Banana bread recipe with clear doneness checks

By Cooking Clarity Editorial

This banana bread uses butter, brown sugar and measured mashed banana. Bake it in a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan at 350°F (177°C), then check the center—not just the browned top—before taking it out.

The quantities and core method below follow Sally’s Baking Addiction’s banana bread recipe, with additional doneness guidance from King Arthur Baking.

Ingredients

Makes: 1 loaf Bake time: about 60–65 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredient	Amount
All-purpose flour	2 cups (250g), spooned into the cup and leveled
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Ground cinnamon	½ teaspoon
Unsalted butter, softened	½ cup (113g)
Packed light or dark brown sugar	¾ cup (150g)
Large eggs, at room temperature	2
Mashed ripe banana	1½ cups (345g), about 3–4 bananas
Plain Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream, at room temperature	⅓ cup (80g)
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Optional chopped walnuts or pecans	¾ cup (90g)
Alternatively, optional semisweet chocolate chips	1 cup (180g)

Measure the banana after mashing. Banana size varies, so the weight or measured volume matters more than the count. Keep this formula’s balance of 250g flour to 345g mashed banana rather than adding another banana to use it up. Sally’s recipe notes explain that its banana quantity was reduced in 2025 after reports of overly moist, dense loaves.

Use bananas with no green remaining and brown-spotted peels; mostly brown-black peels give more pronounced banana flavor, according to King Arthur’s banana bread guidance.

Method

1. Prepare the oven and pan. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugar. In a separate large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the remaining wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in the measured mashed banana, yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla.
5. Finish the batter gently. Add the dry mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if using. Stop once the flour is incorporated; do not keep beating. The batter should be thick.
6. Bake and check. Spread the batter in the pan. Bake for about 60–65 minutes, loosely covering the top with foil halfway through to limit browning. Begin checking the center at 60 minutes using the checkpoints below. If it still shows wet batter, continue baking and check again in about 5 minutes. The clock is a guide, not the final doneness test.
7. Cool before slicing. Set the pan on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack before cutting.

How to tell when it is done

• Without a thermometer: Insert a toothpick or thin knife into the center. It should emerge clean or with a few moist crumbs—not a smear of uncooked batter. Repeat in two or three nearby spots, especially if banana pieces or melted chocolate make the result ambiguous.
• With a digital thermometer: Insert the probe through the top-center of the loaf and withdraw it gradually, checking readings through the middle rather than relying on one spot. King Arthur Baking recommends 200–205°F (93–96°C) for the baked-through center of conventional quick breads. If a reading in the center is below 200°F, keep baking. This is a baking-doneness guide, not a food-safety minimum.
• If the top is brown but the center is wet: Keep the foil loosely over the loaf and continue baking. Surface color alone does not tell you whether the middle is done.

Two useful adjustments

These options come from Sally’s recipe notes:

• Frozen bananas: Thaw them, drain excess liquid, then mash and measure.
• No yogurt or sour cream: Use ⅓ cup (75–80g) unsweetened applesauce instead.

Do not taste the raw batter. The FDA advises against eating uncooked batter because raw flour and eggs can carry harmful bacteria.