Buttermilk Banana Bread Recipe

This one-bowl Buttermilk Banana Bread is the best banana bread recipe you’ll ever make!

Like many baked goods the addition of buttermilk is the secret ingredient

There are so many banana bread recipes out there but this one is my all-time favorite go-to recipe because it’s easy, super moist, and full of flavor. This perfect banana bread stays moist for days, although it’s usually eaten sooner in my house!

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Ingredients for Buttermilk Banana Bread

Banana bread is a “quick bread”, meaning no yeast or rise is necessary. The addition of buttermilk in this recipe makes a moist banana bread but is also necessary because the acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and baking powder to give the bread a lift. The tang of the buttermilk gives it extra flavor, as well.

• Sugar – we use white sugar, but you can sub in brown sugar too
• Eggs (2) – room temperature eggs work best
• Bananas (3) – use ripe, spotty bananas because overripe bananas have more flavor
• Buttermilk – none on hand? No problem because you can make your own (see below)
• Vegetable Oil – just 1 Tablespoon is all you need – you can also use coconut oil
• Vanilla Extract – every baked good is better with pure vanilla extract, right? We make our own homemade vanilla with just 2 ingredients
• All-purpose Flour – gluten-free 1:1 works if needed
• Salt – just a pinch but it helps balance the sweetness
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda – both for a lighter fluffier bread
• Chocolate Chips or Chunks – or both! Optional, but delicious!
• Pecans or Walnuts – optional

How to make Banana Bread

• The key to making fluffy quick breads is do not overmix or overbake. Mix just enough to combine all of the ingredients. Otherwise, you will develop too much gluten, which can result in less tender bread.

• When adding extras, like nuts or chocolate chips, add them at the end and gently mix to combine.

The steps for quick bread recipes are nearly always the same and this bread is no exception:

• PREHEAT OVEN: Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan. Line with parchment paper with sides overlapping, if desired.
• MIX: Combine sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat until light and creamy with an electric mixer. This will take about 5 minutes and it’s important that you don’t skip this step
• DRY INGREDIENTS: Sift all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl
• BLEND: To the butter-sugar mixture add mashed bananas, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract
• FOLD: Gently fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until blended
• OPTIONAL CHIPS AND NUTS: Add in additional optional ingredients
• BAKE: Pour batter into the prepared bread pan and bake until the top springs back when touched and a skewer inserted in the middle of the bread comes back clean, about 55-65 minutes. The top should be golden brown.
• COOL: Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing it. If the pan was lined with parchment it’s easy to remove by grasping the parchment paper handles and gently pulling the bread out. Let cool completely before slicing

Tips for prepping the pan

• Lining the pan makes it easy to remove the cooled bread. Use a strip of non-stick parchment paper to line the pan and overlap it to use as a handle. You can easily pull the whole loaf out once cooled. See below for example.

• If you don’t have parchment paper generously grease the pan with non-stick spray, canola oil, or coconut oil.

Add-In Ideas for Banana Bread

• Chocolate Chips or Chunks – regular or mini chips, chocolate chunks, or a combo of all of these for variety
• Walnuts or Pecans – lightly chopped

When my kids were small I started adding chocolate chips as an enticement to get them to try my original recipe for banana bread and it was an instant hit. Even though my boys are teenagers now they still want chocolate chip banana bread, so the chips aren’t really optional in our house!

Need a buttermilk substitute?

In case you don’t have buttermilk on hand it’s easy to make a substitution:

• The ratio: 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to every 1 cup of regular whole milk.
• Mix together and let stand for a few minutes to make 1 cup buttermilk

The best type of bananas to use

• SPOTTY, RIPE, BROWN BANANAS: One of the great things about buttermilk banana bread is that you can use up bananas that have passed their prime. In fact, the bread is better with overripe spotty bananas because they mash perfectly and have a deep sweet banana flavor.

• CHEFS TIP: peel and freeze bananas when they’ve reached the spotty stage and defrost before using them. I store them in quantities of 3 so they are already ready for this recipe.

Tips for making the best banana bread

• Do not over-mix the batter. The more you mix the more the gluten develops. Overmixing will result in a dense, rather than a fluffy loaf.
• Test for doneness by inserting a skewer in the center of the bread. If the skewer comes back clean the bread is cooked. If you have an instant-read thermometer the bread should have an internal temperature between 200-205℉.
• If the top begins to brown too quickly loosely cover it with aluminum foil as it finishes baking.
• Let the bread rest for 30 minutes before removing it from the pan to let it cool completely.
• Most “quick breads” will crack on the top during baking, which is OK!

How to make small Banana Bread loaves

• All “quick breads” are perfect for mini loaf pans. The only adjustment you will need to make is the baking time.

• We used a pan that makes 6 small loaves and the baking time is 30-35 minutes.

• Mini bread loaves freeze beautifully (see below for freezing instructions)

How to Store Banana Bread

• Cool the bread completely
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap
• ROOM TEMPERATURE: Store on the counter for up to 4 days
• FREEZE: tightly wrap and store in a sealed bag or airtight container, for up to 6 months. Allow bread to thaw on the counter before slicing and serving
• We don’t recommend storing it in the refrigerator, as that will dry the bread out quicker

Looking for other quick bread recipes to try?

• Blueberry Apple Bread
• Classic Zucchini Bread
• Pumpkin Nut Bread
• 4 Ingredient Beer Bread & Dinner Rolls