Easy banana bread recipe: a moist loaf without a mixer
An easy banana bread recipe needs ripe bananas and gentle mixing more than special equipment. This version makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf with a soft crumb and a lightly browned crust.
The best banana bread recipe for your kitchen is one that fits the fruit and pan you have. Here the bananas are weighed after peeling: too much extra fruit can leave the center wet even when the top looks ready.
Use ordinary unsweetened yogurt rather than a highly sweetened dessert yogurt. Flour, eggs and milk are allergens; substitutions can change structure and need their own tested proportions.
A gummy line may come from excess banana, underbaking or slicing while hot. Check the center rather than judging only by a cracked top. For longer keeping, freeze individual cooled slices instead of leaving a damp loaf at room temperature for many days.
Sources and cooking guidance
Ingredients
Step 1
Heat oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Mash the measured bananas with a fork; small soft pieces are fine.
Step 2
Whisk eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt and vanilla until evenly combined. Stir in bananas. In another bowl whisk flour, baking soda and salt thoroughly.
Step 3
Fold dry ingredients into the banana mixture just until no dry flour remains. Stop rather than beating until perfectly smooth; prolonged mixing can make the loaf tough.
Step 4
Scrape into the pan and level. Bake about 55–70 minutes, checking early if your pan runs dark. A skewer inserted into the center should have moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tent loosely with foil if the surface browns too quickly.
Step 5
Rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift onto a rack. Let cool before slicing so the center can set without being compressed.
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