4 Ingredient Banana Bread
This 4 Ingredient Banana Bread is soft and full of natural sweetness from overripe bananas. With just bananas, eggs, self-rising flour and brown sugar, you'll get a fluffy loaf with tender texture and a rich banana flavor that tastes like the best of homemade comfort.
It's the kind of simple banana bread recipe you can whip up for a cozy afternoon snack, sweet breakfast or when you have a bunch of overripe bananas on the counter (or freezer).
Finding simple and fun recipes to use up leftover bananas is essential in our house. If you love banana flavors too, our most popular recipes are our Sheet Pan Banana Pancakes and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. And here is our simple Self Rising Flour Recipe, if you need one.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Just 4 Ingredients: No long shopping list or extra ingredients, just the essentials for a delicious banana bread recipe.
- Quick and Simple: With step-by-step instructions, you'll go from mixing wet ingredients to pulling a golden loaf from the preheated oven in under an hour.
- Perfect Texture: Soft and moist with tender crumbs, this loaf has the best texture thanks to the bananas and the built-in leavening agent in self-rising flour.
- Versatile Base: Add chocolate chips, nuts, or a drizzle of maple syrup for extra flavor.
Ingredients
Here is what you will need for this banana quick bread recipe.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Overripe Bananas: Provide natural sweetness, moisture, and the classic banana flavor. Riper bananas with brown spots are best.
- Large Eggs: Help bind the banana bread batter and add structure.
- Self Rising Flour: Acts as both flour and leavening agent and plays a crucial role in giving the loaf its lift and fluffy texture.
Grab your 8x4.5 metal loaf pan, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, parchment paper, whisk, spatula and cooling rack for this simple quick bread.
Variations
- Sugar: Use dark or light brown sugar, granulated or coconut sugar. The bananas add natural sweetness, so feel free to adjust the sugar amount.
Mix-Ins: Add chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, nuts or dried fruit for extra flavor and texture.
Gluten-Free: Swap in a gluten-free flour blend for an easy gluten-free banana bread.
Melted Butter or Cottage Cheese: Mix in for added richness and moisture.
How to Make 4 Ingredient Banana Bread
This is such a simple recipe, just follow the process below for the best results.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line a prepared loaf pan with parchment paper leaving the sides high.
Whisk together the mashed bananas and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Add the large eggs and whisk again until full incorporated.
Gently fold in self-rising flour until there are no dry streaks, then transfer banana bread batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the bread with moist crumbs.
Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for cooling.
Hint: Store bananas in a paper bag to speed up the ripening process for that perfect natural sweetness. The riper the bananas, the better. Spotty bananas add the most sweetness and moisture.
Recipe Tips
- Mixing: Be careful not to over mix once the flour goes in, since this keeps the bread tender.
- Pan Prep: Lining with parchment and leaving the sides high makes lifting the loaf out easy.
- Measuring Cup: Always measure flour correctly when not using a scale, spoon and level for the best texture.
- Let Bread Cool: Let the bread cool fully before slicing to avoid a gummy center.
- Mashing: You can use a potato masher or a fork to mash your bananas; leave some texture and chunks.
For another warm, fall-inspired banana recipe, check out our Pumpkin Banana Bread.
More Breakfast and Snacks
Storage Instructions
- Room Temperature: Store leftover banana bread out of direct sunlight, wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, homemade banana bread keeps well for up to 5 days when wrapped tightly.
- Freezer: The great thing about this recipe is that banana bread freezes well. Wrap slices individually or as a full loaf, in plastic wrap or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for a freshly baked
Serving Suggestions
- Sweet Breakfast: Crockpot Cinnamon Roll Casserole, Crispy Fluffy Pancakes, Apple Coffee Cake, Blueberry Pancakes or Gluten Free Waffles.
Easy Banana Bread Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Banana bread is a great way to use up frozen bananas, just thaw them completely before baking, and drain any excess liquid before mashing so that it doesn't change the texture of your batter.
You can still use all purpose flour in this recipe. Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt per cup of flour to mimic self-rising flour.
When you insert a toothpick into the centre of the bread and it comes out with just a few moist crumbs and not wet batter, it's ready. Be sure to let it cool fully before slicing as well.
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4 Ingredient Banana Bread
Equipment
- 8.5x4.5 Metal Loaf Pan
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Parchment Paper
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas about 1 ¾ cups
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 272.5 grams self-rising flour about 2 cups
- 100 grams brown sugar about ½ cup packed, dark or light
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper leaving the sides high.
- Whisk together the mashed banana and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the eggs and whisk again until full incorporated.
- Fold flour until there are no dry streaks, then transfer batter into pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center with moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Ripen Faster: Store bananas in a paper bag to speed up the ripening process for that perfect natural sweetness. The riper the bananas, the better. Spotty bananas add the most sweetness and moisture.
- Mixing: Be careful not to over mix once the flour goes in, since this keeps the bread tender.
- Pan Prep: Lining with parchment and leaving the sides high makes lifting the loaf out easy.
- Measuring Cup: Always measure flour correctly when not using a scale, spoon and level for the best texture.
- Let Bread Cool: Let the bread cool fully before slicing to avoid a gummy center.
- Mashing: You can use a potato masher or a fork to mash your bananas; leave some texture and chunks.
Nutrition
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This recipe is right on time! I was looking for recipes thats so easy to make for my daughter's school snack box!
Oh I am so happy to hear. You could even add some chocolate chips if you want to make it extra special!
We love how simple this recipe comes together! So much flavor too.