Banana bread is actually a super popular treat all around the world. People have bananas for breakfast, as a tea-time treat, or as an after-dinner dessert. There are a couple of different recipes out there, but I’ve got a really simple 4 ingredient banana bread recipe for you. What a dream!
4 easy-to-find ingredients are your ticket to totally delicious, soft, and dreamy banana bread.
I love how easy it is to whip up. It’s a go-to thought of mine if I see a bunch of bananas turning a little too soft. Either banana bread or freezer prep for smoothies!
Let’s get straight into baking this tasty banana bread recipe.
Ingredients you’ll need
It can’t get any easier than this guy’s, geez. You can double up on this recipe. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to collect:
- 5 large overripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups of self-raising flour
4-ingredient banana bread recipe
Follow these simple steps, no crazy complex skills required, to your very own loaf.
Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and line an 8.5-inch loaf pan – bread pan with parchment paper. Make sure you spray or grease both the pan and the parchment paper.
Step 2:
Peel 4 of your 5 bananas. Place them into a large mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until they are soft and mushy.
Step 3:
Mix your eggs in with a whisk and get the mixture nicely combined.
Step 4:
Fold in the brown sugar and flour with a metal (or wooden) spoon.
Step 5:
Pour the batter into the lined pan. Peel and slice the final banana up and lay it along the length of the batter, down the center.
Step 6:
Bake the banana bread for an hour. Check that it’s cooked by using a sharp knife or metal skewer. Insert your chosen tool into the center; it will come out clean if the banana bread is cooked through.
Step 7:
Cool the banana bread entirely in its tin, on a wire rack, before turning it out. Slice and serve!
How to store banana bread?
You can store your fresh banana bread in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You will need to wrap it up to avoid air exposure, either with plastic wrap or stored inside an airtight container.
This recipe will also freeze really well for around 3 months.
Tips for making the best banana bread
- If your bananas are not quite soft enough to mash, you can do a couple of things. You can peel and flash them in the microwave for a minute or so. This should soften them up nicely.
- The other option is to bake them at 300°F for about 20-30 minutes, skin on. Once they’ve done their time in the oven, peel them and mash them away.
- Double or triple the recipe to create 2 or 3 loaves. Freeze them and have them at the ready whenever you have guests coming over or if you need a gift to wrap up and take to someone’s home.
- Use the freshest eggs you can find. Fresh eggs will make a big difference to the overall quality of your banana bread.
- Turn this recipe into muffins. Just reduce the baking time to around 25 minutes.
Variations and substitutions
While the simplicity of this fantastic recipe is critical, here are a couple of switches that you can make to this recipe:
- Eggs: If you’d like to turn this into vegan banana bread, switch out the 2 large eggs for 2 flax eggs.
- Flour: you can make this recipe gluten-free by switching the flour for gluten-free flour.
- Chocolate chips: add in either vegan or regular brown or white chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- Spice it up: add in ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg to the flour before making the batter up.
- Nutty: Mix half a cup of your favorite nuts into the batter – hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, or almonds will work well.
- Artisanal topping: I love sprinkling on a tablespoon of rolled oats and sunflower seeds for a pretty wholesome topping
FAQ
Why is my banana bread so dry?
There can be a couple of issues with your banana bread if the result is that its come out dry. Your bananas weren’t soft enough is one of them. The bananas, along with the eggs, are what make your loaf moist.
If you use under-ripe bananas and don’t mash them enough, you will lose out on the wet effect they bring. The other issue is if you use a heaped cup of self-raising flour instead of a level cup.
Make sure you aerate your flour before filling your measuring cup, then level it off. Otherwise, you will have too much flour in your recipe.
Why is my banana bread dense and not fluffy?
There is a chance you have overworked the batter, which has now baked into a dense loaf. All you need to do is lightly fold and mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Don’t overwork it, or the gluten will develop, making the load dense and heavy.
Why is my banana bread so cakey?
The common issue for cakey banana bread is when it’s made with butter and is overbeaten before adding it in. This shouldn’t affect your 4-ingredient banana bread recipe as it is butter free!
Can bananas be too ripe for banana bread?
Yes, they can be. If your bananas are brown and smell slightly sour, you know you have bananas that are far too ripe to use.
This will affect the flavor of your banana bread so rather don’t risk it. Choose bananas that are ripe to the point of being soft while still maintaining their shape and are free from bruises.
4 Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 large overripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and line an 8.5-inch loaf pan – bread pan with parchment paper. Make sure you spray or grease both the pan and the parchment paper.
- Peel 4 of your 5 bananas. Place them into a large mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until they are soft and mushy.
- Mix your eggs in with a whisk and get the mixture nicely combined.
- Fold in the brown sugar and flour with a metal (or wooden) spoon.
- Pour the batter into the lined pan. Peel and slice the final banana up and lay it along the length of the batter, down the center.
- Bake the banana bread for an hour. Check that it’s cooked by using a sharp knife or metal skewer. Insert your chosen tool into the center; it will come out clean if the banana bread is cooked through.
- Cool the banana bread entirely in its tin, on a wire rack, before turning it out. Slice and serve!
Notes
- Chocolate chips: add in either vegan or regular brown or white chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- Spice it up: add in ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg to the flour before making the batter up.
- Nutty: Mix half a cup of your favorite nuts into the batter – hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, or almonds will work well.
Wrapping it up!
Banana bread is one of those soft and delicious treats that you can make at the drop of a hat and with very few ingredients.
I am crazy about anything baked from scratch, and this 4-ingredient banana bread recipe is no exception. Have a go with it, and let me know what you think!