Ingredients

• 2 to 3 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed)
• 1/3 cup (76 g) butter, unsalted or salted, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (205 g) all-purpose flour

Instructions 

• Prepare the oven and pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter an 8 x 4–inch loaf pan.

• Mash the bananas and add the butter

Place the peeled bananas in a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas until combined.

• Add the remaining ingredients

Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Finally, add the flour and mix until the batter is fully incorporated.

• Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. A few dry crumbs are fine, but there should be no wet batter. If the loaf browns too quickly while the center is still underbaked, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking until done.

• Cool and serve

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then take the loaf out of the pan and let it cool completely before slicing. Use a bread knife for neat slices.  

Storage

• When wrapped well, banana bread will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  For longer storage, refrigerate the loaf for up to 5 days, or freeze it.

Notes 

• For best results, choose bananas that are very ripe. Their peels should be heavily speckled or mostly brown, and the fruit inside should be soft and easy to mash.

Pan Note:
This recipe is written for an 8 x 4–inch loaf pan, which produces a taller loaf.

• Using an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2–inch pan will require 47–57 minutes of baking.
• A 9 x 5–inch pan will need 45–55 minutes and will produce a shorter loaf.

  Nutrition Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg