Banana Bread Recipe | Best Overripe Banana Loaf

Name: Banana Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: British, American
Ingredients: 3 Very Overripe Bananas, the blacker the skin the better; 200 g Plan Flour; 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 0.25 tsp Ground Nutmeg; 0.25 tsp Fine Salt; 150 g Light Brown Soft Sugar; 2 Medium Eggs, lightly beaten; 80 g Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly; 4 tbsp Whole Milk; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 80 g Walnuts, roughly chopped; 80 g Dark Chocolate Chips; 2 tbsp Peanut Butter, swirled through the batter before baking

Banana bread is one of the most beloved bakes in British and American home kitchens - a moist, tender loaf packed with natural banana sweetness, warm spice, and a deep, caramelised flavour that only comes from using properly overripe bananas. It's the bake that transforms forgotten fruit into something genuinely spectacular, and it's one of the most forgiving and satisfying things you can make.

The secret to exceptional banana bread is the bananas themselves. The blacker and more overripe they are, the better - overripe bananas are sweeter, softer, and full of concentrated flavour that bakes into a rich, moist crumb that no amount of extra sugar or butter can replicate. If your bananas aren't overripe yet, place them unpeeled on a baking tray and roast at 180°C fan for 15–20 mins until the skins are completely black - this fast-tracks the ripening process and gives excellent results.

This recipe produces a classic, straightforward banana bread - moist, deeply flavoured, and perfect as it is, with optional additions of chopped walnuts, dark chocolate chips, or a swirl of peanut butter for those who want to take it further. It keeps well for several days, freezes brilliantly, and works equally well as a breakfast slice, an afternoon treat, or a packed lunch addition. All ingredients are standard supermarket staples.

Ingredients

For the banana bread

3 Very Overripe Bananas , the blacker the skin the better
200 g Plan Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
0.25 tsp Ground Nutmeg
0.25 tsp Fine Salt
150 g Light Brown Soft Sugar
2 Medium Eggs , lightly beaten
80 g Unsalted Butter , melted and cooled slightly
4 tbsp Whole Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Optional additions (choose one or combine)

80 g Walnuts , roughly chopped
80 g Dark Chocolate Chips
2 tbsp Peanut Butter , swirled through the batter before baking

Method

Preheat your oven to 170°C fan / 190°C conventional / Gas Mark 5. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line with baking paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides to help lift the loaf out once baked.
Peel the bananas and place in a large bowl. Mash thoroughly with a fork until completely smooth with no large lumps remaining - the smoother the mash, the more evenly the banana distributes through the loaf. A few small lumps are fine.

Tip: For the most intensely flavoured banana bread, use bananas where the skin is almost entirely black. These are at peak ripeness - the starches have fully converted to sugar and the banana flavour is at its most concentrated and complex. Don't be put off by how they look.
Add the melted butter, beaten eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and brown sugar to the mashed banana. Stir well until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined - stop as soon as no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.

Tip: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and produces a tough, dense loaf rather than a tender, moist one. Fold until just combined - a few small streaks of flour are fine, they'll incorporate during baking.
Fold in any optional additions (walnuts, chocolate chips) if using. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the surface. If using peanut butter, dollop it over the surface of the batter and swirl through with a skewer or the tip of a knife.
Bake for 50–55 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover with a sheet of foil from the 35-minute mark.

Tip: Banana bread is prone to browning on top before the centre is fully baked - this is normal. The foil tent prevents over-browning while the centre catches up. The loaf is ready when a skewer comes out clean, not when it looks done on top.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10–15 mins, then lift out using the baking paper overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Slicing too early results in a gummy, collapsing crumb.

Air Fryer Method

Preheat the air fryer to 150°C for 3–5 mins. Grease and line a small loaf tin that fits inside your air fryer basket - a 450g (1lb) tin works well for most standard air fryers.
Prepare the batter as directed and pour into the prepared tin, filling no more than two-thirds full as the bread rises during baking.
Cook for 45–50 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Check at 35 mins - if the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with a small piece of foil.

Tip: Air fryer banana bread works very well but requires a lower temperature than the oven to prevent the outside burning before the centre is cooked through. Use a smaller loaf tin than the standard 900g to ensure the heat penetrates evenly - a 450g tin is ideal for most air fryer baskets.

Alternatives & Variations

Swap the butter for the same quantity of coconut oil or a neutral flavourless oil such as sunflower - reduces saturated fat while keeping the loaf moist
Reduce the sugar to 100g - very overripe bananas are so sweet that the full 150g isn't always needed; the loaf will be less sweet but still deeply flavourful
Replace 50g of the plain flour with rolled oats (blitzed briefly in a food processor) - adds fibre and a slightly more rustic, wholesome texture
Use semi-skimmed milk instead of whole milk - a minimal difference in calories but a small improvement

Replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp water, left for 5 mins until gel-like) - this is one of the best egg-free baking swaps and works particularly well in banana bread where the bananas already provide binding and moisture. Swap the butter for melted coconut oil or vegan block butter. Use plant-based milk. The result is a very good vegan banana bread that's moist and well-flavoured.

Swap the plain flour for a gluten free plain flour blend - Doves Farm is widely available and works well in this recipe at the same quantity. Add ½ tsp of xanthan gum if it isn't already included in the blend, as this helps replicate the binding properties of gluten. All other ingredients are naturally gluten free. The texture will be very slightly denser than the standard version but still moist and delicious.

FAQs

Around 1 hr 10 mins total - 15 mins of prep and 50–55 mins of baking. Most of the time is hands-off baking. Factor in cooling time before slicing — at least 30 mins on a wire rack for clean slices.

Rated Easy. It's one of the most beginner-friendly baking recipes on the site - no special equipment, no creaming, no temperature-sensitive techniques. The main things to get right are using properly overripe bananas and not overmixing the batter.

As ripe as possible - ideally with a skin that is mostly or completely black. At this stage the banana is at its sweetest and most flavourful, and the soft texture mashes effortlessly into the batter. Yellow bananas with a little spotting will work but produce a noticeably less sweet and flavourful result. If your bananas aren't ripe enough, roast them unpeeled at 180°C fan for 15–20 mins until the skins blacken.

Yes - it freezes brilliantly. Cool completely, then slice and freeze in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months. Individual slices can be taken out and defrosted at room temperature in 30–40 mins, or toasted straight from frozen. Freezing the whole loaf unsliced also works well - wrap tightly in cling film and foil before freezing.

Stored wrapped in cling film or in an airtight container at room temperature, banana bread keeps well for 3–4 days. It actually improves on day two as the moisture redistributes through the loaf. Refrigerating is not recommended as it dries the crumb - store at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.

Yes - banana bread is one of the most versatile baking recipes on the site. Popular additions include chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch, dark chocolate chips for richness, dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, a swirl of peanut butter or Nutella through the batter, or a teaspoon of espresso powder to deepen the flavour. Keep additional ingredients to around 80g total to avoid affecting the bake.

Yes - the air fryer produces excellent banana bread. Use a smaller 450g loaf tin that fits your basket, preheat to 150°C, and cook for 45–50 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Check at 35 mins and cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly. The result is a moist, well-baked loaf very close to the oven version.