Moist and Soft Banana Bread

This is the best banana bread I’ve ever had! Moist, soft and made of all the best ingredients such as brown butter, overripe bananas, and sour cream. This recipe is easy to make, no need for a mixer!

Moist and soft Banana Bread

Reasons why I love this banana bread recipe:

• moist and soft texture; not too dense nor heavy.
• delicious banana flavor with just the right amount of sweetness.
• made without an electric mixer; all you need is a bowl and a whisk.

It really is just a yummy banana bread that you can easily make for your family and friends. Side note: as I’m writing this, my two little toddlers are happily enjoying this for their afternoon snack. Happy Mama here!

Ingredients that make the best banana bread

I’ve tried many combinations of ingredients over the years and have proven many times that having these make the best banana bread ever!

1. Full-fat sour cream – is my best recommendation. You need fat to add moisture and creaminess to the cake. Light sour cream can also be used but it can affect the overall texture of the bread.
2. Brown butter –  not softened nor melted. it must be browned, more on this later. Use pure butter, the best that you can find. 
3. Cornstarch – softens the protein of flour which makes the bread/cake soft and tender. A small amount does wonders to the overall texture of the cake.
4. Overripe bananas – yields the most delicious and deeply flavored banana cake that you won’t get from just using yellow bananas. So put those brown-looking soggy bananas to good use instead of throwing them away.

Brown butter = delicious cake

Browned butter has a rich nutty taste and has the best buttery smell! Ever since I first made it for one of my cake recipes, I’ve been obsessed–always finding recipes it will be good for. Of course, banana bread is just the perfect candidate and the result was a whole new level of deliciousness.

How to Make Brown Butter

Browning butter is super easy! Fair warning though, your entire house will smell like your favorite neighborhood bakery for a good few minutes 🙂

• Place butter in a lightly-colored pan.
•  Set the heat to medium heat. Once the butter melts completely, set heat to low. It will be foamy at the beginning. Swirl and stir to release the bubbles.
• When the water starts to evaporate, it will slowly change in light brown color and the buttery flavor will start to intensify. Watch it carefully until color turns to a toasty brown.
• Immediately transfer to a heat-proof bowl to stop the residual heat from burning the butter.

Brown Sugar vs White Sugar for Banana Bread

Many banana bread recipes use either brown sugar or white sugar and sometimes both. But does it matter which one you use?

Yes, if you’re making cookies. But for banana bread, you can definitely use both interchangeably.

Banana bread made with brown sugar will be dark brown in color and denser compared to that made of white sugar. If you want it to have a slightly brown color, use both. Adjust measurement depending on the color you want to achieve.

What is a good substitute for sour cream?

Sour cream not available? Yogurt (plain/greek) and buttermilk (store-bought or homemade), are good substitutes for sour cream. There will be a slight difference in texture but nothing to fret about.

For homemade buttermilk: combine 1/3 cup full-fat fresh milk and 1 tsp vinegar or lemon. Let it sit for 10 minutes while it curdles.

Banana Bread Variations

• Make it into muffins. This recipe yields 12-14 muffins. Line the muffin tin with liners or wipe/spray with vegetable oil before pouring the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350f/180c.
• Make it into a round cake for birthdays or special occasions. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with vegetable oil and line with a parchment paper. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350f/180c. Let it cool then frost if preferred. Try it with my small batch cream cheese frosting. It will be so good!
• Add walnuts or semi-sweet chocolate chips. Fold it in the batter or sprinkle on top.

More baking tips!

• Use room temperature ingredients, including sour cream and eggs. Bring it out from the fridge 1 hour before baking.
• Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing can result in a denser, chewy cake.
• Test doneness of the cake at around 50mins. If skewer doesn’t come out clean, bake for a couple of more minutes. Mine was done at about 53 minutes. Let it cool completely before removing from the loaf pan.
• Storage/Shelf-life: Place in an air-tight container or cover with foil or plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Banana bread is good for 1 day at normal room temperature and 1 week in the fridge if properly stored.

How to prevent overmixing the batter?

Combine the liquid together with the sugar, and salt. Whisk thoroughly until the sugar has dissolved. Then and only then add the dry ingredients such as flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. 

How to re-heat banana bread?

Love your banana bread nice and warm as I do? There are a couple of ways to re-heat it.

Oven (recommended for 1 whole loaf ): Wrap the banana bread in foil. Place in an oven and set the temperature at 350F. Heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Microwave (recommended for slices): Place in a microwave-safe container. Heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the thickness and the size of the bread. I always go for 30 seconds to make the bread nice and warm.

Love baking? You MUST TRY these recipes!

• Carrot Banana Muffins
• Tres Leches Cake
• The Best Cheese Cupcakes with Cheese Crumble
• Banana Chocolate Marble Bread
• Soft Spanish Bread
• Brown Pandesal
• Filipino Pan de Coco
• Moist Banana Muffins with Oatmeal Crunch
• Easy Chocolate Cake
• Cornbread Muffins

Watch how to make Moist and Soft Banana Bread

Moist and Soft Banana Bread

This is the best banana bread I’ve ever had! Moist, soft and made of all the best ingredients– brown butter, overripe bananas, and sour cream. This recipe is easy to make, no need for a mixer!

Print Pin

Servings: 8 -10 slices

Author: Mella

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup - 1 3/4 cup overripe bananas (3-4pcs) (mashed)
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar (brown or white)
• 1/3 cup sour cream (full fat)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Add-ins:

• 1/2 cup - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ((optional))

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350f/ 180c. Grease loaf pan with oil or butter.
• Place butter in a lightly-colored pan over medium heat. Once melted, lower the heat. Swirl and stir as it cooks to release the bubbles. Watch it carefully until color turns to a toasty brown. Immediately transfer to a heat-proof bowl and let it cool.
• Place the bananas in a large bowl. Mash with a fork until slightly smooth. Add sugar and eggs then whisk to combine. Pour brown butter, vanilla, salt, and sour cream. Stir until everything is combined.
• Sift flour, cornstarch, and baking soda onto the wet mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips if using. DO NOT OVERMIX.
• Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Mine took exactly 53 minutes to get done. Let it cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes and Tips:

• Sugar: use brown or white interchangeably or both. If using both, I suggest using 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white.
• Sour cream substitute: yogurt, use plain full-fat or greek and buttermilk, store-bought or homemade.
• For homemade buttermilk: combine 1/3 cup full-fat fresh milk and 1 tsp vinegar or lemon. Let it sit for 10 minutes while it curdles.
• Make it into muffins. This recipe yields 12-14 muffins. Line the muffin tin with liners or wipe/spray with vegetable oil before pouring the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350f/177c.
• Make it into a round cake for birthdays or special occasions. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with vegetable oil and line with a parchment paper. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350f/177c. Let it cool then frost, if preferred. Try it with my small batch cream cheese frosting.
• Other add-ins: chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Storage/Shelf-life: Place in an air-tight container or cover with foil or plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Banana bread is good for 1 day at normal room temperature and 1 week in the fridge if properly stored.
• Note: Calorie serving is per slice, excluding the chocolate chips.

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Keyword : best banana bread recipe, sour cream banana bread

Nutrition Facts

Moist and Soft Banana Bread

Amount Per Serving

Calories 406 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 77mg26%

Sodium 237mg10%

Potassium 269mg8%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 28g31%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 501IU10%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 33mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Last Updated on July 21, 2020