The Best Banana Bread
Banana Bread is moist and full of flavor. The key to this moist banana bread recipe is to add crushed pineapple and applesauce. You’ll love this bread topped with chocolate chips.
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BANANA BREAD
Usually this bread has a reputation of being so dry that your mouth is begging for some milk. Not this version.
This has a few secret ingredients that make the bread so moist. Check it out. This is a family favorite and every time I make it, people beg for the recipe.
You can make this with all mashed bananas but the secret to really moist bread is to replace one cup of the bananas with some crushed pineapple and applesauce. Trust me!
Just like with other breads, this is even better the next day. The banana flavor soaks in and it gets even more moist.
I am not trying to set a record for saying moist the most amount of times and people who are freaked out by that word – I’m sorry!
RIPE BANANAS
OTHER BANANA RECIPES:
- Banana Bread Cookies
- Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding
- Banana Split Icebox Cake
- Monkey Squares – Banana Bread Bars
- Banana Split Dessert
- Banana Cream Pie
The Best Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 2 cups mashed ripe bananas, (about 4-6 bananas)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/2 cup applesauce, (about one applesauce cup. 4 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinammon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (11 ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, (you may not need all of it)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 3 medium bread pans ( I like to use Reynold's disposable foil pans - size 8"x3 3/4") with Baker's Joy or cooking spray.
- Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the bananas, eggs, crushed pineapple, applesauce, and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Pour into bread pans and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the batter (remember you don't have to use all of them). Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not overbake!
Notes
3.2.2885
This recipe is The Best Banana Bread Recipe without a doubt. It’s the only recipe I use now. The addition of pineapple and apple sauce makes it so delicious and moist. I purchase a large quantity of the small aluminum disposable pans to have on hand and I always have a stash of frozen bananas in the freezer. Everyone who tries it says it’s so good.
Aww thank you Donna!
I have made this so many times. My family loves them!
Can this recipe be made in a loaf pan?
(Like banana bread) what would change for baking times?
This recipe is made in a loaf pan. Are you talking about the banana bar recipe?
My family loved this!! Definitely making again. Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
Hi Christy,
This banana bread is a must-try for me! Do you cool the loaves in the pans?
Thank you! RM
I do cool them in the pan!
It sounds divine! Can’t wait to give it a try! However, I’m curious about the milk. It’s listed in the list of ingredients but not mentioned in the recipe. Did I miss it?!
Sorry maybe you mistaked the milk chocolate chips for milk. There’s no milk in this recipe.
We’ve recently moved to Salem, Utah where the elevation is around 4800. Where do you live in Utah and what’s your elevation? I have real trouble with my banana bread loaves sinking some in the middle. Are you sure your recipe works for high altitude? Thanks so much! P.S. I just bought your “Scrumptious” recipe book… can’t wait to try lots of your recipes!!!
Hi thanks for buying my book. Banana bread usually sinks in the middle if it is not cooked all the way. The best source for high altitude baking is here: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
I won’t make banana bread any other way after trying this recipe. My family loved it. I have one more loaf in the freezer. When we finish that off, I will make 3 more!
Thanks for the recipe.
Yay! That’s awesome
This looks great, I have another recipe that uses crushed pineapple, but has quite a bit of oil, and seems too greasy. I’ll try this one soon! I am curious if you have had to adjust many of your baking recipes for high altitude since your move? It’s always a challenge for me since we live in the mile high city of Denver.
I haven’t yet! Great question though.
Can you substitute some of the brown sugar with white sugar or agave sweetener??
Sure!
Wow, these are so amazing!!! My kids, grandkids, my kids friends they all love this bread. I have made so many of your fabulous recipes. The kitchen is not my favorite room at all, but with your help, I can turn out tasty food!!! Thank You Christy, and Merry Christmas. It’s 12:00 a.m in Wisconsin, On 12/23, getting ready to do drive byes, because of Covid to drop off these special breads.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Sending my warmest appreciation all the way from the Philippines, since we are still on lockdown I decided to make the most out of my time and tried to bake goodies at home , and this definitely adds up to our Joys in sharing a nice sweet treat at home. Love this simple and yet very tasty recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this 💕💕💕 YOU HELPED ADD HAPPINESS TO OUR HEARTS ❤️
That makes me so happy!!
I have made this recipe almost every week since the stay-at-home order started. It is so comforting and easy to make and off-the-charts! My family are not huge chocolate fans so we sprinkled Demerara sugar on top instead. the recipe is simple enough that I have my children make it with me almost every time and we count it for school work 🙂 life skills for the win!
Awesome! That makes me so happy!
Hi, question. I don’t have fresh pineapples. Do I need to double the amount of apple sauce then? Thanks
Yes, this calls for canned crushed pineapple. If you don’t have that replace with applesauce!
This looks amazing! We totally need to make this today with the ripe bananas on our counter!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Thanks!
Perfect! I’ve got so many bananas right now so I totally need to try this. Thanks for the inspiration.
You are welcome!
I made this on the 23rd and doubled recipe because I had that many bananas I needed to use. We just finished it this weekend and it was as moist Saturday as it was the 23rd!!!! LOVE this recipe!! a
So glad you love it too!
Hi, I was curious whether you are using dark or light brown sugar in your recipe? I have both on hand so I can’t decide 🙂 Thanks
If I have dark I use dark otherwise light is fine.
Hi Christy! just a quick question, on the Not your ordinary banana bread are you using mini pans when you refer to 3 foil pans? Thanks, just love following your yum receipes!
Maria,
Sorry. I will clarify. They are medium loaf pans 8″X 3/5″X2″. 8×4 basically.
This is a keeper but will make it without the chocolate chips as they are not needed. The family love it!
Oh I don’t know if I can agree because I love the chocolate chips.
I am really excited to try this! However, when you say substitute a cup of bananas with pineapple and applesauce, you mean only do 2 cups of bananas, and then 1/2 a cup of pineapples and 1/2 a cup of applesauce, or do 3 cups of bananas and THEN add the pineapple and applesauce?
Kaitlin,
I realize that is a little confusing. I changed it to make more sense.
Found your recipe on Pinterest, and love it! =)
Can I make it ahead of time and freeze it? I have all the ingredients right now and need the bread 1 or 2 weeks from now. Thank you Christy!
This freezes great! Sorry I’m too late.
I made this with reg flour and it was so yummy but now I’m trying the recipie with wheat flour!! Hope it turns out 🙂
I made this and it was AMAZING 🙂
Do you think it would be possible to incorporate yogurt?
Yes, I think you could replace some of the butter with yogurt. I’m not sure the exact measurements though.
My family really liked this banana bread. Thanks for the recipe! http://www.mybiscuitsareburning.blogspot.com
I made this recipe today as a muffin and put in the cream cheese filling from your pumpkin muffins. Really good, thanks again for such a great site!
I made this banana bread today. I didn’t have any crushed pineapple, so I left it out. I was also out of milk chocolate chips. I had about a cup of Heath Brickle Chips. I added about half to the dough and the rest on top of the bread. WOW- whole new level of great! Thanks for the recipe!
Wow, I can’t wait to make this for the family!
Sometimes that’s true because banana bread is a little bit dry in our mouths, so it doesn’t matter because the flavor is incomparable.m10m
Yum…love the melting chocolate chips…mmmm
This looks SO gorgeous. I was going to make banana breads as Christmas presents…I might just use this recipe!
I made this two days ago and HOLY COW it’s delicious! I couldn’t believe how juicy it was. Thanks for sharing!