Description
This Simple Honey Banana Bread recipe offers a moist, naturally sweet loaf using honey and very ripe bananas, eliminating the need for refined sugar. Featuring easily accessible pantry ingredients and straightforward one-bowl preparation, it is perfect for utilizing overripe bananas and creating a delicious homemade treat with minimal fuss and cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Mixture
- 4 very ripe bananas with brown spots
- 1 cup honey (Nature Nate’s Raw & Unfiltered recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
- 1/2 cup milk (any type, e.g., whole, 2%, almond)
Dry Mix
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare Pan and Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F and place the rack in the middle. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray on all sides to prevent sticking and promote even browning.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth with some small lumps for texture. Add honey, milk, room temperature egg, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Build Batter: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to aerate and evenly distribute leavening agents. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, then gently fold with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain, careful not to overmix.
- Bake Until Golden and Set: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top gently. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes. Begin checking at 55 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tent with foil if top browns too fast.
- Cool and Release from Pan: Remove the bread from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling and achieve perfect texture.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for maximum natural sweetness and flavor.
- Do not overmix batter to avoid a dense, tough bread; stop mixing when dry ingredients are just incorporated.
- Honey browns more quickly than sugar; monitor baking to prevent over-browning and tent with foil if needed.
- Room temperature eggs help achieve a uniform crumb texture.
- Allow bread to cool fully before slicing to prevent it from falling apart or being gummy.
- Substitutions: honey can be replaced with maple syrup or agave nectar; canola oil can be substituted with any neutral oil or melted butter; milk types can vary; flour can be partially whole wheat or gluten-free baking blend but do not replace all flour.
- Store wrapped at room temperature for 3-4 days or refrigerate up to one week. Freeze wrapped slices or whole loaf for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen bread at room temperature or warm briefly in microwave before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-70 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: honey banana bread, banana bread recipe, natural sweetener banana bread, easy banana bread, moist banana bread, baking banana bread
