The New Best Banana Bread
June 20, 2025
I’ve been making banana bread since I was a kid. My first recipe came from a local PTA cookbook, and over the years, I’ve tried many versions. For a long time, my go-to was a Martha Stewart recipe that added sour cream for extra richness. Then in 2018, King Arthur released a one-bowl whole grain banana bread that was named their Recipe of the Year—and that quickly became my favorite.
Until now. This new best banana bread checks all the boxes: a deep banana flavor, lightly toasted walnuts for a bit of crunch, a crisp, golden topping, and a texture that’s incredibly moist. It’s everything I want banana bread to be—and officially my new go-to.
Download The New Best Banana Bread recipe
Ingredients
2 ¼ (275 grams) cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon table sale
½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled
½ cup (110 grams) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150 grams) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 ½ cups (360g) mashed very ripe bananas (3 or 4 large bananas)
¼ cup (50G0 vegetable oil
¼ cup (60g) Greek yogurt
1/2 cup (57g) chopped walnuts, toasted if desired; optional
Optional Topping
1 tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup (28g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Grease a 9x5-inch loaf tin with butter or baking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugars, melted butter then whisk to combine. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Add the vegetable oil and Greek yogurt. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour to the wet ingredients in three batches, using a whisk or rubber spatula to mix just until no streaks of flour remain before the next addition. A few lumps are okay. Gently stir in nuts, if using.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the batter, and then sprinkle with chopped nuts.
- Bake the bread for about 60 to 75 minutes, until the bread feels set on the top, and a paring knife (or other thin knife) inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter). If you have a digital thermometer, the bread's temperature at the center should register about 205°F. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 15 to 20 minutes of baking. Note: If baking in a glass or stoneware pan, increase the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven. Cool it in the pan for 15 minutes, then loosen the edges, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.
Storage information: Store leftover bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.