Angela's Banana Bread Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan thoroughly with butter or nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides for easy removal.

Place a cooling rack nearby. Measure and assemble all ingredients so you can work quickly once wet and dry components are combined.

Mash bananas

Peel and mash ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl until mostly smooth with a few small lumps. You should have about 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 medium very ripe bananas).

Combine wet ingredients

To the mashed bananas add the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is homogeneous and slightly glossy, about 30–45 seconds.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until evenly distributed.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix; some streaks of flour are fine.

Fold in optional add-ins: stir in the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips until evenly distributed, reserving a small handful to sprinkle on top if desired.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula so it's even. If using, arrange extra banana slices on top and sprinkle the reserved nuts/chips and turbinado sugar.

Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 55–65 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes: a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. If the top is browning too quickly after ~30 minutes, tent loosely with foil.

Remove the loaf from the oven when done and set the pan on the cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes to set, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out onto the rack to cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing for best texture.

Slice and serve at room temperature or slightly warm. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze wrapped slices or the whole loaf for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

To refresh chilled slices, warm in a toaster oven or microwave for 10–20 seconds.