Banana Loaf
This easy and moist Banana Loaf recipe is a family favourite, perfect for using up ripe bananas. With simple ingredients and quick preparation, it’s a “healthy” treat that everyone will love!
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Whenever the kids ask me, “What’s your favourite fruit, Mummy?” the answer will always be, Bananas! I’ve always been a fan of bananas, in fact, anything banana – banana sweeties, banana puddings, banana hair products; I currently have a banana shower gel standing in my shower. So it’s really no surprise that one of my favourite bakes from Granny is her Banana Loaf.
It’s another one of those recipes that Granny can rattle off the top of her head without a second thought – probably because she makes it so much!
Always a popular choice for the mothers that Granny serves at the café she works in, with the reasoning that it’s a healthier choice of snack for the kids asking for sweets. I suppose I can see the logic (fruit = healthy, right?), but given the amount of sugar that also goes in Banana Loaf alongside the 1-of-you-5-a-day bananas, it’s perhaps not the healthiest snack there is.
Let’s just forget healthy for a moment, though, and appreciate how delicious and moist this Banana Loaf is. Compared to lots of other banana bread recipes I’ve tried, this one is pretty straightforward too – why make something more complicated than it needs to be, especially when simple means so good in this instance!
Because it’s so easy, the kids love getting involved in baking it too. My boys love nothing more than finding a slightly brown banana and waiting for it to become overripe, knowing it’ll soon be time to mash it into a Banana Bread batter.
Tips for the Best Banana Bread:
• The riper your bananas, the better the flavour! I don’t make Banana Loaf nearly as often as I’d like because bananas don’t last long in our house, but the brown spotted, or even completely black bananas, will always give you the best banana loaf.
• Banana loaf can also be frozen. Make in batches, keep within it’s grease-proof lining, wrap in tin foil and freeze for up to a few months.
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Banana Loaf
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Bananas (ripe)
- 140 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 55 g Butter or Margarine (softened)
- 1 Free-range Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 170 g Self-raising Flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat your oven to 190°c (170°c for a fan-assisted oven or Gas Mark 5) and grease & line a 2lb loaf tin with grease-proof paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the sugar, butter/margarine, egg & vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Gradually sift in the flour and baking powder, mixing until all combined.
- Pour into your pre-lined loaf tin and smooth into the corners.
- Bake in your pre-heated oven for 40 minutes until golden on top. Leave to cool in the loaf tin before serving in slices.
VIDEO
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @bakingwithgranny or use the hashtag #bakingwithgranny!Free-from & Vegan:
Gluten-free: For a gluten-free banana loaf recipe, simply switch out the self-raising flour for gluten-free self-raising flour.
Nut-free: This recipe for banana loaf doesn’t use any nuts, but be sure to double check your ingredients individually for any hidden nuts.
Vegan: For a vegan banana loaf recipe, simply use a dairy-free margarine instead of butter and a tablespoon of applesauce instead of an egg.
N.B. Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely that – suggestions. Please be careful to double-check all ingredients individually, taking extra caution when serving to those with allergies & intolerances.
For more info on common food allergies, please see food.gov.uk | For more info on coeliac disease, please see coeliac.org.uk | For more info on a vegan diet, please see vegansociety.com
Originally published in February 2017.
Thank you to Naomi Seiler for creating the updated photos.
I’ve used the recipe for banana loaf many times with great results. Doesn’t even last to the next day. Definitely a firm favourite in my house. I’ve tried other recipes but they weren’t a patch on this one. Thank you.
A great recipe and so simple to do. I think the thing that takes longest to do is the washing-up afterwards. I like to put in raisins, mainly cos I’m very fond of raisins in cakes.
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a
doubt donate to this fantastic blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
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Talk soon!
Comes out perfect every time! I also add 100g chocolate chips sometimes. Doesn’t even last 24 hours in my house with 3 kids.
I’ve tried other recipes for banana loaf but this is by far the tastiest. Doesn’t last long in my house. I don’t use any other recipe now. Thank you
Tried this recipe today for the first time and it is the best banana loaf I have ever had, it was so easy to make and so moist, it barely had time to cool down before it was eaten. will definitely make this again.
I’ve been using this recipe for years it’s my go to recipe. I’ve cut the sugar by half and it still tastes amazing. Can this recipe be made with almond flour or wholemeal to make it a little healthier?
This is my go-to base recipe. I add in a handful of sultanas and a teaspoon of cinnamon and bake for an extra five minutes. It doesn’t last more than a couple of days here!
Hi Lindy could you give me an idea of what size banana you used please? They vary so much!!!
I use 2 large ones but if I only have small I use 3.
Made this yesterday, husband loved it, thank you for a great recipe!
I’ve been using this recipe since 2018 and it hasn’t failed me yet, I also add chocolate chips sometimes!
I haven’t even tried to make a cake for over 60 years (the cakes I made as a child were uniformly horrible, so I’ve always believed I couldn’t do it) but I have cautiously tested myself out with this recipe, having a lot of bananas that needed eating up, and it’s fabulous! Solid and chewy, but deliciously moist, and *easy*!
I worried because I couldn’t get the butter to mix in completely – I used an electric whisk because my shoulders are arthritic, and there were tiny lumps of it scattered throughout the mix that I couldn’t blend in, but it didn’t seem to matter. No doubt they all melted soon anyway.
The only thing is, it’s a weeny bit too sweet for me: can I use less sugar, or would that interfere with the engineering of it?
How much ingredients for banana loaf for a 1000 children
Hi not made this yet. Can I use brown sugar in place of caster sugar?
I wanted to give it a try. May I ask how to do a self rising flour please? If I will do it with regular flour I have? Thank you
This is the nicest banana bread I have ever made, thank you so much for the recipe. It wasn’t soggy and heavy inside as mine usually are, and I love the crispy outside. Absolutely yummy.
Have made the recipe many times and always a winner! Didn’t know I could freeze it so will make a few today and freeze them
Such a good fail safe recipe. We love it.
Delicious Banana Bread
I had to increase the baking time by 10 mins. I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the mixture, as that’s just my personal taste. Other than that, this recipe is great. My mum said it’s the best banana bread she’s ever tasted.
Best ever Banana loaf.
Easy to follow recile
Absolutely delicious and easy to follow recipe
This is the best banana loaf recipe I’ve came across. Occasionally tried other recipes but not as good as this one. Very simple to make and always turns out brilliant. Thank you for sharing.
I made these into cupcakes and drizzled with melted chocolate. Absolutely delicious
Baked for 25mins and split the mixture into 12 muffin cases.
Absolutely perfect – and I’m new to baking! Thank you for a delicious recipe.
Simply the best recipe for banana bread and so easy! Try it with walnuts and raisins and a sprinkling of sunflower and pumpkin seeds on top….Delicious
Thank you
This has to be the easiest yet so delicious banana bread I have ever made. R
I’ve made so many banana breads from Pinterest recipe pages and they’ve been very hit and miss.
This recipe is the best and will now be my go to recipe. I made one this morning that has been demolished already.
I’ve had to make two more. I know they won’t last long.
Thank you
Absolutely delicious! I’ve tried a few recipes but have finally found the perfect one. I used a gluten free self raising flour and it was so fluffy. Thank you very much.
Yum yum
I’ve made many banana loaves but this has to be the best one :) It was delicious. Thank you.
My little boy has baked this two days in a row. By far the best banana loaf we’ve ever had!
Gorgeous banana bread, thank you for a simple and delicious recipe. This is my new favourite recipe and can’t wait to try more of your recipes :)
Being Lactose Intolerent I can’t use butter which most recipes call for and every time I use an alternative to use banana bread it never turns out quite right, however with this recipe it was my first success and one of the best banana breads I have ever tasted.
Love this! Don’t know if I’ll ever be able to rattle it off like Granny but I’ve made it enough times to get the gist of it without my usual half a shift reading a recipe!
Just made this today, absolutely gorgeous, all hail your granny
My nephew loved eating banana cake and also my family, so I used to bake this so much as well
other cakes.
Made this banana loaf. It was so simple to make & absolutely delicious even my husband who doesn’t like banana loved it
What size loaf tin did you use? Thank you
What size loaf tin did you use
Please could you include suggested cake tin sizes in all recipes.
Many Thanks
Made this Banana loaf. It was yummy. Family loved it ❤️
This is a really good banana bread! Lovely and moist, will be using this recipe from now on! Thank you. Gave it an extra 5mins in oven.
Simply delicious, the perfect after school treat. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-Up Editor. :)
Hi, what course did you study at the Food Tech?.
Granny studied Breadmaking and Flour Confectionary in 1978 at Glasgow College of Food Technology.
Special I. Want !
Made Banana loaf it was so light and moist also empire biscuits were easy to make thay were also very good
Do you know what size the tin was?, can you reply to [email protected]
2lb loaf tin