Ready to make a perfectly MOIST banana bread? This recipe is simple! You will need about 3 bananas or 1 ½ cups of ripe bananas. No butter is needed to make this incredible loaf; I find oil makes a moist loaf with the perfect crumb texture.
Quick Look: Banana Bread Recipe with Oil
- Equipment Needed: Loaf pan
- Time: 15 minutes prep time, 55 minutes bake time
- Serves: 10 slices of banana bread
- Calories: 374 per slice
- Protein: 5 grams per slice
- Dietary Info: Dairy-free
- Texture & taste: This is a quick banana bread that is soft, fluffy, and moist, with a rich, sweet banana flavor!
- ⭐ Key ingredients: About 3 bananas, a neutral tasting oil, yogurt, coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
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When I was fourteen, I sold my banana bread at the farmers market - one time I was so tired from all the baking we needed to do I forgot to add the banana to the recipe! Ha! Remember to add the banana - it's key! 😉
If you love making banana bread because it's soft, moist, and fluffy, you will also like this my easy pumpkin snack cake! If you do not have 3 bananas for this recipe, then only 2 bananas can make these healthy whole-wheat banana muffins!
I love banana bread as the perfect filling afternoon snack; this is something I make monthly for the family! If you also love bananas, you have to try these incredible banana oat protein bars next.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Banana Bread Recipe with Oil
- Ingredients Needed
- Variations you can make to your loaf!
- How to ripen bananas for banana bread?
- Step-by-Step How to Make Banana Bread with Oil
- Storage and Freezing
- How to serve banana bread?
- FAQ
- Other Incredible Baked Banana Snacks
- Moist Banana Bread (Easy Recipe, Made With Oil)
- Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
Ingredients Needed
This photo shows the 9 wholesome ingredients needed to make this healthy banana bread recipe.
- Ripe bananas: It's important to have bananas with lots of brown spots (yes, overripe bananas are perfect; I wrote a whole post on how to quickly ripen bananas), as these bananas are sweeter and give a robust flavour. You will need 3 medium bananas for this recipe.
- Dark brown sugar or Coconut sugar: I love the caramel-like flavor these sugars give when mixed with bananas. I personally think the coconut sugar makes this loaf extra flavorful, but if you only have brown sugar, use that!
- Yogurt: Using yogurt in this loaf increases the moisture and makes a good crumb texture (alternatively, you can use sour cream).
- Oil: You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil for this butter-free banana bread. Melted coconut oil or olive oil will also work; however, they can leave a stronger taste. I had to test this loaf a couple of times to get the right amount of oil to make this loaf the perfect texture. If you want to make this loaf with butter it does work but you need to melt the butter first.
- Flour: I like to use 50% organic brown flour and 50% organic white flour. But you can use white all-purpose flour or brown flour for whole-wheat banana bread.
See recipe card below for detailed quantities.
Variations you can make to your loaf!
Here are a few ways you can change this delicious banana bread recipe to make it suit your personal preferences!
- Chocolate chips: We all love chocolate chip banana bread!! Add ½ cup right after adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients! And sprinkle more on top for extra chocolate!
- Banana nut bread: Add ½ cup nuts like chopped walnuts or pecans to the loaf before mixing it all together!
- Add berries: Banana blueberry loaf? Yum! Add ½ cup of blueberries to the batter before baking!!
- Banana muffins: I haven't tried this recipe in a muffin pan, however, let me know if you do! They would only take 18-22 minutes to bake at 350 Fahrenheit (175C). Or check out my whole-wheat banana muffin recipe, one of my go-to recipes!
- Flax: Make this loaf more nutrient-dense with 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds! Add the flax into the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients.
How to ripen bananas for banana bread?
If you don't quite have over-ripe bananas, here's how to quickly ripen them for the best flavor! Bananas lacking brown spots or that are underripe will make the loaf less sweet as well. I wrote a post all about the perfect ripeness of bananas for banana bread, read all about it.
Place them on a baking sheet, and then into the oven at 350 Fahrenhiet (175C) and bake for 10-15 minutes until you get brown bananas (you can easily do this while you preheat the oven for baking). Then remove them from the oven, cut them open with a knife to release hot air and let them cool.
Step-by-Step How to Make Banana Bread with Oil
Follow along with these photos taken in my kitchen and let's make this easy banana bread together!
Step 1: Start by mixing the dry ingredients (whole-wheat flour, baking soda, brown sugar, and sea salt) together in a medium bowl, and whisk together.
Step 2: In a large glass measuring cup or bowl, mash the bananas until they become smooth. You want 1 ½ cups of banana. If you don't have more bananas but you almost have enough, add oil until you get 1 ½ cups.
*You can also do this step in a blender if you do not want to mash the bananas by hand.
Step 3: Add the other wet ingredients (oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla) to the mashed bananas. Mix together well.
Step 4: Using a spatula, make large folds only until everything is combined and no flour pockets remain. There may be a few streaks of flour left (this is okay, as you do not want to over-mix the batter; the loaf will not rise as much or be as fluffy).
Step 5: Fill the greased loaf pan with the banana batter, and spread to make it even. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit (175C) for 40-50 minutes. The baking time will vary depending on your oven and pan size.
Step 6: The best way to tell if the loaf is done is with a toothpick. Insert it in the middle; when it comes out clean (not with wet batter on the toothpick) it's fully cooked. You can also check by pressing lightly on the loaf; it's ready when the loaf springs back to a light touch.
Storage and Freezing
The banana loaf will last 2-3 days on your counter at room temperature in an airtight container, or place it in the fridge if you want it to last 5-7 days.
You can freeze the whole loaf by placing it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 6 months. Optional: Slice the loaf before freezing it to take it out one piece at a time when a snack is needed!
How to serve banana bread?
Banana bread is best served warm or at room temperature for the best rich flavor. Slice the banana loaf into sizes of your preference and serve with soft butter.
My family enjoys eating banana bread with Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey to make it extra tasty. You can sprinkle on nuts like chopped pecans or chopped walnuts or sliced fruit like strawberries.
FAQ
Banana bread batter is often as thick as Greek yogurt. When pouring batter into a loaf pan, it will come up between ½ - ¾ of the way up the rectangular baking dish.
When slicing banana bread into pieces, it's personal preference. ½ inch to 1 inch thick is often the perfect thickness for banana bread.
You can tell if banana bread is done by pressing it with one finger in the middle of the loaf; if it slightly springs back, it is done. If it doesn't spring back or it seems gooey, it needs to be cooked longer.
Another way to test if your banana loaf is done is by poking the middle of the bread with a fork (or toothpick). Does the fork have wet dough on it? If so, cook it longer. If there are dry crumbs, it is fully cooked.
Banana bread can take from 45 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes in a loaf pan at 350 Fahrenheit, depending on the recipe. If your oven is inconsistent, or if you bake a lot, get a thermometer to leave in the oven.
If you don't have a loaf pan, bake the banana bread in a greased muffin pan for 18-22 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit. Or make it in an 8x8 square baking pan for 30-40 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit until it is fully cooked.
Banana bread should cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and eating.
First, cool the banana bread in the pan for about 10 minutes, then use a knife to run around the sides of the pan, flip the loaf upside down onto a cooling rack, and when it comes loose, flip the banana bread right side up and let it cool fully.
If banana bread is too warm when you cut it, it will become super crumbly, and it can fall apart. So wait until it cools to cut it!
Covered Banana bread can sit at room temperature for about 3-4 days. After 4 days, it's best to place the banana bread in the fridge and eat within 5 days.
If you live in a humid climate, the loaf may not last 4 days unrefrigerated (as bacteria can grow faster in a humid place), and it's best to store your banana loaf in the fridge.
You can freeze banana bread in the freezer, and it will last up to 6 months. I like to slice it and take it out piece by piece as I need it.
If banana bread has been unrefrigerated for more than 4 days and it smells sour or has a change in texture or taste, or you can see mold, don't eat it.
Other Incredible Baked Banana Snacks
If you have more bananas, try this creamy banana smoothie (made with LOTS of bananas), banana rhubarb muffins sweetened with honey, or my favourite healthy brownie cookies that are moist from ½ cup of banana!
🍌 I love hearing that you made this easy, moist banana bread recipe! Let me know down below in the comments section! Leave a star rating so others can find this easy recipe too!
Moist Banana Bread (Easy Recipe, Made With Oil)
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup flour (I use half white and half brown flour, either works though!)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
Optional
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 C). Grease a loaf pan and set aside. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and sea salt.
- In a large glass measuring cup, mash the bananas. You should have close to 1 ½ cups of mashed banana. Add ½ cup oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla until everything is a smooth liquid.
- Pour the banana mixture into the flour mix. Add the chopped nuts and chocolate chips if using. With a spatula, stir everything together in big, gentle folds only until everything is combined and no flour pockets remain. There may be a few flour streaks left (this is okay, as you do not want to over-mix the batter; the loaf will not rise as much or be as fluffy).
- Fill the loaf pan with the banana batter, spreading it to make it even. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit (176 C) for 40-50 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean (not with wet batter on the toothpick) or when the loaf springs back to a light touch.
- Let the loaf cool in the tray for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan and placing it on a cooling rack to cool fully. Eat the banana bread within the next few days if kept at room temperature, or within a week if kept in the fridge. If frozen, eat within 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Celine says
Soooo delicious! The recipe is quick and easy to follow. I really enjoy the coconut sugar in it, I find it adds great flavour without it being too sweet. This recipe has become a staple in my house and we sometimes turn it into muffins other than a loaf.
Danika Vanderpyl says
Celine thanks for leaving a comment and sharing what you thought! So glad you like this recipe!!
Ama ATHIGE SILVA says
Can you share the recepie by gramms ?
Danika Vanderpyl says
I do have a few recipes in grams and maybe will try to convert more one day. I am sorry this one is not in grams yet.