Super soft, dense, and moist, this is our favorite banana bread recipe with a crackly brown sugar topping! Bonus: It’s super easy to make with just one-bowl.
Recipe Rundown: What To Know
- Perfect Texture: With a soft, tender, and moist crumb.
- Brown Sugar Topping: Sweet, crunchy, and it looks bakery-worthy!
- Skill Level: Easy to make in one-bowl, perfect for beginner bakers.
- Simple Ingredients: You likely already have everything you need.
- Freeze-Friendly: Slice and freeze for whenever you have a craving.
Once you make this easy banana bread recipe with brown sugar, you won’t go back. The brown sugar is added into the banana bread batter to give the bread itself a caramel-y flavor, but the topping is what sets it apart.
By sprinkling the top of the banana bread with brown sugar before baking, it bakes up with a sweet, crackly crust that gives it a bakery‑style finish. We love this method so much, we even use it for our banana muffins!
“This brown sugar banana bread recipe was quick and easy and I don’t consider myself a baker in the slightest. I added mini chocolate chips with the touch of brown sugar on the crust and it is *chef’s kiss*. My 4-year old loves this bread too which is a win for me! ” — Kelsey, busy mom and seasoned home cook.
Key Ingredient Notes
Below you will find helpful notes and substitutions for a few key ingredients for this easy banana bread recipe with brown sugar. Visit the printable recipe card below for the full ingredient list and amounts.
- Mashed Ripe Bananas: You will want to use bananas that are fully brown on the outside as they are sweeter and also deepen the flavor. However, black spotted bananas will also work. Just don’t use fresh yellow bananas, your bread won’t have the right flavor or texture. To speed up ripening, you can place your bananas in a brown paper bag!
- Brown Sugar: Use dark brown sugar if you want a richer, molasses-like flavor, or light brown sugar for a slightly milder sweetness.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour, but you could also use whole wheat flour and/or a mix of the two if you prefer.
- Vegetable Oil: You can also use melted and cooled butter in equal parts, I just find that the oil makes the bread a bit more moist.
- Vanilla Extract: Maple extract is also a fun addition to try in banana bread.
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How to Make Banana Bread With Brown Sugar
I love that it takes me only 10 minutes and one-bowl to prepare this banana bread recipe! Below is a quick recipe overview with a few tips for success. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full instructions!
Mash the bananas until mostly smooth, but a few small chunks are okay and can add bursts of banana flavor. I find it easiest to mash the bananas with a potato masher, but you can also use a large fork or even a hand mixer!
When measuring your flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife to avoid packing in too much, which can make the bread dense. Mixing the batter just until combined is key, as over-mixing can result in a tough texture.
I like to line my baking loaf pan with parchment paper, with a little paper hanging over the edges, so the bread easily lifts out.
About halfway through baking, I like to loosely tent the loaf pan with foil to prevent the top from becoming too dark or burning. This step is important to keep the brown sugar topping nice and golden.
Use a toothpick to stick into the middle of the bread to test if it’s cooked through. When it comes out clean, or with a few crumbs attached, the bread is done.
Be sure to let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. This rest time helps it set up and slice cleanly without crumbling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely, you can add up to a cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips (or a combination of the two)! I recommend tossing them in a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter. This will help them stay evenly distributed and not sink to the bottom of the banana bread.
No, it can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container (or wrapped with foil or plastic wrap) for up to 3 days. If you want it to last longer, refrigerate it for up to a week.
Yes, it freezes beautifully and is a great way to save extra slices for later. To freeze, first let the bread cool completely. Then, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes, I do this often and they work just as well as fresh over-ripe bananas! Thaw the frozen bananas completely and drain off any excess liquid before mashing and using them in the batter.
Brown Sugar Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 4 large bananas
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or melted and cooled butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, optional, for topping
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 baking loaf pan and line with parchment paper (where it hangs over the edges) for easy bread removal. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
- In large bowl, whisk together the bananas, vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps. Do not over stir the batter, just stir until the batter is combined.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with optional brown sugar.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Around the halfway baking point, loosely tent the loaf pan with foil to prevent the bread from over browning on top.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from loaf pan. Slice and serve warm, or allow to cool completely before serving!
Notes
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Nutrition
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More Easy Banana Recipes To Try
- For more fun flavors, try my tropical pineapple banana bread or peanut butter banana bread with chocolate chips.
- This decadent banana cake is a reader favorite, but if you aren’t up for a layered cake – try my banana bundt cake instead!
- You will never go wrong with a batch of my Mom’s easy banana pudding.
- Mornings are a lot tastier with classic banana muffins or these swirled Nutella banana muffins!
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Delicious! I made them into mini muffins for a family dinner with a chocolate chip spin on some!
This is my favorite banana bread recipe! It is super easy to make & comes out perfect & delicious every time! My husband, kids, and I devour it SO quickly. I’ve made it for friends and am told it is “dangerously good”, which I 100% agree with! My personal favorite is with chocolate chips! The only things I do differently is use 6 super ripe bananas and less brown sugar on top than the recipe calls for. I sometimes even make the batter ahead of time, refrigerate it overnight, and bake it in the morning, and it comes out amazing! Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
I love this bread ! I will never use another recipe again. This is a keeper.
Great recipe! I hand squish the bananas while still in the skin!
Can you use a Bundt pan
Hi Debbie! Sure you can, but it will not fill the bundt pan up unless you are using a small (or mini) bundt pan(s).
my house smells heavenly
I did switch out the oil for apple sauce
I did not use parchment paper, i greased the baking dish with butter
This Brown sugar banana bread turns out PERFECT every time I make this recipe. I enjoy adding chocolate chips and pecans to make the bread extra scrumptious!
Hey there! I was just wondering if you think bread flour would work the same?
Hi Demi! Bread flour will create a tighter crumb and a slightly different texture. Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein and is better in certain yeast breads than a quick bread. I’d recommend sticking with all purpose for this recipe. Hope this helps!
Baking soda? No baking powder? For Brown sugar banana bread?
Correct, I do not use baking powder in this recipe.
This bread is sooooo
Good ! I keep making it and telling
Everyone they can try a piece , but I
End up eating it all myself !
Delicious!
I added roasted cocoa nibs for crunch,
Great tip about using stand mixer to mash bananas!
Did let it bake about 5 min longer for a total of 60 minutes
I’ve made this twice and both times I added dried cranberries. aone time I soaked the cranberries in some bourbon first. Holy moly was that good.
I’ve made this several times now using the mini loaf pan. I’ve tried with added fruit, mini choco chips and nuts, as well as swapping the banana out with sweet potato puree. This is my favorite banana bread recipe!
So glad you love it as much as we do Dawn! I will have to try it soon with sweet potato puree, we are big sweet potato fans!
Getting rave reviews from my husband — he’s ready for us to have leftover croissants again! Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
This is the best banana bread I have ever had!
Could coconut flour be used instead of the all purpose? I’m having to go gluten free and haven’t learned to bake with alternate flours.
Hi Karen! I am honestly not sure and only have a general knowledge of gluten free baking. I’d recommend searching a gluten free banana bread recipe instead, I would hate for you to waste ingredients or have it not turn out!
So delicious try it out people wants more I sell it
Could you use both both light and dark brown sugar. Use half and half and get the best of both worlds. I want to make this and try it.
Sure!
I just made this I think I over cooked it but it’s beautiful anyways. Made it for work tomorrow. Stay tuned for taste test.
Oh and I didn’t have walnuts so I chopped some pecans and sprinkled them on top with brown sugar
Hope you enjoyed it still Karen! 🙂
Do u know if you could do this in a ninja foodi on bake or steam crisp?
I sadly am not sure as I do not own a ninja foodi. If you try it, please share how it works out!
I made this recipe this morning and my 2 young kids and I absolutely LOVE this!! In fact, our loaf is already almost gone. It came out SO moist with a strong banana flavor. We also really enjoy the brown sugar topping. I did add some raw sugar cane to the brown sugar too. My husband also enjoyed this recipe except he has never really been a big fan of treats with sugary/crumb toppings like this. Other than that, he had no complaints and said he’d like to have this again. I will absolutely be using this recipe again in the near future! Also, I only had 2 ripe bananas, so I used those plus 3 additional not-so-ripe bananas. It still came out perfect! The recommended baking time was not enough for us. We ended up adding an additional 7-10 minutes. We also didn’t use parchment paper. I greased the loaf pan with canola oil and then sprayed a layer of canola cooking spray over it. The brown sugar topping stuck to the loaf pan some, but it was very easy to use a rubber spatula and loosen it off without doing any damage to the bread. Thanks for sharing this recipe!! 🙂
Do you know how long it I would cook these as cupcakes?
I don’t have an exact time, it depends on the size of your muffins. But with standard sized muffins, I’d start looking in on them around the 20 minute mark to see how they are doing! Check them with a toothpick to confirm they are baked through!
So good!!! I just made it this afternoon with my 3 1/2 year old! Super easy recipe and directions were easy to follow! It did take a little longer than the recommended 55 minutes to cook so I lightly covered it with foil and baked an additional 20 minutes!