Simple Banana Loaf

A soft, moist banana loaf made with ripe bananas, brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Simple, homely and perfect sliced thickly with butter and a cup of tea or coffee.

Banana loaf is one of those quiet kitchen recipes that never really goes out of season. It is simple, familiar and comforting, the kind of bake that makes use of ripe bananas and turns them into something warm and generous for the table. This version is soft and moist, with brown sugar, vanilla and butter giving it a lovely old-fashioned flavour. Serve it thickly sliced, plain or with butter, for afternoon tea, lunchboxes or a slow morning coffee.

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 75 min · Serves: 10 · Cuisine: Australian · Category: Baking

Ingredients

Simple Banana Loaf

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 125 g butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 150 g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80 ml milk
• 220 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional
• Butter, to serve, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan or 180°C conventional. Grease and line a standard loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until mostly smooth, leaving a little texture if you like a rustic loaf.
3. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk. Whisk until well combined.
4. Add the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, salt and cinnamon if using. Fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix, as this can make the loaf dense.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 65–80 minutes, or until the loaf is deeply golden, set in the centre, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly before the centre is cooked, loosely cover the loaf with foil and continue baking.
7. Let the loaf rest in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then lift it out and transfer to a wire rack.
8. Cool before slicing. Serve plain or with butter.

Serving Suggestion

Serve thick slices of banana loaf plain, lightly buttered, or with a cup of tea or coffee. It is lovely for afternoon tea, lunchboxes, morning coffee or a simple weekend bake.

Storage Notes

Store the cooled banana loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap slices well and freeze for up to 2 months.

Make Ahead Notes

Banana loaf keeps well and can be baked the day before serving. The flavour often settles beautifully overnight. Slice only once cooled completely for the neatest pieces.

Notes

Very ripe bananas give the best flavour and natural sweetness. The darker and softer they are, the better the loaf will taste.

Start checking the loaf around 65 minutes, but do not be surprised if it needs closer to 75–80 minutes depending on the size of the bananas and the loaf tin.

If the top browns before the centre is cooked, cover loosely with foil and continue baking until the middle is set.

Avoid overmixing once the flour is added. Fold only until the batter comes together.

The Grace Table Tip

Let the loaf cool properly before slicing. A warm banana loaf is beautiful to eat, but cooling gives the crumb time to settle so each slice holds its shape cleanly when served.

Greek yoghurt or sour cream can be used in place of the milk if you have it. Use the same amount, 80 g, for a slightly richer loaf.