The hardest thing about the Best Two Step Banana Bread recipe is waiting for the bananas to fully ripen with brown specks on their yellow jackets. A processor or blender combines the wet ingredients and they are whisked together with the dry ingredients. Into the pan they go then into the oven. That's it for the best quick bread ever!
This is the perfect baking project with kids or grandchildren!
This Two Step Banana Bread is great as a quick gift to someone on your list or to yourself. it is sure to be well received and appreciated. It's also great to have tucked away in the freezer for those times you need to have a bit of something for drop in guests or you just want a treat.
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Quick breads are so easy and popular to make, here are a few more: Date Nut Bread, Traditional Irish Soda Bread, Strawberry Bread, and Peach Pecan Quick Bread. Another really easy quick bread type recipe is the Double Chocolate Truffled Muffins and the Cinnamon Filled Buttermilk Scones.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's basically two steps after measuring the ingredients. When it comes to baking it doesn't get much easier.
- This is almost cake-like in texture and taste. It doesn't fall apart when cut and is packed with flavor.
- It uses really basic ingredients and not many of those.
- It can be eaten for breakfast, snacks, great with salads and as a treat anytime.
- This only uses a few measuring ingredients, a bowl and a whisk to make.
Recipe Ingredients
BACK ROW: Buttermilk, cake flour, vegetable oil
MIDDLE ROW: Walnuts, granulated sugar, eggs, bananas
FRONT ROW: Salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, baking soda
Buttermilk helps keep whatever it is used for moist longer.
Cake Flour is used for tenderness and impart a cake like quality to the bread
Vegetable oil is much better than butter, melted or creamed. It not only contributes to keeping the bread moist, it allow the full flavor of the bananas to shine through.
Bananas should be speckled or even darker for the most flavor. Perfectly yellow bananas will not impart as much.
Variations
- Any nut can be substituted for the walnuts.
- ½ cup chocolate chips can be added to the batter along with the nuts.
- The rind of a small orange can be added.
- ½ cup dried cherries, raisins or cranberries are a good addition.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Prepare a 9x5" loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying the paper and the pan with a non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
Step 2. Puree the bananas in the food processor or blender.
Step 3. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla to the processor or blender.
Step 4. Process the ingredients with the banana puree.
Step 5. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
Step 6. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
Step 7. Stir the walnuts into the batter.
Step 8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake as directed.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, it is preferable to puree them for the best result. However, if neither is available, mash them with a fork until as pureed as possible.
Bananas are shipped very green. Produce sellers have special rooms kept at 70°F in which the bananas are kept until mostly yellow at which point they are edible.
The bread won't have as much flavor as if really ripe bananas are used.
Storage
The bread will keep covered for 5 or so days at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze, wrap well and freeze for several months. Thaw unwrapped at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Cake flour is preferred for this recipe as it adds tenderness and a cake like quality. However, all purpose flour can be used by removing ¼ cup and replacing it with cornstarch.
- While buttermilk is best, use milk (either whole or 2%), remove 2 teaspoons and add 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit while the rest of the ingredients are prepared so it can separate into curd and whey becoming thicker and emulating buttermilk.
More Ways to Enjoy Banana Recipes
If you love this Two Step Easy Banana Bread or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I appreciate each of you being here!
Best Two Step Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup banana puree
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 cups cake flour (250 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray the paper and sides well with a non-stick baking release. Set aside.
- Puree the bananas in a food processor or blender. Measure 1cup and return it to the processor or blender. Add the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and oil. Process or blend until liquid.
- In a medium size bowl, place the remaining ingrediets except the walnuts. Add the liqud ingredients and whisk to combine. Stir in the walnuts.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until a tester come out clean.
- Cool for about 15 minutes and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Karen says
This was so easy and delicious! I didn’t have any cake flour at the time, so, I substituted bread flour and it turned out awesome. I love all of your recipes!!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Karen, Do happy you like this banana bread. Quick breads are forgiving and easy - you can use almost anything in them. Can you do me a favor and give this a star rating as you choose. It really does help with my ranking.
Tenny says
No more searching!! This is it!.I enjoyed it so much. Twas soft, moist and not crumbly. It was so easy to put together.
I didn't have exact ingredients but it was easy to make up. No buttermilk, made mine with wholemilk and lemon juice. I had to substitute a mixture of all purpose flour and cornflour for the cake flour as you suggested. I also reduced the sugar to 120g and it still turned out sweet enough for me and my husband (don't fancy too sugary flavours).
I sprinkled in 1tbs of sesame seeds for some crunchiness, 2tbs chocolate chips (partly crumbled) and 1tsp of grated lemon rind.
I will definitely make this easy-peasy best 2-step banana bread recipe over and over again. Thanks.
Helen S Fletcher says
Your welcome Tenny. Glad you enjoyed it - I agree it's the easiest ever. I keep this stocked in the freezer for my husband.
Catherine says
Hello, is it possible to use a muffin pan for this banana bread recipe? If so how many muffins would it yield? Thank you in advance!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Catherine. I see no reason it couldn't be baked in muffin tins. However, not having done it I have no idea how many it would make or what size you are thinking about. My suggestion is to spray the muffin cups well and fill them about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes at 350° and move the time up from there if need be.
Catherine says
Wonderful! Thank you for your quick response!
Catherine says
Update. Recipe made 22 delicious muffins! Took exactly 20 minutes in my oven.
Thank you Helen
Helen S Fletcher says
Regular size Catherine?
Catherine says
Sorry just saw this...yes regular size.
Sonia I Gautier says
Hi. Can I make this recipe in a Bundt cake pan?
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Sonia, I don't think there is enough batter to make a very large one. You can bake it any pan, I just don't think it will fill the pan sufficiently. If you do this, reduce the time. I don't know how much, because I haven't done this.
Hillary says
I made this yesterday! Doubled the recipe to give one loaf away. What an interesting and easy process using the food processor for banana purée. It did require more bananas to reach the 1 cup measurement (or in my case 2 cups because I doubled it). Delicious banana bread. Will make again.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Hillary - this is one of my husbands favorites. I agree, it doesn't take much time.
Barbara Swiatek says
I made this last night and it is delicious. So easy.
hfletcher says
So happy you liked it Barbara.
Debbie says
I love banana bread - I will definitely give this one a try.
Happy holidays Helen, and thank you SO much for sharing your recipes and knowledge with all of us. I have learnt a lot from you this year, and look forward to many more wonderful recipes next year!
Nikki says
I am going to have to try this. I just found 6 frozen bananas and I was planning on making my regular recipe but I will give this a try. The batter seems MUCH looser than the batter I usually have.
And I happen to love toasted banana bread with a bit of peanut butter smeared on it. Perfect weekend breakfast.