Our 15 Best Banana Bread Recipes to Bake and Share

Overripe bananas fulfill their destiny right here.

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
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Published June 03, 2023
Robin Shreeves
Four types of banana bread on platters and plates

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Confession. I let my bananas get overripe on purpose. And sometimes, I buy the overripe ones at the grocery store. Why? I need all those overripe bananas because I make smoothies almost daily.

Overripe bananas are a culinary treasure. When the peels get brown and the fruit inside is no longer pleasant to pop in your mouth and eat as-is, bananas take on a new role—an ingredient. I freeze my bananas whole with the peels still on and pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds to defrost them just enough to make them easy to peel.

Overripe bananas are great in pancakes, muffins, cookies, and banana daiquiris. But I believe the ultimate wish of every brown banana is to become part of one specific food: banana bread. Fortunately for the overripe bananas on your counter or in your freezer, we have plenty of recipes to bake up to help them reach their destiny.

  • Banana Bread

    Easy banana bread cut into thick slices.
    Kelly Hamilton

    This classic banana bread is moist, delicious, and the most popular recipe on Simply Recipes ever. It has over 2,350 five-star ratings. The secret to making banana bread that EVERYBODY loves? Melted butter.

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  • Spiced Dulce de Leche Banana Bread

    Spiced Dulce de Leche Banana Bread (Some of It Sliced) on a Platter, and in the Surroundings, a Bowl With More Dulce de Leche and Bananas

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    Adding dulce de leche (caramelized milk) to the mix of ingredients results in the perfect combination of sweetness, complexity, and moistness in this banana bread. Maximize the goodness by adding an optional dulce de leche drizzle. Yum!

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  • Chocolate Banana Bread

    Chocolate Banana Bread

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    Cocoa powder and chocolate chips make this banana bread doubly chocolatey and doubly good. It's rich and tender and will satisfy anyone's chocolate cravings.

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  • Dark and Stormy Banana Bread

    Loaf of Dark and Stormy Banana Bread With Some of It Cut Into Slices

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    Inspired by the dark and stormy cocktail, this delicious banana bread is spiked with dark rum and has both fresh and ground ginger in it, with an optional candied ginger topping. It's a creative twist on banana bread that really works, especially if you love ginger.

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    Continue to 5 of 16 below.

  • Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake

    On a Platter, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake Showcasing a Cross Section Cut, a Knife, and a Tea Cup

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    Is this banana bread or coffee cake in loaf form? Does it matter? Just call it delicious! This recipe takes the classic banana bread formula and adds a cinnamon-cocoa ripple, crunchy streusel topping, and chocolate chips.

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  • Banana Bread Chocolate Chunk Mug Cake

    Mug of Banana Bread Chocolate Chunk Mug Cake Topped with a Dollop of Ice Cream and Spoonful of Cake Resting on Top of the Mug

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    When you're craving banana bread and you want it NOW, you'll be happy to have this mug cake recipe at the ready. It uses just 1 overripe banana for a single-serving treat that's ready in just 5 minutes from start to finish.

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  • Cream Cheese Banana Bread

    Overhead view of a loaf of banana bread with cream cheese on a plate. Three slices are laying in front of the loaf.
    Claudia Cash

    Big bold swirls of cream cheese filling run through this banana bread. The creamy texture of the cream cheese mixture complements the banana bread, a depth of flavor that is irresistible.

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  • Brownie Banana Bread

    On a Wooden Board, Loaf of Brownie Banana Bread with Slices Cut Off, and Next to It, a Plate with a Slice and a Knife

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    You can mix plenty of goodies in banana bread batter, but have you ever considered mixing in chunks of brownie? Start by baking our best chocolate brownies, chilling them so they create perfect cut cubes, and then adding them to a classic banana bread recipe. Genius!

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    Continue to 9 of 16 below.

  • Banana Pecan Bread With Caramelized White Chocolate Sorghum Glaze

    Sliced Banana Pecan Bread With Caramelized White Chocolate Sorghum Glaze on a Platter

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    There are lots of complex flavors in this Southern-inspired banana bread. Sorghum, pecans, and caramelized white chocolate elevate the sweet banana-ness of this moist loaf. Bonus: You'll end up with extra sorghum glaze that you can use on ice cream or as a fruit dip.

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  • Rum Raisin Banana Bread

    sliced banana bread with rum soaked raisins on a white board
    Kalisa Marie Martin

    There are plump, rum-soaked raisins in every bite of this Jamaican-inspired banana bread that's spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. If you don't want any alcohol in your bread, soak your raisins in water or juice (such as pineapple juice) instead. 

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  • Whole Banana Bread

    Slice of banana bread with butter on a dark blue plate

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    Banana peels are edible, and this recipe doesn't let the nutritious peels go to waste. Use the most overripe bananas you have for this recipe so the peels are at their softest, and purée the whole bananas—peels and all—to use in this recipe. We recommend using organic bananas to make sure you aren't getting all the pesticides that remain on banana peels.

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  • Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

    Side shot of sliced almond flour banana bread.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    Using almond flour makes this banana bread gluten-free. It also gives it a nutty flavor that plays nice with bananas and chocolate chips. The recipe works well for banana nut bread, too, if you swap out the chocolate chips for 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.

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    Continue to 13 of 16 below.

  • Gluten-Free Banana Bread

    Overhead view of simple gluten-free banana bread on a platter and sliced into thick slices.
    Kalisa Marie Martin

    This gluten-free banana bread may be just as good, or possibly even better, than a gluten-filled version. Aside from the gluten-free flour, this is a timeless banana bread recipe to make as-is, or add some mix-ins such as chocolate chips or nuts.

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  • Coffee Coconut Banana Bread Cake

    Coffee Coconut Banana Bread Cake on a Cake Platter With a Cut Slice Lifted Using a Pie Server

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    This is our classic banana bread remixed into a cake with the bewitching addition of espresso, plus a glorious crown of espresso cream cheese frosting. Small but mighty, it's prefect for baking on a whim.

    Coffee Coconut Banana Bread Cake
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  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

    Peanut Butter Banana Bread
    Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

    Peanut butter. Chocolate. Bananas. Three foods loved by kids and adults alike. When combined, they make what might be the ultimate non-traditional banana bread.

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  • Vegan Banana Bread

    Easy Vegan Banana Bread Recipe
    Erin Alderson

    Swap out the butter for oil and the egg for a flax egg, and you have vegan banana bread. Mix in optional vegan-friendly options such as toasted chopped nuts, carob chips, or vegan chocolate chips.

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