Description
Ina Garten’s banana bread recipe delivers a moist, flavorful loaf packed with ripe banana goodness. Warm spices and rich ingredients create a comforting classic you’ll want to bake again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 very ripe medium bananas (mashed)
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 oz) unsalted butter (melted)
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (480 ml / 240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) salt
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter to ensure easy release.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined and lump-free.
- Creaming Process: Using an electric mixer, cream brown sugar and butter until light, fluffy, and pale in color, creating a smooth base for the bread.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Incorporate mashed bananas and eggs into the sugar-butter mixture, blending until a uniform, silky texture develops.
- Batter Formation: Gently fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring minimally to prevent gluten development and maintain a tender crumb. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula for even baking.
- Baking: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 60 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean with no raw batter.
- Cooling: Allow the banana bread to rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, which helps set the structure and enhance flavor.
Notes
- Ripeness Matters: Use overripe, super soft bananas with brown spots for maximum sweetness and deeper banana flavor.
- Mixing Magic: Gently fold ingredients to prevent tough, dense bread; stop stirring when flour streaks just disappear.
- Pan Perfect: Grease pan thoroughly and line with parchment paper for easy removal and crisp edges.
- Temperature Check: Let ingredients like eggs and butter reach room temperature to ensure smoother batter and even baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 48 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg