One Banana Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts ~ when there’s just one banana left on the counter, this one-banana, one-bowl quick bread recipe steps up to the plate.
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.
Reader Raves ~
“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.” ~Nazanin
“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.” ~Hilary
still craving banana?
- Banana Poppy Seed Cake
- Better than Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread
- Bourbon Banana Butter
- My Favorite Banana Blondies
One Banana Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 egg
- milk Note: you'll add the milk to the egg to equal one cup.)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups 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
- 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
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.
- Bake the batter in a muffin tray for delicious banana bread muffins. Reduce the cooking time and keep an eye on them in the oven.
Nutrition
can i use almond or oak milk?
Yes, that will be fine.
I was looking on google for a recipe for 1 banana, that was easy to make with my 2 year old Grandson. This recipe worked out well because he could mix the egg, vanilla and milk with his little play mixer and then we added the liquid to everything else for the batter. The taste was fantastic!! We didn’t put the nuts in but the chocolate buds made it yummy ?
I opted to make muffins with this recipe. I reduced the sugar to 2/3 cup to balance the sweetness of the ripe banana and chocolate chips. The sweetness was just right. I baked the muffins at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. They came out perfect.
Thanks Julie Ann, I haven’t tried this as muffins, so that’s great to know 🙂
Hi /Salam,
Nadia here,I tried this recipe and it made my day.Thank you so much for such an excellent recipe.Have a good day.
Love
Just made some in an 9×7 glass Pan (I recently moved and can’t find my loaf pan LOL). I used white chips and added some cinnamon. I’m curious if the chips clumped together or went to the bottom like many mentioned. But I did sample a corner piece and I love how it’s got a crispy edge but a soft, fluffy center. Looking forward to sharing with my family tomorrow. Yum!
Your flavor profile sounds interesting!
I love this recipe, and usually make muffins. (12 muffins take 19 minutes in my Breville toaster oven, at 350.) I had a double batch ready to go, this afternoon, and decided to add a dollop (guessing 2-3 Tbs for the double batch) of sourdough discard. Worked really well, and the muffins had lovely high domes.
Sounds wonderful!
Worked wonderfully. I replaced 1/2 cup all purpose fl I ur with wheat flour and it turned out still yummyyy…
What size loaf pan did you use?
Thanks!
I love this recipe! I usually double it and freeze the extra muffins for another day. Thanks for sharing!
Turned out wonderful. I did not put in nuts or chocolate chips. Will make again.