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Classic One-Bowl Banana Bread: Easy, No Mixer Needed

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This classic one-bowl banana bread requires no mixer and minimal cleanup. It’s perfectly moist, tender, and made with simple pantry ingredients—the ultimate comfort food for lazy bakers.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted (75g)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (60g) (optional)
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (90g) (optional)
  • ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries (75g) (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Grease your 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray, or line it with parchment paper leaving a slight overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. Set it aside.
  2. Mash the bananas in your mixing bowl. Peel the three ripe bananas and place them in the bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to mash them until they are mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining. Aim for a consistency similar to chunky applesauce.
  3. Add the melted butter and sugar. Pour the cooled melted butter and the granulated sugar into the bowl with the mashed bananas. Stir with your wooden spoon or spatula until everything is well combined.
  4. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Crack the room-temperature egg into the bowl and add the vanilla extract. Stir until the egg is fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy.
  5. Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt over the wet mixture. Stir gently with your spoon or spatula, using a folding motion. Mix just until you no longer see streaks of flour. A few small lumps are okay.
  6. Fold in any add-ins (optional). If you are using chocolate chips, nuts, or blueberries, gently fold them into the batter now. Use no more than about 10 strokes to distribute them evenly.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Scrape every last bit of batter into the pan using your spatula. Spread it evenly with the back of a spoon or by gently tilting the pan.
  8. Bake for 55-65 minutes. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Start checking at 50 minutes if your oven runs hot.
  9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and set it on a wire rack or your stovetop. Let it cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes.
  10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread if needed. Lift it out using the parchment overhang or carefully invert it onto the rack. Let it cool completely before slicing—about 1 hour.

Notes

If your loaf is browning too quickly on top but is not done in the center, tent it loosely with aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking. This prevents the top from burning while the inside finishes cooking. For best results, use a kitchen scale for accuracy and let your bananas get really, really ripe. Do not over-mix the batter. Let the bread cool completely before slicing for best texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, one-bowl banana bread, easy banana bread, no mixer banana bread, classic banana bread, moist banana bread

Find it online: https://junomeals.com/classic-one-bowl-banana-bread-easy-no-mixer-needed/