This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Moist, sweet, and downright amazing, this is a simple Banana Bread recipe without nuts that is perfect for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a dessert. This easy banana bread recipe skips the nuts but keeps all the moist, fluffy goodness you’d expect. Made with simple ingredients, this is a recipe you’ll want to bookmark. Whether you’re baking for your family or treating yourself, this classic banana bread delivers great flavor in every slice. If you do happen to like nuts in your banana bread, give my BEST Banana Nut Bread a try!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This banana bread is the perfect combination of simplicity and flavor. It’s an easy recipe with minimal prep, requiring just one large mixing bowl and a few pantry staples. The overripe bananas and sour cream give it that tender texture and irresistible banana flavor without being too sweet. Whether you’re a first-time baker or a seasoned pro, this loaf of banana bread will quickly become your go-to banana bread recipe. Bonus: it’s incredibly versatile! You can add chocolate chips or even turn it into banana muffins if you’re feeling adventurous.
If you aren’t a banana fan, don’t worry, I have more yummy bread recipes to share. Check these out: Soft Zucchini Bread Recipe, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, and Homemade Bread Recipe.
Ingredients Needed for Banana Bread without Nuts
This recipe comes together with simple ingredients you likely already have. Be sure to check out the variations list below if you’re looking to switch things up!
- Vegetable oil or coconut oil for a moist crumb.
- Butter, softened, for flavor.
- Plenty of sugar, granulated, for sweetness.
- Overripe bananas, mashed, for that signature banana flavor.
- Eggs, for structure.
- Vanilla extract, to enhance the sweetness.
- All-purpose flour, for the base.
- Leavening agents: baking soda and salt, to help it rise.
- Sour cream, for added moisture.
Banana Bread Variations
Want to tweak this favorite banana bread recipe? Try these:
- Swap sour cream for Greek yogurt for a tangy twist.
- Use brown sugar instead of white for a richer flavor.
- Add a handful of chocolate chips or swirl in peanut butter for a fun variation.
- Make it vegan by using flax eggs and replacing butter with olive oil.
How to Make Banana Bread
How to Make Banana BreadFor full recipe details, including an ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is my step by step directions for this easy banana bread recipe:
1. Preheat Oven + Prep Loaf Pans
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease two light-colored loaf pans (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4” high) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Make Banana Bread Batter
In a large bowl, mix oil, butter, and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs, vanilla extract, and banana until smooth.
Gently stir in dry ingredients and sour cream until a uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present.
3. Bake
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the lower half of the oven or until completely baked and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve.
Storage + Make Ahead Directions
This recipe makes two loaves so I bet you’re gonna have some leftovers and that’s okay! The best place to store your banana bread is wrapped/covered at room temperature. This keeps the bread soft (as opposed to dried out in the fridge) for up to four days! After this amount of time, you might experience the loaf going a bit dry. You can either toast some slices and enjoy it that way or discard.
You can also freeze this banana bread recipe to keep it fresh for even longer!
To freeze: simply wrap your cooled loaf in plastic wrap or foil. Then place into a plastic freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. This method keeps your bread fresh for up to four months!
To thaw: unwrap your bread loaf and leave on the counter for about four hours. Then slice and enjoy! So why not make a double batch and freeze a couple of loaves for a rainy day?
Frequently Asked Questions About Banana Bread
Sour cream is the key ingredient to amazing banana bread. The sour cream brings its own slightly tangy flavor but doesn’t overpower the banana.
There are a few methods to get ripe bananas.
Place somewhere Warm – Try placing them in a warm place in your kitchen, like by a sunny window or on top of your fridge.
Paper Bag Method – place bananas in a paper bag, folding the top of the bag down. The bag will trap the ethylene (what ripens fruit) and help the ripening process along faster. If you have an avocado, apple, pear or apricot, throw one of those in the bag too. They also release ethylene and will help speed up the ripening process.
Bake Them in the Oven – this method is best if you’re in a pinch and need to ripen them the same day. Place separated bananas (leave the peel on) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300° F for 15-20 minutes, until they turn black, turning them over half way through.
Bananas tend to ripen faster in a bunch, so be sure to leave them together if you’re using them for banana bread!
Yes, the best bananas for banana bread are ones that are brown with still some yellow on them, or even completely brown/black bananas. There really isn’t a banana that is “too ripe” to make banana bread with.
Both baking powder and baking soda are used as leavening agents – either one will make your banana bread rise. If you added baking powder instead of baking soda, you’ll need to triple the amount of baking powder to fix the mistake. For this recipe, it calls for 2 teaspoons of baking soda. You would need 6 teaspoons of baking powder to get similar results.
More Banana Bread Recipes to Try!
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Banana Bread Muffins
- Spiced Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
This simple banana bread recipe is one of those sweet bread recipes you’ll come back to time and time again. It’s easy, delicious, and totally foolproof. Make it once, and you’ll understand why it’s one of my most popular recipes! Printable recipe card is below. Have a good day, friends 🙂
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Banana Bread (no nuts)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 very ripe bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease two light colored loaf pan (8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4” high) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix oil, butter, and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs, vanilla extract, and banana until smooth.
- Gently stir in dry ingredients and sour cream until a uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the lower half of the oven or until completely baked. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve.
Found this receipe after noticing my bananas needed to be used. Wanted to find a new banana bread without nuts, found this one. Easy to make with common ingredients. Baked two loves in my USA PAN 1lb loaf pan. Best Banana Bread recipe ever, the slight tang of the sour cream offset the sweetness, making it a perfect dessert bread. Thank you.
Loved this recipe! Very clear and easy to follow. I substituted canola oil for vegetable oil and it worked very well. All my husband’s coworkers loved the banana bread.
This is a great recipe for those that do not like nuts. Baked very well, made the house smell lovely, too. Easy to follow instruction, as well. Keeping this one in my recipe book, for sure.
Can you bake it without sour cream?
You can substitute either cream cheese or yogurt. Both are 1:1 ratio (meaning use the same amount)
Can you use vegetable oil?
Emily, you sure can! Any tasteless oil will be fine in these.
There is truly nothing more welcoming than the smell of banana bread baking. I love the fact that this makes 2 loaves and that gives me a chance to secret one away for later. This is a wonderful recipe and will assuredly find its way to my “keep forever” pile of recipes. Thank you so much.
made your banana bread except used 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup crystal ginger and add pecans. was really good.
This banana bread looks yummy and easy to make giong to try it out
I’m allergic to bananas but wanted to try this banana bread recipe out anyway! I added some mini chocolate chips and oh baby, was it worth every bite. Ate a slice or two, had a Benadryl, and slipped off into dreamland.
I Love this recipe. Thanks Lauren for sharing it with us ❤
I had to use grape-seed oil instead of canola oil but it still came out so incredible! It is difficult to stop wanting another slice. Yum 😋
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Have to wait a couple more days til my bananas get rip enough. I don’t have any light colored bread pans (mine are darker) and have glass ones. I do prefer to make bread like this in those smaller aluminum disposable pans (works great for zucchini bread) so I will try those and hopefully won’t ruin the bread.
Love your recipes and those that i have tried are most delicious!
Thank you!
This is delicious banana bread. Mine collapsed in the middle, anybody know why this would happen?
Thanks!
Made this tonight, not sure why mine collapsed in the middle? It’s still absolutely delicious though.
Lauren NEVER throw out older, getting a little stale banana bread. I use that to make a KILLER French toast!!! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
President Trump is doing a tremendous job in a horrendous situation, he actually looks so tired and overwhelmed from it all. Give him a little credit Wow!
Hi Florence,
Try this meatball recipe: https://laurenslatest.com/easy-meatball-recipe/
Also, I can understand your frustration with what is happening in the world around us. We are doing fine and are healthy and remain unbiased! I can’t vote in any American election anyways (I’m Canadian!) so I’m indifferent. Have a great day!
I can’t believe the harshness this person referred to President Trump. I look to your site 4 recipes not political comment. Will discontinue looking @ ur site if u do not disclaim ALL political comment.
Hi Janet, I receive hundreds of comments per day. Its very hard to manage them all. I can control what I say (which is never anything political because this is a site meant for recipes) but can’t control others. It’s probably in your best interest to ignore the comments you don’t like. Have a great day!
Hi, I don’t use canola oil, only Olive and Avocado oil. Will this work for this recipe???
Hi Lauren!I I hope this finds you, your family and friends safe and well in these troublesome times. I m so happy that I came across this recipe! I just happened to see your post for this banana bread and guess what I have?! 4 exactly 4 almost ripe bananas. Oh and did I mention all the ingredients. I am so ready to get baking tomorrow morning!!! Thx again for another fantastic recipe ☮️
Hi Lauren!!
Hoping you and your family are doing well in NYC!
Please stay safe…….we will get through this!!
From one Canadian to another…….