to give you a light banana flavor without turning it into banana pudding.
• Just sweet enough - A lot of recipes use a lot more sugar, or even a combination of sugars. I just don't like that much sweetness. Mine is just sweet enough to feel like a treat but light enough to feel right at home on a breakfast or brunch table.
• Customizable - Add chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, coconut, cinnamon, or leave it plain and classic.
• Reliable - This is a straightforward banana bread recipe that works whether you are baking for the first time or the fiftieth.

This banana bread recipe is flexible and exactly the kind of banana bread you crave. Before you know it you'll have it memorized and making on repeat without even thinking about it.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The photo below shows everything you need to make this easy one bowl banana bread recipe, and I will walk you through the key ingredients and the best ways to swap them if needed. To keep this to one bowl, I recommend using an inexpensive kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients. I include gram measurements for the major ingredients, although standard measurements are included as well.

• Bananas - Very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots will give you the best flavor and sweetness. If your bananas are still a little too yellow, wait another day if you can. If you find them becoming over ripe but you don't have time to make banana bread today, put them in the freezer and let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Greek yogurt - This adds moisture and tenderness. Regular yogurt or sour cream works beautifully here too. Sometimes I'll use a vanilla yogurt and skip the added vanilla.
• Vegetable oil - Keeps the loaf soft and moist for days. You can also use another neutral oil or you can swap out for melted butter.
• Brown sugar - Adds sweetness and a little deeper flavor than white sugar. Light or dark brown sugar both work, or you can absolutely use white granulated sugar for a lighter flavored loaf.
• All-purpose flour - Gives the loaf structure without making it too dense.
• Baking powder + baking soda - This combo gives the bread lift and helps it bake up with a soft crumb and nice domed top. Don't skip or substitute and be sure to check your expiration dates to ensure a good rise to your loaf.
• Vanilla extract - Rounds out the banana flavor and makes everything taste warmer and more bakery-like. Again, if you use a vanilla flavored yogurt, you can skip the added vanilla.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

One of the best things about this banana bread recipe is how easy it is to make it your own. I'm not the boss of your banana bread. You are.

• Go crazy - My husband's grandmother added chocolate chips and maraschino cherries. That sounds crazy to me, but if that's your vibe... that's a vibe.
• Walnut banana bread - Add chopped toasted walnuts for crunch and that classic banana bread energy.
• Cinnamon cranberry banana bread - Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, or even a little cardamom, plus some dried cranberries for a warmer breakfast loaf. or add pumpkin spice for a pumpkin spice banana bread that needs no pumpkin to be delicious!
• Coconut banana bread - Stir in shredded coconut for a little texture and extra sweetness.
• Chocolate chip banana bread - Fold in chocolate chips for the version that started it all.

Quick Recipe Video

Step-by-Step Instructions

This is a very forgiving banana bread recipe, so do not overthink it. Follow along with the process photos and you will be in excellent shape.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the greased loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to use as a sling later.

Step 2: Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash to your preferred texture. Some people like it mostly smooth, some like a few small lumps. Both are correct. Add the eggs, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.

Step 3: Add the brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk well, making sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar.

Step 4: Add the flour and stir just until the batter is mostly combined, with a few streaks of flour still visible.

Step 5: Fold in any mix-ins you want to use, then let the batter rest for 15 minutes so the flour can fully hydrate and the loaf bakes up with a better texture.

Step 6: Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Spray a sharp knife with nonstick spray and drag it lightly through the center of the batter to encourage that classic banana bread split.

Bake: Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe FAQs

More banana please