Description
This one-bowl banana loaf is incredibly moist and tender, topped with a nutty brown butter glaze. It’s a simple, crowd-pleasing recipe that requires no mixer and uses basic pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (for glaze)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk (plus more as needed)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides.
- In your large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. A few small lumps are fine. You should have about 1 ½ cups of mashed banana.
- Pour in the melted butter and granulated sugar. Whisk until well combined. The mixture will look a little grainy.
- Crack in the eggs and add the vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until everything is smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) over the wet mixture. Switch to your rubber spatula and fold gently until just combined. A few streaks of flour are okay.
- Scrape every last bit into your prepared loaf pan. Spread it evenly with the spatula. Give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Start checking at 50 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack. Let it rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lift the loaf out using the parchment handles and transfer it to the rack to cool completely.
- While the loaf cools, melt the ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally. The butter will foam, then turn golden, then amber. When it smells nutty and has brown specks at the bottom, remove it from the heat immediately. Pour it into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla into the browned butter until smooth. If it’s too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Once the loaf is completely cool, drizzle the glaze over the top. Let it set for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Don’t overmix the batter. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Let the loaf cool completely before glazing. Brown butter is worth the extra step. Check your baking soda for freshness. Room temperature ingredients matter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of loa
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 230
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 44
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: banana bread, banana loaf, one bowl, brown butter glaze, easy banana bread, moist banana bread