Overripe Banana Bread Recipe
Bananas that have gone soft and mostly brown-spotted have converted much of their starch into sugar, so they mash easily, add real banana flavor instead of just sweetness, and keep the crumb moist without needing extra liquid.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 10
Ingredients
- 4 medium overripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 331
- Protein
- 5g
- Carbs
- 47g
- Fat
- 14g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper leaving overhang on the two long sides.
- 2In a large bowl, mash the overripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth; a few small lumps are fine.
- 3Whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined and no streaks of butter remain.
- 4Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over the wet mixture and whisk in.
- 5Add the flour and fold in with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain, don't overmix or the loaf will turn out dense.
- 6Fold in the chopped walnuts, if using.
- 7Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- 8Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift or turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Tips & variations
- Bananas with fully black, almost liquid-soft peels still work great here; just drain off any pooled liquid before mashing.
- Freeze whole unpeeled bananas the moment they get too spotty to eat, then thaw and mash straight from the freezer whenever a craving hits.
- Swap the walnuts for chocolate chips or pecans in a 1:1 swap.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg alongside the cinnamon for a warmer spice profile.
Storage & reheating
Store the cooled loaf tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. To freeze, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature or warm slices in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- If bananas ripen faster than you can use them, a paper bag with an apple inside speeds up spotting in a day or two.
- Weighing the mashed bananas instead of counting them keeps the moisture level consistent; four medium bananas should yield roughly 1 1/2 cups of mashed fruit.
FAQ
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
Look for peels that are heavily spotted with brown or almost entirely black and a fruit that's soft to the touch. That stage has the most converted sugar and the strongest banana flavor, even though the fruit looks past its best for eating plain.
Can I use frozen overripe bananas?
Yes. Thaw them fully at room temperature first, since frozen bananas release a lot of liquid as they defrost. Drain off that excess liquid before mashing or the batter will turn out too wet.
My bananas are only slightly ripe, can I still make this?
You can, but the loaf will taste less sweet and less banana-forward. To speed up ripening, place bananas in a paper bag at room temperature for 1-2 days, or roast unpeeled bananas at 300°F (150°C) for 15-20 minutes until the skins blacken and the fruit softens.
Why did my banana bread sink in the middle?
This usually means the loaf was pulled from the oven before the center fully set, or too much mashed banana was used relative to flour. Stick to the toothpick test in the center of the loaf rather than judging by time alone.