This Old Fashioned Betty Crocker Banana Bread recipe is adapted from the 1972 cookbook. Super moist and tender, this easy classic banana bread with only two bananas, oil, and common pantry ingredients. Add nuts to make the best banana nut bread, like Grandma would make.
🍌Ingredients
Bananas—overripe
Vegetable oil
Milk
Egg
Pantry ingredients—all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt
Nuts—(optional) chopped walnuts or pecans
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Featured Comment by Barbara:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I love this recipe. So easy to make and delicious to eat."
Life doesn't get much better than a house filled with an enticing aroma of banana bread and a fresh slice coated with butter in your hand.
For decades, this has been our family's favorite recipe for the best banana nut bread. It's easy with simple ingredients; there is no need for buttermilk or baking soda. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
👨🍳How to Make Banana Bread—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Grease and flour a loaf pan with a tablespoon of butter and a little flour.
2. Mash 2 large (or 3 medium) overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add all other ingredients and mix by hand or beat at medium speed, but do not over-mix.
4. Pour the mixture into the floured pan and smooth with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake at 350° for about one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean or the internal temperature reaches 200° to 205°. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete printable instructions.
⏲️How long to bake banana bread?
It takes about 1 hour, give or take a little, to bake a large single loaf in a "standard" loaf pan (8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches) or bigger. The endpoint is a clean toothpick test or a 200° to 205° internal temperature.
🥣Ingredients options and variations
Adding a cup of chopped walnuts (or pecans) is the most popular addition. We always do this if not sharing outside of the household, but if it is shared, be aware of nut allergies.
Add half a cup of chocolate chips to replace half the nuts.
You may substitute buttermilk for the milk in the recipe. The original Betty Crocker recipe does not use buttermilk, and I find it has an excellent rise. However, buttermilk (or a substitute) will activate the baking powder more, giving increased rise and resulting in a softer result.
Some people like cinnamon or nutmeg (about ½ teaspoon) or vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), but these are not flavors I associate with banana bread. If you do, by all means, add them.
🤔Tips to make it right every time
Use ripe bananas—as they ripen, they become sweeter as starch breaks down and flavors intensify.
You can use 2 large to 3 medium bananas. The minimum amount of banana is 1 cup. You can increase the bananas slightly and decrease the milk if you wish.
Please only buy aluminum-free baking powder. The cost and performance are the same, but the aluminum has an unpleasant aftertaste for many people.
This version does not contain baking soda, which is slightly sour. The baking powder will give it a little more golden brown crust and a lighter texture.
While I suggest coating the loaf pan with butter and flour, which was common when the original recipe was published, a good coat of PAM cooking spray is also acceptable.
Do not try to make this a healthy recipe—it is not. It is already relatively light in oil, and any decrease will make it less moist and tender.
🍌Banana and Dessert Recipes
Check out these other banana recipes, like Banana Pancakes, Banana Nut Muffins, Banana Cookies, and Banana Cake. And don't miss these other sweet dessert recipes, like Easy Apple Crisp, Apple Pie Bread, and Pumpkin Bread.
⬇️How to make this a "for two" friendly banana bread
This is an easy recipe to cut in half. The full recipe makes make one large loaf or two smaller loaves. To make banana bread more "for two" friendly, you can make one smaller loaf in a "standard" loaf pan size (8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches) or smaller.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- Cooking time will decrease by 15-20 minutes, but check earlier than that several times and watch for the endpoints.
❄️How to store banana bread?
Like most quick bread, banana bread can be stored at room temperature and wrapped well with plastic wrap for 2-3 days. A tight layer of aluminum foil over the plastic wrap helps keep it airtight. The quality seems to deteriorate rapidly after 2 days.
Banana bread will store well in a freezer for 3 months. I suggest wrapping small amounts well and storing them in an airtight container.
❓FAQs
The two most important things are not to overcook and to store correctly. You can add an extra banana and decrease the milk by about the same volume. Do not decrease the oil.
The old-fashioned toothpick test involves inserting a toothpick into the center of a baked dish, like cake or quick bread. The dish is done cooking when the toothpick comes out clean.
This is not one of those little bricks of banana bread. As you can see in the pictures, it is a large loaf with a bit of a "muffin top," so use a standard or larger loaf pan.
If you want a thinner loaf, divide the batter into two loaf pans and reduce the baking time by 10 to 20 minutes.
"Standard" loaf pan size is 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches. But the length varies between 8 to 9 inches, the width between 4-5 inches, and the height between 2½ to 3½. Some are even larger, and many that are much smaller.
I use a loaf pan that is 5 by 8½ for one loaf.
👨🍳Recipe
Old Fashioned Betty Crocker Banana Bread
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Ingredients
- 2-3 bananas - over-ripe
- 2 ½ cup AP flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder - aluminum-free suggested
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°, not convection.
- Grease and flour a loaf pan with a tablespoon of butter and a little flour. PAM cooking spray will also work.
- Mash 2-3 overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour to the mashed bananas, 1 cup sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons oil, ¾ cup milk, 1 egg, and 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional).
- Stir to mix or beat at medium speed with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated. Do not over-mix.
- Pour the mixture into the floured pan and smooth with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for about one hour, until a toothpick comes out clean or the internal temperature reaches 200° to 205°. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Notes
- You need 2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas. Use a minimum of 1 cup or a bit more of mashed bananas.
- The "Standard" loaf pan size is 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches. For a single loaf, use the standard pan or a slightly bigger one. The sizes of loaf pans are discussed in the post.
- If you choose to make two shorter loaves, the cooking time will decrease by 15-20 minutes, so check early.
- The old-fashioned toothpick test involves inserting a toothpick into the center; when it comes out clean, the loaf is done. However, if you don't have a toothpick or don't quite trust that, cook the loaf to an internal temperature of 200° to 205° in the thickest center.
- Store at room temperature, wrapped airtight, for 2-3 days. The quality will deteriorate on the fourth day.
- You can freeze banana bread for 3 months. I suggest wrapping small amounts well and storing them in an airtight container.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally published January 26, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Melody says
I appreciate the bread testing by internal temperature, rather than the toothpick trick (that always tricks me). Does this work for all bread, or only fruit/vege (zucchini) bread?
I have to voice my undying love for your "taco seasonig" .. it's so versatile, and both adults and kids approve! I make big batches of it, and use it on chicken wings, shrimp tacos, sprinkled on a roast chicken etc. It's definitely a keeper! Thanks for making my life a little easier and tastier!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Melody,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the compliments. I'm using the taco recipe again tonight.
I know a lot of people are uncomfortable with the toothpick test. So, a definitive internal temp solves that issue. Most quick breads (all?) are done at 200°to 205° although 195° is usually good and less drying sometimes. Yeast breads tend to be a bit lower, 195° to 200°.
I'm a huge fan of every cook using a good instant-read thermometer. Also, grill temperatures are also critical to success.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan