Banana bread is a classic recipe that’s been around for ages but adding buttermilk to the batter will produce a softer, airier, and richer loaf. This quick and easy recipe is easy to whip up and is not only impressive – it is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack!
For my whole life, I’ve almost exclusively made Martha Stewart’s Banana Bread Recipe. Banana Bread made with sour cream has a sourness that is really good and the recipe is just reliable. This recipe using buttermilk is just as good – if not better and it uses more bananas and less sugar. You still get the subtle sourness from the buttermilk but the bread is lighter and fluffier.
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This buttermilk banana bread is a quick and easy recipe that makes for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack.
The recipe calls for just ten ingredients and can be made in just about an hour.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Chopped Walnuts (optional)
- Sugar
- Salted Butter
- Egg
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla Extract
- Mashed Ripe Bananas
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups
- A Rubber Spatula or Spoon
🥣 How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper or greasing it.
- Mix together in a medium sized bowl the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and walnuts. Set the bowl aside.
- In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the egg. Add in the buttermilk, vanilla, and mashed bananas.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing banana bread from the pan.
To Make The Icing
- Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and spreadable.
- Place the icing in a cake decorating bag with an icing tip and drizzle over the completely cooled banana bread. Or, simply spread some on with a knife.
🔢 Recipe Yield
👩🍳 Recipe Variations
Here are five different ingredients that can be mixed into your banana bread to add a unique texture and some fun variations:
- Walnuts or Pecans (I recommend chopping the nuts up, but banana nut bread or banana nut muffins are always a hit at our house!)
- Marshmallow crème (this ingredient adds a delicate sweetness and an interesting creaminess – trust me, it’s good!)
- Cranberries or blueberries (they add tartness and a pop of color – it sounds weird, but they are really good!)
- Chocolate chips (chocolate chips are always an excellent addition – chocolate chip banana bread is always a favorite at our house!)
- Coconut flakes (coconut flakes add a nice crunch – if you like coconut, this is a tasty and unique taste!)
🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
Once cooled, store banana bread in an air-tight container. Buttermilk banana bread is really moist, so enjoy it within 3 – 5 days. It is really good leftover if heated up in the oven, toaster, or air fryer with a little bit of butter.
📋 Expert Tips
The following tips will help you to make the perfect banana bread recipe:
- Use ripe bananas. You should use ripe bananas that are getting brown. If they are green at all, you definitely want to wait because they won’t be sweet enough.
- Do not overmix. Do not over mix your ingredients, but make sure that they are all mixed together well – if you overmix the batter, it won’t rise.
- Grease your pan. Use a loaf pan that is greased with butter or cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Banana nut muffins are delicious. Just spoon the batter into a paper-lined muffin tin and bake the muffins for about 30 minutes instead of 60 minutes. Another one of my favorite muffin recipes is a plain Buttermilk Muffin recipe from Southern Bytes. They are simple but so good!
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Buttermilk Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Icing
Equipment
- loaf pan
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
Buttermilk Banana Bread
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts optional
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large mashed bananas
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- ⅛ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
To Make the Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper or greasing it.
- Mix together in a medium sized bowl the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and walnuts. Set the bowl aside.1 ½ cups flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the egg. Add in the buttermilk, vanilla, and mashed bananas.¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup salted butter, ½ cup buttermilk, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 3 large mashed bananas, 1 large egg
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing banana bread from the pan.
To Make the Icing:
- Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and spreadable.⅛ cup butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ¾ cup powdered sugar, 2 ounces cream cheese
- Place the icing in a cake decorating bag with an icing tip and drizzle over the completely cooled banana bread. Or, simply spread some on with a knife.
Notes
- Use ripe bananas. You should use ripe bananas that are getting brown. If they are green at all, you definitely want to wait because they won’t be sweet enough.
- Do not overmix. Do not over mix your ingredients, but make sure that they are all mixed together well – if you overmix the batter, it won’t rise.
- Grease your pan. Use a loaf pan that is greased with butter or cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.
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