BEST Banana Bread
With its soft, tender crumb, naturally sweet banana flavor, and toasted walnuts folded into every slice, this banana bread is a warm and welcoming classic. It’s the perfect way to transform those ripe bananas on your counter into something truly comforting and delicious!
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Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups ripe bananas mashed
- ½ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon Morton's)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts optional*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the ingredients on medium speed until lightened in color and very fluffy, around 4-5 minutes. With the mixer running on low, gradually stream in the vegetable oil until fully incorporated.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the mashed banana, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Once the mixture is evenly combined, fold in the dry ingredients and walnuts until everything is hydrated and homogeneous (do not overmix!). Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the banana bread for around 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden-brown.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
*If desired, you can toast the chopped walnuts as you prepare the batter. Scatter them onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350℉ until golden-brown and fragrant, around 10 minutes (be sure to check them so they don't burn).