Moist Banana Bread Recipe

5 from 12 votes

Moist banana bread that is easy to make with ripe bananas and caramel sauce, resulting in the best upside-down banana bread ever! Find out the secret for making it super moist!

Course:Breakfast

Cuisine:American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 25

Servings slices

Calories497 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 0.75 per slice

Equipment

1 electric stand mixer
1 loaf pan
oven
1 Mixing bowl

Ingredients

FOR THE BANANA BREAD BATTER:

2½ cups all-purpose flour sifted (OR REPLACE ½ the flour with whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup white granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups mashed bananas about 4 to 5 ripe medium bananas
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE BANANA TOPPING (OPTIONAL):

4 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into chunks
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 medium ripe yet firm bananas slice in half lengthwise and the crosswise (ending up with 4 pieces for each banana)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and grease a standard bread loaf pan. Set aside!
First, prepare the banana bread batter: In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and mix with baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Then, in a bowl of an electric mixer cream together butter and both sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just incorporated into the batter (please, do not overbeat!!).
Beat in half of the flour mixture at low speed just until incorporated into the batter. Next, beat in half of the applesauce.
Beat in the remaining flour mixture, and then the other half of the applesauce. Mix in both the mashed bananas and vanilla. Set banana mixture aside.
Prepare the banana topping: Place 4 tablespoon butter and ¾ cup brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until butter melts and the sugar has dissolved.
Without stirring, continue cooking for a few more minutes or until bubbles just start to form around the outside edges of the mixture (i.e. the sugar begins to caramelize).
Stir and then pour into a loaf pan. Evenly arrange the bananas slices, flat side down, on top of the caramel.
Last, pour batter over bananas and bake the loaf for 55-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes. If needed, run a knife around the edges to loosen and gently invert the bread onto a plate.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

★ Did you make this recipe? Please, give it a star rating below!!
To avoid the top of the upside-down banana bread loaf becoming too brown, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil after being half-baked.
Let moist banana bread loaf cool in a pan on a rack.
Run a knife around the edges to loosen the loaf from the inside of the pan and invert it onto a plate.
Enjoy upside-down banana bread warm by itself (for breakfast), or with vanilla ice cream (as a dessert)!
Use any remaining batter to make muffins.
If you prefer, replace the banana topping with cream cheese frosting!
Store in an airtight container either at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. DO not freeze it if making upside-down banana bread! But if making without the banana topping, wrap it well with parchment paper and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and enjoy!

Substitutions for Healthy Banana Bread

Replace sugar with honey: For each cup of granulated sugar, replace it with ⅔ cup of honey.
Use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour instead of all-purpose flour only. Some use almond flour instead!
Use unsweetened apple sauce!
Replace 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour with flax eggs (or 1 tablespoon of flaxseed for extra nutrition) which contain fiber, protein, vitamin B1, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
For substituting other ingredients or making vegan banana bread, check out our baking substitutions.

Nutrition

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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