“This is the BEST recipe by far for banana bread — and geez I’ve tried so many! Typically, I find that I’m down to one banana and end up throwing it out. Well, no more! I’ve literally made this recipe every weekend for the past four (4) months! I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks so much!” ~ Kathy
Only got one banana? Make this fabulous one banana banana bread!
My one banana banana bread is simply the best banana bread recipe ~ made with just one banana! You’re welcome. It’s got a wonderfully moist texture and that classic banana bread aroma and taste.
one banana banana bread lives up to the hype
Seriously, this isn’t just an “okay” recipe for when you’re stuck with just one banana – many of you have told me that your friends and family love it so much that it’s the only way you’ll be making banana bread from now on! Here’s what just a few of you say:
- Delicious, easy & only 1 banana!!
- This recipe is a keeper 😋
- I am absolutely obsessed with this recipe. I’ve been making it for YEARS.
- Mmmm. I substituted heavy cream for the milk……decadent, naughty 🙂
- This was a mahoosive hit! I made 2 small loaves and both finished the same day!!
- My 15 yr old son made this by himself last night (his very first time baking anything!!) and it came out PERFECTLY.
- So great to have an option with one banana! A keeper!
the essentials of perfect banana bread
- Ripe bananas yield the best flavor, but don’t over think it, you can use bananas at any stage.
- A little bit of good vanilla extract really brings out the banana flavor.
- Don’t over mix your batter. Blend it just until everything is combined.
- Use a heavy duty aluminum loaf pan.
- I don’t like glass or dark coated pans, which tend to cook too quickly or unevenly.
- Line your loaf pan with a long sheet of parchment paper so you can lift the cooked bread out for cooling and neater slicing.
- Invest in an inexpensive oven thermometer so you can be sure of your oven temperature.
- A few degrees either way can make a big difference in the success of your banana bread.
- Banana bread freezes well, just cool it completely before wrapping. I like to double wrap my bread, first in plastic or foil, and then in a sturdy zip lock freezer bag.
can this recipe make muffins?
The answer is a resounding yes! I tested this recipe (with no changes) and it made 12 delicious muffins. Here’s how to do it:
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with muffin tin liners.
- Make the banana bread batter as written, no changes needed.
- Divide the batter evenly between your muffin tins. They will be filled almost to the top.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until risen and starting to turn golden brown on top.
- As always, your oven and specific muffin tin will affect the exact baking time, so check on them early and adjust as needed.
One Banana Banana Bread
Only got one banana? Make this fabulous one banana banana bread ~ it's a fan favorite!
Servings: 10 servings
Video
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- milk Note: you'll add the milk to the egg to equal one cup.)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (I used bittersweet), optional
- 2/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9×5 loaf pan, and line it with a piece of parchment paper for easier removal.
- In a small saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Remove from the heat and set aside to partially cool.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Whisk well to combine, and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, add the 1 cup sugar. Add the 1 large egg to a liquid measuring cup and then add milk to make one cup. Add this to the mixing bowl with the sugar. Whisk well.
- Add the 1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork and whisk until everything is well combined.
- Drizzle in the melted butter and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Finally, fold in the flour mixture, stopping when there are still a few streaks of dry flour left.
- Fold in the 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (I used bittersweet) and 2/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts until evenly distributed, and there are no dry streaks of flour left. Don't over-mix the batter.
- Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan, and bake for about 45-60 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without batter clinging to it. (Moist crumbs are fine.)
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the bread using your parchment paper 'sling.'
Notes
- The add-in’s are optional, so feel free to choose your own mix! Pecans would be great in place of the walnuts, and peanut butter chips can be used for that classic banana-and-peanut butter vibe. Try 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut, too.
- Use tangy buttermilk or yogurt in place of the milk.
- Got 2 bananas? Try chopping an additional banana and folding it in with the chips and nuts.
- changed “a pinch” of salt to 1/4 tsp – the perfect amount without being overly salty
- added 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cinnamon for a little extra cozy banana bread flavor without overwhelming anything.
- upped the chocolate chips and walnuts from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup – because why not??
- adjusted the recipe to use melted butter instead of creaming together the butter and sugar.
- this makes the recipe a bit easier to whip up and allows you to make it with mixing bowls and a whisk, instead of needing a stand mixer.
- I found no negative impact on the texture – this bread has got a delicious moist crumb!
- updated the baking time range to account for oven and pan differences.
Nutrition
Calories: 340 kcal · Carbohydrates: 44 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 17 g · Saturated Fat: 9 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 42 mg · Sodium: 216 mg · Potassium: 171 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 25 g · Vitamin A: 337 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 56 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Literally the best banana bread ever. I couldn’t stop eating it!!!
Thanks for this recipe. I only cook for one days days and always seemed to have that banana in my fruit ball that needs to be used up. I am happy to know that I can turned it into banana bread which is my favorite.
This was great! It was simple and very yummy. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made this twice in the past week now, and it turned out very well both times. (I hand-mixed the first time; I used a stand mixer the second time–there was no difference as far as I could tell.) I used both walnuts and dark chocolate chips. I only changed two things. First, I used soy milk rather than regular milk as that’s what I had on hand. Second, I changed the baking time (from 45 minutes to about 65) because I was using a ceramic loaf pan instead of a metal one. As I said, it turned out really well both times. I got a nice, light loaf with a delightfully crisp exterior, and it’s indeed a great way to make use of that last banana lying around.
Delicious! Perfect for that sad looking banana left in the fruit bowl 🙂
Thank you very much for this recipe for my lone banana. I think this is the way I’m going to make it from now on. I made this recipe last night and everyone loved it.
Thanks Hilary! It’s amazing what you can do with a single banana, isn’t it??
Tried this today, it came out really good. I added half the sugar and half the butter and it was perfect for my family. Will definitely make it again.
Thanks Varsha, I’m sure others will be interested to know that it works out with less butter and sugar.
laat week I had a single ripe banana in my counter, waiting to go to the trash bin – but then I googled one banana bread and found your recipe! so easy, I made mine with walnuts but no chocolate chip, added some cinamon – turned iut great! Hubby loved it so much that I’m making it again (this time no walnuts but added chocolate chips by his request lol) thank you!
So happy to find this recipe for “one banana”. This loaf is delicious. I have pinned the recipe to my board.
I absolutely loved this recipe! It is a great mixture of banana and chocolate. I tried making it with half brown sugar and half white sugar instead of all white and I think this will be our family’s to go chocolate chip banana recipe.