Moist Banana Bread Recipe
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!
Servings 10 slices
Calories497 kcal
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!
- 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
Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 538IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg
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