Ultimate Banana Bread

close up of banana bread in pan with sliced bananas and mini chocolate chips

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Ultimate Banana Bread

The absolute Best Banana Bread recipe made with a cinnamon-sugar crust, moist from butter and sour cream, a combination of mashed bananas and sliced bananas, and chocolate chips and walnuts in every bite! Bonus, it's all made in one bowl!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana bread, banana bread recipe, best banana bread

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the Pan

1/4 cup granulated sugar 51 g
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Butter for greasing the pan

For the Batter

3 medium super ripe bananas divided. 209 g (without peels)
1 cup granulated sugar 204 g
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted. 106 g
2 large eggs 133 g (wihtout shells)
1 teaspoon vanilla 4 g
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 196 g
1 teaspoon baking soda 6 g
1/2 teaspoon salt 4 g
1/2 cup sour cream 120 g
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 58 g
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 102 g
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar 16 g

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Thoroughly grease a 9x5 nonstick loaf pan with butter and the cinnamon-sugar mixture (swirl the pan around until it’s coated. Discard excess or use for something else. Watch the video, if you're unsure.)
Mash 2 of the bananas to equal 1 cup. Slice the 3rd banana.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter.
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined.
Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir together until just incorporated and smooth.
Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream. Don’t over-mix.
With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
Arrange banana slices over the top and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Place in oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour (start checking after 55 minutes.)
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.
Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Plain Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream if that's what you have on hand.
Swap the walnuts for pecans, or leave nuts out entirely if you have an allergy in the house.
No mini chocolate chips? Regular chocolate chips work. Just chop them down a bit so they distribute evenly.
Bananas matter more than anything else here. Use ones with a ton of dark brown spots for the best flavor, sweetness, and even mixing throughout the batter.
Oven runs hot? Reduce the temperature by 15 degrees and tent the bread with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to keep the top from over-browning before the center is done.
Check for doneness in three spots — the center and both sides — since ovens can bake unevenly.
Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap while it's still slightly warm to help it stay moist overnight.

Nutrition