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Slices of moist banana bread with a golden-brown crust, served on a white plate with a soft, tender crumb visible.
Summer Dempsey

Best Ever Banana Bread

This classic banana bread is soft, moist, and packed with rich banana flavor and melty chocolate chips. Made with simple pantry ingredients and two kinds of sugar for extra depth, it bakes up tender and golden every time. 
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 32
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 221

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • ½ cup salted butter (room temp)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 ripe bananas mashed
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • 2 No Stick Bread Pan

Method
 

  1. Cream the butter until smooth.
  2. Add the sugars, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
  3. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir just until blended.
  4. Mix in the mashed bananas until evenly distributed.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips (and nuts if using).
  6. Divide batter between 2 greased loaf pans.
Bake at 350°F for 45–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  1. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Use very ripe bananas.
    The darker and spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. If your bananas aren’t quite there yet, you can roast them (peels on) at 300°F for 15–20 minutes to deepen their sweetness.
  • Cream the butter well.
    Taking a full minute or two to cream the butter until light and smooth helps create a softer, more tender crumb. This step sets the tone for the entire loaf.
  • Don’t overmix the batter.
    Once the dry ingredients are added, mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to dense or tough banana bread instead of a soft, bakery-style texture.