One Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts is the best banana bread recipe ~ made with just one banana! You’re welcome.

Only got one banana? Make this fabulous one banana banana bread!
This bread makes great use of that one lone banana that got left a little too long on the counter. It’s got a wonderfully moist texture and even though it only uses one banana it still has that classic-banana bread aroma and taste.
It’s perfect for those of you who appreciate banana flavor but don’t want to be hit over the head with it.
The scent of banana bread baking in the oven has to be one of the most comforting smells in the world. I love the idea of making the batter for this bread the night before, and baking it up fresh the next day. Just be sure to add the mashed banana just before baking, so it doesn’t brown. You can basically roll out of bed and enjoy thick slices of fresh-out-of-the-oven banana bread ~ score!
check to see that you have everything:
- banana ~ just one!
- butter
- egg
- milk
- flour
- sugar
- vanilla
- baking soda
- salt
- chocolate chips ~ optional
- walnuts ~ also optional
Tips for the perfect banana bread
- Ripe bananas yield the best flavor, although you can use bananas at any stage.
- 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.
- A little bit of good vanilla extract really brings out the banana flavor.
- Did you know that you can make this batter the night before, and bake it fresh in the morning? Just leave out the banana and add it in the morning to prevent browning.
- 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.
Featured comments on one banana bread
“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 familyโs to go chocolate chip banana recipe.โ ~Nazanin
“Thank you very much for this recipe for my lone banana. I think this is the way Iโm going to make it from now on. I made this recipe last night and everyone loved it.โ ~Hilary
craving more banana?
One Banana Banana Bread
Video
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 large egg
- milk Note: you'll add the milk to the egg to equal one cup.)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, optional
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
- Add the softened butter and banana to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix until blended and smooth. (Or, if you don’t have a stand mixer, mash the banana by hand with a fork, and add in the softened butter along with the rest of the ingredients)
- Add the egg to a liquid measuring cup and then add milk to make one cup.
- Add the egg and milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no lumps remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan, and bake for about 40-45 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.)
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.ย Try 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut, too.
- Use tangy buttermilk or yogurt in place of the milk.
- Got 2 bananas?ย Try chopping an additional banana and folding it in with the chips and nuts.
- Bake the batter in a muffin tray for delicious banana bread muffins.ย Reduce the cooking time and keep an eye on them in the oven.
Great recipe for one banana, thank you, so good
Love this , very flavorful
Such a great recipe. I made this and it was eaten up so fast. Any suggestions on how it may need altered if I use almond flour? Thank you!
I added more leavening agent and used almond flour and it turned out pretty good.
OMG this is amazing recipe i made it for my parents they loved it
love this recipe
Thanks for coming back to let us know Vivian <3
Made this yesterday and it is delicious! I used a glass pan so I ended up needing to add 25-30 minutes to the baking time.
Yay, glad it was a success!
Loved this recipe! Substituted milk with Hazelnut Milk and reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup instead (since the Hazelnut Milk was already sweetened), WAS SO GOOD! Favourite banana bread recipe from now on.
It was really good!
Amazing bread! The batter was much lighter and fluffier than any banana bread Iโve ever made. The only change I made to the recipe was to cream the sugar with the butter and banana, then add dry ingredients, then the milk and egg. I also used a glass baking pan so had to cook longer, closer to 70 minutes. I turned the oven to 325 after 40 mins, based on Google. This bread is divine!! Fluffy inside, crunchy outside. Let it cool for 45 mins or so and eat while itโs still warm!
You’re making me hungry Heather ~ enjoy ๐
It was just a delicious the next day! This is definitely the best banana bread Iโve ever made. I canโt believe how good it is! Makes us feel like we are out at a cafe, while weโre stuck inside.
So easy and such a moist result! I do, however, have to preface that I did use oat milk instead of dairy milk (#lactoseintolerantlife) so I am unsure of how my banana bread may differ from that of someone who used dairy milk, but other than that I 100000% recommend this recipe!
I’m going to make this today but I only have oat milk on hand. Do you think that would do?
I think that would be nice.