One Bowl Banana Bread

Name: One Bowl Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 over-ripe bananas; ½ cup packed light brown sugar; ⅓ cup melted butter; 2 eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon salt

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My family goes in “banana eating phases” were they eat so many bananas one week and then forget them the following week so sometimes I end up with a bunch for ripe bananas – perfect for making this one bowl banana bread! All the ingredients go in one bowl and you don’t need to separate the wet and dry ingredients. Just mix them together, bake and enjoy! It’s a great base banana bread recipe that you can perk up with chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit or spices.

Banana bread on cutting board with a few slices cut and laying down, one slice on a plate nearby.

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Recipe At a Glance
Ingredients to Make Banana Bread in One Bowl
Popular Additions
How to Make Banana Bread
Tips for Making the Best One Bowl Banana Bread
Frequently Asked Questions
More Quick Bread Recipes:
One Bowl Banana Bread Recipe

Whenever I have three ripe bananas, this is definitely one of my go-to recipes to bake especially because the other ingredients are pantry staples I always have on hand. And I like that’s it’s simpler than my other banana bread recipes, like my Yogurt Banana Bread, my Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread (SO GOOD!) and my Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread, that have a little pizazz to them; because sometimes you just need something quick and simple.

Recipe At a Glance

Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Banana
Skill Level: Easy

Why This is So Good

One Bowl: That’s right – no dry bowl and wet bowl needed. Mash the bananas in one bowl, throw everything on top, mix and bake. My daughter loves this recipe for that very reason.
Freezer and Meal-Prep Friendly: This recipe is perfect for meal prep and busy mornings. The banana bread freezes well, so you can make a batch, slice it up, and freeze individual portions for a quick, grab-and-go breakfast or snack option.
Versatile: I like to think of this recipe as a go-to base recipe for making banana bread in one bowl and then tweaking it depending on the occasion or extra ingredients I have on hand and throw add-ins.

Ingredients to Make Banana Bread in One Bowl

Ingredients for recipe: ripe bananas, melted butter, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda, vanilla, eggs, brown sugar, and flour.

Bananas: Use three ripe bananas as ripe as the photo above or even more ripe to add sweetness, moisture and a deep, rich banana flavor to the bread.
Sugar: You can really use any sugar but I like light brown sugar for this recipe to add sweetness and moisture and give it that caramel-y flavor.
Butter: The butter not only makes the banana bread tender but it also gives is a rich taste. Feel free to with any neutral oil like avocado oil.
Large eggs: Using room temperature eggs for easier mixing!
All-purpose flour: The base for the brea which gives the structure and body with a fine, tender crumb. I haven’t tried other flours with this recipe, but I think a 1:1 GF flour mix would work well.
Spices: Cinnamon and salt will add flavor and balance the sweetness. I also use baking soda to help the bread get that gorgeous rise.

Popular Additions

Chocolate: My kids always ask me to add chocolate chips to this banana bread so that would be my #1 recommendation for an add-in. If you have a chocolate bar, you can chop that up and fold into the batter too. You can even replace some of the flour (try ¼ cup) with cocoa flour.
Nuts: Walnuts and pecans are favorites, but you can also use try hazelnuts or cashews for something a little different.
Dried Fruit: Raisins go really well with banana bread, but I also like using chopped dates, cranberries or chopped apricots.
Spices: You can double the cinnamon from 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons, or you can add other warm spices like ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves or even pumpkin spice.

How to Make Banana Bread

Grab one bowl, three ripe bananas and the other staple ingredients and get ready to mix everything in a bowl. I recommend doing it in stages to make sure different elements are properly mixed before adding new ones.

Mashed banana in bowl with brown sugar and melted butter added. — **Step 1:** Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add sugar and butter, and continue to mash with the bananas until almost completely smooth.

After mashing with eggs and vanilla added. — **Step 2:** Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

After mixing with dry ingredients added. — **Step 3:** Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Bread dough in bowl. — **Step 4:** Fold the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until you don’t see any more streaks.

Batter in prepared loaf pan before baking. — **Step 5:** Scrape the batter into a pan lined with parchment bake and bake.

Bread after baking in loaf pan. — **Step 6:** Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Tips for Making the Best One Bowl Banana Bread

Use very ripe bananas. Look for ones with spots. The more spots the merrier in my book. Ripe bananas will give the bread sweetness without having to add much sweetener.
Don’t overmix the batter. When you add the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients, make sure not to overmix the batter. Just mix until you don’t see any streaks of flour and stop. That way the bread stays moist.
Tent the loaf pan with foil if needed. Sometimes at around 45 minutes, the top of the bread will be golden brown, but the center won’t be cooked through yet. If you notice that happening, you can tent it to prevent the top from burning while baking the bread through.
Cool the bread before slicing. I know…easier said than done! But try to let the bread cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. This allows it to firm up and makes slicing much easier.

Hand grabbing a slice of banana bread from cutting board.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store banana bread?

After allowing the bread to cool down completely, store it in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag to keep it fresh and moist. The bread will last for up to 5 days at room temperature and a week in the fridge. Enjoy it at room temperature the next day, warm it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or you can even throw it in a toaster oven wrapped in aluminum foil 350°F for 5-10 minutes.

Can I freeze banana bread?

For sure! After it’s cooled down, slice it into individual servings, wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, and then place them in a large freezer bag or an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, thaw it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. You can then warm it up in the oven or microwave using the reheating instructions above.

How do I make this banana bread recipe into banana bread muffins?

Just divide the batter evenly into a greased or lined muffin tin, and bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Slice of banana bread on a small plate with a pat of butter.

More Quick Bread Recipes:

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