Banana Bread with Sour Cream

If you thought your bananas were too far gone, it's officially time to bake. In fact, overripe bananas and sour cream are the keys to moist Banana Bread that carries big banana flavor! This classic recipe for Banana Bread with sour cream not only delivers perfect results, but it is also simple, straight-forward and extremely easy to make. 

In addition to the only Banana Bread recipe you'll ever need for the rest of your days, we'll also cover:

• Why sour cream makes all the difference.
• Why you should use über ripe bananas, and tips for speeding along the ripening process!
• How to store and freeze banana bread!
• And lastly, simple and fun ingredient to deck out your banana bread! Case and point -- we added chocolate chips to these Banana Muffins and the crowd went wild!

WHAT IS BANANA BREAD?

Just like biscuits, muffins, and the like, Banana Bread falls under the quick breads category. A quick bread is any bread that contains a leavening agent, yet does not contain yeast. Banana bread, in particular, is sweetened by a combination of bananas and sugar, and the best renditions are made extra moist and tender thanks to the addition of sour cream.

You can count on Banana Bread with sour cream to bake up moist, tender, and irresistibly delicious 100% of the time.

If you love to bake, bookmark your favorites from our Baking Recipes and add them to your "must-make" list! 

MORE BANANA RECIPES TO TRY!

• Banana Bread Pudding
• Banana Brownies
• Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Banana Cookies
• Layered Banana Pudding Trifle

HOW TO MAKE BANANA BREAD MOIST

Sour cream is cream (i.e. heavy whipping cream) that has been soured and thickened with lactic acid, and it is an extremely useful ingredient when it comes to taking baked goods to the next level. It adds both fat and acid to the recipe, and similar to baking with buttermilk, the acidic nature of sour cream has a tenderizing effect on baked goods.

So if you're wondering how to make Banana Bread Moist, you'll simply need to make Banana Bread with sour cream.

BANANA BREAD WITH SOUR CREAM INGREDIENTS

• Butter - Take care only to use unsalted butter for this recipe, and note, you will want to have it melted and cooled before you begin the baking process.
• Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar - A combination of both granulated and brown sugar ensures big flavor and excellent texture. 
• Bananas - Once your bananas have ripened, you can use either 2 large bananas or 3 medium-sized bananas for making Banana Bread with sour cream. Read more on this below.
• Sour Cream - If you’re afraid of dry, sad banana bread (as we all should be), sour cream is the answer. Sour cream in baked goods will not only help keep them moist, but it will also make for a tender crumb. Be sure to use full-fat sour cream for the best results!
• Eggs - You will need 3 large eggs.
• Flour - Use only all-purpose flour for this recipe. 
• Leaveners - A combination of both baking soda and baking powder will help your loaf both to shape up and but it will also keep the crumb soft and tender.
• Salt - Never underestimate the importance of salt in baked goods! Use fine sea salt for the best results.

If you're looking for a low-fat, healthier banana bread option, you'll want to try our Applesauce Banana Bread instead!

ALL ABOUT MIX-IN'S

If you're feeling a little "extra", you can add ¾ cup of any of the following items to your Banana Bread with Sour Cream:

• Chocolate Chips
• Chopped Walnuts
• Chopped Pecans
• Blueberries

Blueberries make for a wonderful addition to banana bread, and these Banana Blueberry Muffins are proof! If you're wanting a little extra protein and fiber with your Banana Bread, try our Banana Oatmeal Muffins!

WHY USE RIPE BANANAS FOR BANANA BREAD?

Bananas should be ripe when making Banana Bread. In fact, if there's more brown/black showing than yellow, they're probably perfect. Once your bananas have browned and start to feel a little squishy from the outside is when they're just right for baking on the inside. 

Point of the story is, ripe bananas are sweeter and boast a stronger, more assertive banana flavor than they're yellow counterparts! Use them.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BANANAS TO RIPEN?

If you're looking at green bananas, you've got anywhere from 2-5 days until they're yellow and perfect for snacking. Once the bananas are yellow, you're looking another 2-3 days before they're ideally ripened and ready for baking.

If you'd like to speed up the ripening process, put underripe bananas in a paper bag along with a ripe piece of fruit. The ripe fruit will emit ethylene gas, and in turn, get those bananas browning faster.

BANANAS GONE BAD

If your bananas are looking moldy on the outside, brown on the inside, or start to leak liquid, they're officially too far gone, and it's time to ditch them altogether.

HOW MANY BANANAS DO I NEED FOR BANANA BREAD?

If you've seen a Banana Bread Recipe or two, you've probably noticed sometimes 2 bananas are called for, sometimes 3, but most the time 2-3. So how do you know which way to go? A good rule of thumb is to either use 2 large, super long bananas or 3 medium, standard-sized bananas.

HOW TO MASH BANANAS

There's more than one way to mash a banana! The easiest of which is with the back of a fork. However, you could also use a whisk, the back of a wooden spoon, or even a potato masher. Or, if you just love doing dishes, you could also pulse bananas in the food processor to break them down.

HOW DO YOU MAKE BANANA BREAD WITH SOUR CREAM?

HOW TO STORE BANANA BREAD

The best way to store Banana Bread is to wrap the loaf tightly in two layers of aluminum foil. You can keep it out at room temperature for 4-5 days. This is a perfect grab-and-go breakfast treat for the kiddos. If you want more breakfast options to add to your weekly line-up, we've got you covered with these delicious Breakfast Recipes! 

CAN YOU FREEZE BANANA BREAD?

If you'd like to extend the shelf life of your Banana Bread, freeze it! You can either freeze the loaf whole or you can freeze it into individual slices (which is especially convenient for fast-moving mornings).

To freeze the loaf whole, wrap it in two layers of aluminum foil and transfer it to a freezer-safe, gallon-sized ziptop bag. If you want easier access to a slice, cut the loaf into slices, wrap each slice in wax paper, transfer the wrapped slices to a freezer-safe, gallon-sized ziptop bag, remove as much air as possible from the bag, and seal.

For best quality, use within three months.

5 MORE SWEET BREAKFAST RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Easy Pumpkin Muffins
• Cinnamon Scones
• Blueberry Bars
• Chocolate Chip Muffins 
• Cinnamon Rolls