This Paula Deen banana bread recipe yields perfect results all the time. You can always count on Paula for great recipes!
This banana bread is insanely moist and full of flavor, just like your grandma used to make.
The best part is it couldn’t be simpler. The ingredients are basic and the recipe is beginner-friendly!
Of course, no one needs to know that; It’ll be our little secret.
Ready to wow your family and friends with your baking prowess?
Turn on the oven and peel them bananas! Let’s get the party started.
Paula Deen Banana Bread
Paula Deen’s banana bread is everything you could hope for. It’s soft, fluffy, moist, and loaded with sweet, banana goodness.
It’s basic banana bread. There’s no cinnamon sugar on top and no chocolate chips, and it just has some chopped pecans.
But don’t be fooled by its simplicity, because OMG, it’s unbelievably amazing.
How to Make a Moist Loaf
What I love about this recipe is that it’s so easy.
Trust Paula Deen to make the most amazing baked goods with almost zero effort. What a whiz!
To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, prepare your pan. Brush the bottom and the sides of a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil or butter.
Greasing will help the bread to easily come off the pans.
You can also just line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on the sides for easier lifting.
Next, combine the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda – in a medium bowl.
Stir the mixture well so the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set it aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, bananas, and eggs. Use room temperature ingredients so they combine easily.
Then, pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture.
Gently mix them together just until you no longer see streaks of flour. Do not over-mix the batter, otherwise, the bread will be too dense.
Add in the chopped pecans. If you have other mix-ins, this is the time to add them.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake.
It’ll take about 40 to 45 minutes, but I suggest you check for doneness at the 38-minute mark.
Stick a toothpick into the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, they’re done!
If it comes out with wet batter sticking to it, give it another 5 minutes and check again.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Flip it over onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Slice and enjoy as is or slathered with butter.
Tips for the Best Loaf
- Be sure you use overly ripe bananas. As the skins get darker, the sweeter they get. The sweeter they are, the better.
If your bananas haven’t reached that ideal ripeness level, speed things up by placing them in a paper bag with some ripe apples.
Apples contain ethylene, a compound responsible for ripening fruit.
Place the paper bag in the warmest area of your house, say, near a window or on top of your fridge. After 1 to 2 days, your bananas will be ready.
If you can’t wait that long, though, pop the bananas in the oven. Bake them, unpeeled, at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 30 minutes.
The skins will have browned and the flesh will have turned softer and sweeter.
- Measure the flour accurately with the spoon and level method. Use a spoon to transfer the flour into the measuring cup, and level it with the back of a knife or an offset spatula.
Merely scooping the flour with the measuring cup will yield more flour than needed, resulting in stiff and dry bread.
- Use equal parts white and brown sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses, which add moisture to the bread.
- If you’re using self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and baking soda.
Mix-ins for Paula Deen Banana Bread
What I love about bananas is they taste great with almost anything.
That’s why there are so many variations you can make from this basic recipe.
For a fruity loaf, stir in fresh blueberries to the batter.
This not only gives the bread a sweet-n-tart twist but pretty specks of blue as well.
If you’re a fan of the banana and mango combo, get tropical by adding some mashed ripe mangoes in the batter.
You can also opt for dried fruit, such as chopped apricots, raisins, or dried cranberries. The chewiness adds a nice textural variety.
Can’t get enough of chocolate? Throw some chocolate chips in there. Dark, milk, semi-sweet – whatever you prefer is fine.
I hear M&M’s work really well, too. How colorful!
Go nuts with nuts! Aside from pecans, walnuts and almonds also taste great with banana bread.
You can add them to the batter and sprinkle them on top for extra crunch.
How about a bit of spice? When it comes to banana bread, you can’t go wrong with cinnamon and nutmeg.
How to Keep Banana Bread Moist
If you stick to this recipe, you won’t have to worry about your banana bread coming out dry, unless you over-bake it.
If this happens, don’t give up. Just cut it up and warm a few slices in the microwave with a damp paper towel on top.
The liquid in the paper towel will create steam, giving back moisture to the bread.
Thanks to the bananas, the loaves will keep nice and moist for days.
To help ensure maximum moistness, place them in a sealed air-tight container or wrap them well with plastic wrap.
More Paula Deen Recipes You’ll Love
Paula Deen’s Ooey-Gooey Butter Cake
Paula Deen’s Peach Cobbler
Paula Deen’s Cinnamon Rolls
Paula Deen Banana Bread
8
servings15
minutes55
minutes287
kcalTry this Paula Deen banana bread recipe for the easiest, moistest banana bread ever! She isn’t called the queen of southern cooking for nothing.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 overly ripe bananas
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2-1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and the sides of a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil or butter (or line with parchment paper).
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, bananas, and eggs just until combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Gently mix just until the batter is lump-free. Stir in the pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of one 9×5-inch pan, use two 8×4-inch pans and reduce the baking time by 4-10 minutes (check them after 30 minutes).
Update: The unleavened banana bread is actually very tasty without the baking power & soda, but I’ve made a note on my printout to add the leavening ingredients the next time I make the recipe. My loaves are flat and very moist, but quite good tasting.
Just had one question what size loaf pan should you use 9” x 5” or 8” x 4” loaf pans?
Hi Kalena, you can actually use either standard size loaf pan for this recipe!
Do you add the baking soda and baking powder with the flour sugar and salt? I just made the recipe and realized those ingredients weren’t named in the directions.
Hi Lorri, yes, you are correct! You add those with the rest of the dry ingredients. Hope you enjoy the bread!
My family loves banana bread, and I save all ripe bananas in the freezer for the bread. This recipe is the exact same as my husband’s grandma. Best recipe ever.
Very easy to make. I omitted the nuts but did add Cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg and substituted powdered monkfruit as a sugar substitute. I made a loaf and 6 muffins from the rest. They are delicious and very moist!
Are the pans 9×5.
Hi Jan!
Yes, you’ll need one 9×5-inch loaf pan for the recipe (or two 8×4-inch pans).
I’ve made a note of that in the post, too 🙂
beautyeval,
I am going to make this wonderful recipe. I love the way you made the top of the loaves so pretty with banana slices and pecans. At what time did you add these to the top when baking the loaves?
Thank you!
Hi Deborah! Thanks you so much! This is one of my go-to recipes 🙂
I add the banana slices and pecans on top of the batter just before baking. Then, check on the loaf about halfway through to make sure they’re not over browning. If they are, cover the loaf loosely with foil for the rest of the oven time.
Hope you enjoy the banana bread!
Thanks for the good recipes. When I can afford the ingredients, I’ll cook more of them. They are delicious.
When do you insert the bananas on top and keep them from burning?
Hi Carol, you can add slices on top of the batter just before baking. They should be fine in the oven, but if you see the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.
Hi! My sister makes this and she says it’s amazing! My question is if I half the recipe can I put it in a muffin pan? And use the same technique for everything? Thank you in advance. 😀
Hi Michele! You can totally turn this into muffins! I think you’ll get 12-16 from half a batch.
Use the same technique/method and fill the muffin liners about 2/3 full. Bake them for 25 minutes and check with a toothpick. They might need closer to 30 but it’s best to check early!
Hope you like them 🙂
This is the best banana bread ever and I’ve made it many times. I add chopped (chunky) walnuts instead of pecans, and I add about 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips. Also, I bake it in a 9 x 9” pan and check for doneness in 32 minutes with a toothpick.
Hi louise!
So glad you like it. And wow, I love your additions. Thanks so much for sharing.
Banana bread + walnuts + chocolate = heaven 🙂
Maybe I just have a crappy oven but this took over an hour to bake because the center was still raw every time I checked it.
Hi Charlotte!
Sorry to hear that.
I find 50 minutes is the sweet spot in my oven, but it’s possible your oven may not run as hot as others.
I suggest getting an oven thermometer so you can be sure.
Mine was a life saver in my last apartment as my oven was running a whole 10°F lower than I thought!