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Sliced easy banana bread on a cozy table with a mug of coffee, highlighting the moist texture and light brown color of each slice.

3-Step Easy Banana Bread

A fast, foolproof banana bread from a well-loved Taste of Home cookbook: creamed butter and sugar, ripe bananas and sour cream, a cinnamon-spiced flour mix, baked into one moist loaf (or muffins). Add walnuts or chocolate chips if you like.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup butter softened, or shortening
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed overripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup walnuts optional
  • 1 cup chocolate chips optional

Method
 

  1. Cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir; the batter will be thick and sticky. Fold in walnuts or chocolate chips if using.
  3. Pour into a well-greased glass loaf pan and bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean (for dark non-stick pans use 325°F and check at an hour). Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

For muffins, bake 20-25 minutes. The bread freezes exceptionally well.