Banana Bread Recipe

This easy, old-fashioned Banana Bread recipe is easy to follow and delivers a flavour-packed cafe-style loaf. It’s perfect served warm with a little butter.

Better than Donna Hay Banana Bread

One of the most popular recipes for Banana Bread is Donna Hay’s.

It’s a great recipe, but here are 5 quick reasons why you’ll love this one more:

• No need to use a mixer with Nana Ling’s Banana Bread recipe
• A couple less ingredients required
• Slightly lighter texture
• A special ingredient to balance the sweetness
• Less time required for baking.

The original recipe for Banana Bread

This Banana Bread recipe comes from a late 1960s recipe pamphlet issued by the Sydney County Council. It’s a time when home cooks were experimenting with their “modern electric” ovens.

Do you remember when organisations like councils and appliance companies ran cooking demonstrations and classes?

The pamphlet below contains 10 basic recipes which were demonstrated at Sydney County Council’s showrooms. People could sign up for an 8-week “lecture series” and the message that “good cooks are made, not born” was emphasised.

One of those recipes was Banana Bread, and I found it to be a simply, tasty recipe that contained an ingredient we don’t often see included in recipes today – lemon zest.

The zest wasn’t overpowering at all, but rounds out the flavour nicely and contrasts with the sweetness nicely.

I’ve tweaked the original recipe slightly, updated the measurements and included step-by-step instructions and tips, so keep scrolling through to the recipe card at the bottom of the past.

Ingredients for Banana Bread

The ingredients for this recipe are:

• SR flour (or plain/all purpose flour and baking powder)
• bicarb soda
• salt
• butter
• brown or caster sugar (you’ll see caster sugar pictured below, however I tend to use brown sugar these days for a deeper flavour)
• lemon zest
• egg
• milk
• mashed bananas.

Optional ingredients are:

• cinnamon
• walnuts.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient measurements.

TIP: The most important thing about the ingredients is to make sure you use VERY RIPE bananas. The riper the better!

You can also freeze your overripe bananas and then thaw them out to use in this recipe.

How to make Banana Bread

You don’t need a mixer to make this Banana Bread, just a loaf tin, mixing bowl and large spoon and a “modern electric” oven.

Prepping

To start, pre-heat the oven to moderate, 180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced).

Mixing

Sift the flour, salt, bicarb soda and cinnamon (if adding) into a mixing bowl. Rub butter into this mixture.

Add the sugar, lemon rind and walnuts (if adding) and stir through until combined.

Mash the bananas well and then add the mashed banana, beaten egg and milk. Stir through until just combined.

TIP: Take care not to overmix or beat the mixture as this can ruin texture.

Next, pour the mixture into the greased tin and smooth out the top a little.

Baking

Bake for 35 minutes or until a golden brown colour.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Recipe FAQs

Q. Is my Banana Cake cooked?

The baking time is 35 minutes or until the loaf is a lovely golden brown colour.

Do not open the oven door until you’re fairly certain the Banana Bread is cooked. Opening the door too early can result in a loaf that dips in the middle.

Also resist the temptation to stick a skewer in the loaf to see if it’s done – unless you want to risk seeing your loaf sink in a few seconds. Instead, lightly tough the top to feel for firmness – it should keep its shape and bounce back.

The best way to gauge whether your loaf is cooked is by looking at the time and the colour of the loaf.

Q. What is the best way to enjoy Banana Bread?

Allow cake to cool to a warm temperature before slicing a few pieces and enjoying with a little butter.

Q. How long will Banana Bread keep?

Allow to cool completely and then wrap in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature. It should last a few days.

Q. Can I freeze Banana Bread?

You can. Slice it up, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in portions.

It can then be thawed out and enjoyed for the next few months.

Q. What else can I do with bananas?

Try my Banana Chocolate Cake, Frozen Chocolate Bananas, Banana Choc Chip Muffins and Banana Cake recipes.

Q. Do you have other recipes that work well for lunch boxes and morning tea?

Plenty. You might like my recipes for Pikelets, Rock Cakes, Blueberry Muffins, Moon Balls, Parsley Fritters, Hedgehog Slice and Rice Bubble Slice.