Buttermilk Banana Bread is a certainty in my life… I know I love it and I know I always will! This recipe is special not only because of the sweet, moist, and delicate crumb but because it turns out very light in color, something that is not the norm when making banana bread! If you love this recipe, don’t miss my Best Banana Muffins!
Buttermilk Banana Bread
The perfect banana bread contains one special ingredient, buttermilk! It helps to produce this light, almost white, banana bread that cannot be achieved with a normal recipe. The flavor is spot on, with all the banana goodness you would want, but also a presentation that will leave people with questions. “How did you get it so light?” The answer is simple, buttermilk. And I happen to have a homemade buttermilk recipe that you could use!
How to Bake the Perfect Buttermilk Banana Bread
I prefer a course mashing of the bananas as I love the small chunks peppered through the loaf. To achieve this simply lightly mash with a fork. If you want a smoother consistency, add the bananas to a food processor.
Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh! This is what helps the loaf to have a beautiful rise and be a lighter crumb practically falling apart in your hands. The buttermilk in this recipe helps to activate the baking soda.
Stick to a tried and true method of adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and your banana bread will bake to perfection.
Tips and Tricks
- Use ripe bananas. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many times I have heard from people that their recipe didn’t have a strong banana flavor. When asked if their bananas were ripe, the typical response is, “does that make a difference?” Yes, SO MUCH yes. If you need to ripen bananas in a pinch, try placing them on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Room Temperature Dairy. Make sure your buttermilk is not cold. This applies to the butter (and eggs, even though not technically dairy) in this recipe as well. You will find they incorporate much better and the resulting texture is second-to-none.
- Sifting the Flour. We want a tender banana bread, and this is one of the tricks to achieving that. It helps to keep the recipe consistent and make sure there are no lumps.
Can This Banana Bread Be Made Gluten-Free?
You can use all gluten-free flour substitutes. Just follow the instructions on the bag to make sure it is a 1:1 ratio with all-purpose flour.
How to Make Buttermilk Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
We prefer to add milk-chocolate chips when making chocolate chip banana bread, but you can use whatever flavor you prefer. (White chocolate is also a great addition!) Simply fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and then reserve a few for sprinkling over the top before baking. For a specific recipe, check out my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Or, go all out and make my Triple Chocolate Banana Bread!
Looking for More Bread Recipes?
Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Buttermilk Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cups mashed bananas, approximately 3-4 ripe bananas
- ½ cup (113g or 1 stick) butter, softened
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (Do not skip this step!) Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas and set aside.
- In a stand mixer on medium-high, cream butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time. Add in buttermilk and vanilla until the batter is just combined (about a minute).
- Slowly pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture, about ½ cup at a time. Mix on low until just combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the mashed bananas until evenly incorporated throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65-70 minutes, checking the bread at 50 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
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This is the fluffiest banana bread I’ve ever seen. So light in color too! I always burn the top of the banana bread too – not that that’s ever stopped me from eating it 🙂
Haha, good point!!
I have a way to make banana bread turn out perfect every time. 🙂 I found a recipe in my local paper and tried it. It is the perfect recipe (although I haven’t tried this one yet). 🙂
The first and most important thing is the pan. You need a light coloured metal pan, preferably aluminum. Dark pans will absorb the heat and so will glass. Use aluminum. I now always use aluminum pans for any quick bread I make. They all turn out better.
Second, using a 9×5 pan, bake at 350* for 50 minutes and the reduce the heat to 325* and cover with loosely foil and bake for 25 minutes more or until a cake tester comes out clean. You may need to adjust the times for your recipe.
Here is where I got the info and recipe.
http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/headlines/20100511-Bake-the-perfect-banana-bread-4040.ece
It’s close to your recipe and very yummy.
Thanks Laurie!
It took me what feels like hundreds of tries to get mine just right, but I determined the exact amount of time it took to bake my favourite recipe then reduced the temp by 5 degrees and it turned out beautifully! I also find that wrapping it up while it still just the tiniest bit warm keeps it moist and my guys oohed and aahed the first time I did that.
Brilliant Kathy. Love it!
Hi! Funny you should ask about banana bread recipes. I have always used the on in the Betty Crocker cook book under Quick Breads. Perfect every time. If I use Pampered Chef’s stone loaf pans, I always put them in the oven to heat them up while I mix the ingredients. I take them out right when I’m ready to pour in the batter, and lightly spray just the bottom of the pan. (Even though you aren’t supposed to have to do that with their stones, I always do it with the loaf pans and the bread pops right out every time.) If I use traditional loaf pans, I spray them also, and bake, without heating them before baking. I make a lot of banana and zuchinni breads, and Betty Crocker’s recipes in the three ring binder cookbook with the trademark red and white checked cover have never failed me.
I solved it by always making banana bread muffins! They come out moist and light on the outside!.
Love it. Great idea!
I just made this today and was a hit with my 11 yo. son i added chocolate chips on top on the half part
Yay!
I’ve been using virtually the same recipe for years…. but as a banana cake. Baked in a square pan and topped with a maple cream cheese frosting…. sometimes I add walnuts or pecan.
Oh neat! maybe we got the recipe from the same place! 🙂
Aaaaw it looks perfect! Can I bake it in a regular round cake tin? What do you think? 🙂
Marta
I think that would be fine. 🙂
Nice to know I am in good company. I have won many baking contest, but banana bread and some other quick breads I just can’t get right. Yet I can bake and decorated tiered cakes. One trick I have found to help the bottom from burning is to place the pan onto 2 sheet pans or cookie trays. This sort of insulates the bread.
Great idea!
it’s funny because the only way i can make my banana bread turn out right is by baking two loaves of it in the oven at the same time! when i only do one loaf, it never rises as high. must be something with my oven?