I’ve been making this banana bread with frozen bananas since 2013 and can confidently say it’s the best version you’ll ever taste! Soft, moist, and sweet, it comes together with simple ingredients and is so easy to make.
Why you’ll love this banana bread recipe
There are endless banana bread recipes out there, but this frozen banana bread recipe is one I come back to over and over again. My family loves it, too, and never lets it last longer than 3 days!
- Basic ingredients – You only need ten ingredients, and I’m willing to bet you already have them all on hand.
- No mixer – There’s no need for fancy equipment. Just grab a large bowl and a wooden spoon, and mix away!
- Customizable – I love the sweet flavor of this bread on its own, but you can easily add chocolate chips, nuts, or any mix-ins you like.
I’ll share all my tips and tricks for achieving an ultra-moist banana bread recipe with ease. You’ll never need another recipe again! Take it from readers who have given this recipe a five-star rating with dozens of reviews.
“This is now my go-to banana bread recipe. Everyone I have shared the Bread with loves it! It’s moist and just the right amount of sweetness! Love it!” – Jana
“This has been my go-to banana bread recipe for years now. My husband begs for it and it’s a crowd-pleaser with the rest of my family as well. My husband likes to add a little strawberry cream cheese on top after warming it up. It’s perfect every time!” – Kaylen
Key Ingredient Notes
- Frozen bananas are my secret to the moistest, most flavorful banana bread! You’ll need about 3.5 to 4 cups of mashed bananas, which is about 8 medium to large whole bananas. Do NOT discard the juices; we’ll use everything to make the batter.
- Sugar – Use granulated sugar over other types of sugar to sweeten the batter. Also, I don’t recommend reducing the sugar amount, or the texture of the bread will change.
- Vanilla extract adds rich vanilla flavor throughout the bread and enhances the rest of the ingredients. I almost always have homemade vanilla extract on hand, but storebought is fine. Just make sure to use pure vanilla, not the imitation stuff!
- Eggs add structure and help the bread hold its shape.
- Flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour forms the base of the batter. I haven’t tested any other types of flour for this recipe and can’t guarantee your results if you do.
- Baking powder is the main leavening agent, creating a tall, fluffy loaf.
- Baking soda – I include this to help create a beautiful golden color. Without it, the bread turns out pale.
- Optional mix-ins – Feel free to add chopped pecans, walnuts, or even chocolate chips.
How to make banana bread with frozen bananas
Before you begin, preheat the oven to 350°F. And grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set them aside.
1. Thaw the bananas
- Run hot tap water over the frozen bananas in the sink for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the peels and place the bananas in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave until the bananas are completely thawed. This typically takes 5-8 minutes!
- Mash the thawed bananas in a large mixing bowl. I usually use a wooden spoon, but a potato masher works well, too. You want them to be mostly smooth, but it’s okay if there are a few small lumps.
The perfect bowl
Use a very large bowl to make the batter. This 4-quart bowl is the perfect size!
2. Prepare the batter
- Add the sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
- Mix until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix again to incorporate the dry ingredients.
- Fold in any mix-ins, if using.
3. Bake
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
- Bake until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This takes about an hour!
- Cool in the pan completely.
Tips for Success
- Use ripe bananas. Make sure your bananas are nice and soft with spots all over or even black. The riper they are, the sweeter your bread will taste.
- Avoid overmixing. Be careful to combine the ingredients just until they’re smooth and no lumps remain. Continuing to mix will result in dense, tough bread.
- Keep an eye on the oven! The exact baking time will vary. So, keep a close watch on your bread and remove it as soon as it’s golden and cooked.
- Cool completely. I know it’s hard to wait, but trust me! If you slice into your moist banana bread recipe too soon, it will crumble and fall apart.
Make-Ahead Tip
Mash the bananas before freezing. These souper cube freezer trays are perfect for it! Then, all you have to do is microwave the fruit before using it!
Storing Tips
- To store, wrap leftover banana bread tightly with plastic wrap. Or, transfer it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh at room temperature for 1-2 days. However, I much prefer to store it in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, wrap the cooled bread with plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To serve, thaw frozen bread in the fridge overnight. Then, enjoy cold or microwave individual slices for 30 seconds. They’ll taste like they came fresh out of the oven!
FAQs
Yes! Follow the recipe, preparing the batter as usual. Then, divide it between two greased muffin pans and bake, adjusting the time as needed. Or, if you’d rather make a half-batch (one muffin pan), follow my banana muffin recipe instead.
Yes, frozen bananas must be thawed to properly mix the batter.
Roughly two medium-sized bananas equal one cup when mashed.
More Banana Recipes
Watch Video: The BEST Banana Bread
Best Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 8 (800 g) frozen medium-to-large bananas Note 1
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1- 1 ½ cups (120-180 g) chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Peel and thaw frozen bananas in a microwave. Reserve all the juices and everything.
- Prepare two 9×5-inch bread pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large (4qt) bowl, mash the thawed bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth.
- Add sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon, mix everything until combined.
- Then add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine.
- Optional, add chopped pecans and/or other add-ins, like chocolate chips, dried fruits.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.
Video
Tips & Notes
– To store, wrap leftover banana bread tightly with plastic wrap. Or, transfer it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh at room temperature for 1-2 days. However, I much prefer to store it in the refrigerator.
– To freeze, wrap the cooled bread with plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
– To serve, thaw frozen bread in the fridge overnight. Then, enjoy cold or microwave individual slices for 30 seconds. They’ll taste like they came fresh out of the oven!
Nutrition
This post was originally published on February 13th, 2013.
That’s the best banana bread I’ve been making but your recipe is for 3 cups of flour (375 grams) but my 3 cups of flour are 475 grams. Those are measuring cups bought at the . Why the discrepancy? I still use my measuring cups.
Hi, Danuta! Thanks for reaching out! It’s a great (and important) question. The way you fill your measuring cups affects how much flour you end up with. If you scoop the cup into the flour bin and pack it, you’ll end up with more flour. If you scoop the flour with a spoon into the measuring cup, you’ll end up with less flour. I talk about this in my “How to measure flour” post in depth. I weigh my flour in baking, so I always use the gram measurement. That being said, this banana bread recipe is pretty forgiving. That’s probably why your bread still turned out good. 😉
The bread came out kind of soggy, even though the toothpick came out clean. Tastes good if I put it on the griddle and toast it. Not sure what I did wrong.
Hi, Craig. Thanks for making my recipe and sharing your feedback. It sounds like your breads needed a little more baking time. If you make it again, bake for extra couple more minutes. 😉
Okay – the flavor is great but the center of my loaf didn’t bake fully (cracked in the middle and appears to have dipped down under the crack). The bread was done except for this part. I just threw it back in the oven.
I don’t get this one at all. The batter seemed perfect.
Hi, Susan. Thanks for making my recipe and sharing your feedback! It sounds like your bread needed a little longer bake time, which is not unusual. Every oven is different and different baking dishes can affect the baking time. That’s why it’s important to check the doneness with a toothpick. Hope you all enjoyed the bread regardless. 🙂
I’ve used this receipt for regular loaves but how long do I bake the banana bread if I make small loaves?
I love how it turns out and tastes.
I did this and baked it for 23mins and they turned out perfect!
This is now my go to Banana Bread recipe. Everyone I have shared the Bread with loves it! It’s moist and just the right amount of sweetness! Love it!
Yay, so happy to hear that, Jana. Thank you for your feedback!!!
Love this recipe—especially because you can mix by hand! Delicious and I always have frozen bananas
Yay, so happy you love it! Thank you for your feedback, Chris!
I’ve made this BB recipe many times, it has become a family favorite. I use 1 cup of sugar, ( 3/4 C granular sugar, 1/4 C Brown sugar ). I add 1 Tsp Cinnamon and 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg, adds a nice flavorable taste and touch to an already delicious Bannana Bread. Enjoy
Great recipe! I will definitely make it again.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Margot! Thank you for choosing my recipe and your feedback!!
This has been my go to banana bread recipe for years now. My husband begs for it and it’s a crowd pleaser with the rest of my family as well. My husband likes to add a little strawberry cream cheese on top after warming it up. It’s perfect every time!
Hi, Kaylen! I’m SO happy to hear that this has been your favorite banana bread recipe for years!! Thank you for making my recipe and sharing your feedback! I’ll have to buy strawberry cream cheese to try it next time!!
I didn’t have time one day to use frozen so I stopped and bought overly ripe bananas. It turned out way more moist with the fresh bananas than it ever has with frozen! Use almost brown bananas! Thank you
Hi, Case. Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m glad your banana bread turned out exactly how you like it.