Do you only have one banana ready for your favorite quick bread? Or, do you just want a small batch? I have the best solution: Make two mini loaves of delicious, One Banana Banana Bread with less than 10 pantry ingredients.
There's always that one lonely banana on the counter that just passed its eating prime. Make banana bread!
And if you love banana, make refreshing Frozen Smoothie Pops, an Almond Banana Smoothie, Banana Split Ice Cream, or one of these Fruit Salsa Recipes.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Mini banana bread loaves have less than 10 ingredients and the recipe is assembled in less than 30 minutes. We can actually say it's the best recipe for one of those times when you just want to bake something easy and foolproof!
- This quick bread is customizable with your favorite mix-ins like chocolate chips, walnuts, or blueberries. Despite containing just a single banana, it still packs in plenty of banana flavor!
- The ingredient list has basic pantry and fridge ingredients
- The mini loaves are easy to share and don't get overly browned in the oven.
Ingredients
You can get loads of flavor in a banana bread recipe with just one banana. I've used simple and standard ingredients so it's easy too!
- One banana: Adds natural sweetness and moisture, making the bread soft and flavorful. See below for how to ripen bananas quickly.
- Eggs: Help bind the ingredients together and provide structure to the bread. I always use large eggs in my cooking for consistency.
- Sour cream or plain yogurt: Adds moisture and a slight tang, making the bread tender and rich.
- Oil: Keeps the bread moist and tender, even after a few days. Use a neutral oil such as avocado or canola.
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and helps with the bread’s texture. I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bread and helps with browning.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure and base of the bread. You can use a gluten-free AP flour, but your baking time will be longer.
- Baking soda: Helps the bread rise by creating bubbles in the batter.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness. I love using fine Redmond Real Salt.
How to Make One Banana Banana Bread
This banana bread has a prep time of less than 30 minutes, and it's truly the perfect recipe for kids or beginner bakers. It's foolproof!
- Step 1: Heat oven to 350ºF. Line or spray your loaf pans, and mash the banana with a fork in a mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Add the eggs, sour cream, oil, butter, and sugar to the banana.
- Step 3: Whisk liquid ingredients to combine.
- Step 4: Mix the dry ingredients together and then add to the banana mixture.
- Step 5: Stir together but don't over mix.
- Step 6: Add your mix-ins if using, like mini chocolate chips or nuts.
- Step 7: Divide batter between the mini loaf pans and sprinkle with nuts or crystal sugar if desired.
- Step 8: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Pro Tips for recipe success
- I recommend an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is set to the right temperature!
- If your banana doesn't quite mash to the ⅔ cup called for in the recipe, don't worry! It may be a bit more or less, which is just fine. Use it all.
- Bringing all the ingredients to room temperature before mixing will create better results.
- Each mini loaf pan gets about 1 cup of batter
- Add ½ cup mix-in additions to the recipe, or ¼ cup to each loaf. Use mini or regular chocolate chips, any chopped nut, coconut, or chopped pineapple. Or you can leave it out altogether and make it plain and classic.
- You can make this small batch of banana bread in your toaster oven!
Use Very Ripe Bananas
Banana bread is best when very ripe bananas are use. As a banana ripens the sugar content intensifies and the texture becomes extra soft.
Use bananas that are too ripe for eating and have lots of brown spots, or are completely brown. These past-prime bananas are naturally extra sweet and easy to mash into your batter.
How to ripen bananas quickly
If you're in a hurry, you can bake unpeeled bananas in the oven at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins turn black, softening the bananas and making them perfect for baking.
Variations and mix-ins
- Gluten-Free: Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour with minimal cornstarch such as Cup4Cup GF flour and increase the baking time. The mini loaves may take up to 10 minutes longer as gluten-free depending on your oven. Utilize the toothpick test noted in the recipe.
- Dairy-Free: You can swap out the sour cream or yogurt for a non-dairy alternative like coconut yogurt or almond milk yogurt. Instead of butter, opt for a cultured butter substitute like Miyoko's.
- Make a standard loaf: Make one standard size loaf instead of two mini loaves. Use a standard loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Make muffins: You can bake 6 standard muffins with this recipe.
- Add mix-ins: Add up to ½ cup chopped nuts, chocolate or white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped dried fruit, or shredded coconut.
- Use spices: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of your favorite spice like cinnamon, ginger or cardamom.
FAQs
An average banana yields anywhere from ½ cup to ⅔ cup of mashed banana and that is just the right amount to make a small loaf or two mini loaves!
Yes! This quick bread is customizable and can be made plain, as banana nut bread or chocolate chip banana bread. You can even add coconut or pineapple if you like that.
The texture of this quick bread is perfect for pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, coconut, dried fruit, or chocolate chips. The amount to add is listed in the recipe card below.
The mini loaves will need to bake for roughly 26 to 30 minutes at 350ºF.
Mini loaves bake better and stay nice, moist, and delicious.
Quick bread often gets over-baked on the edges and bottom because it is dense and takes more cooking time to get done all the way through.
By dividing the batter into mini loaves you can bake the batter all the way through before the edges get tough and dry. This is a great set of mini loaf pans you can use.
Yes! You can certainly bake this one banana bread in a standard loaf pan. You can also bake this recipe into 6 standard banana bread muffins.
You can wrap cooled bread in plastic wrap and, or foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Yes. Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour with minimal cornstarch such as Cup4Cup GF flour and increase the baking time. The mini loaves may take up to 10 minutes longer as gluten-free depending on your oven. Utilize the toothpick test noted in the recipe.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Store: banana bread wrapped in plastic, plastic bags, or foil at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze: banana bread wrapped in foil or plastic wrap for up to 3 months. You can certainly freeze it longer if you have a good quality freezer that doesn't cycle and cause freezer burn.
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📖 Recipe
One Banana Bread
Equipment
- mini loaf pans
Ingredients
- 1 very ripe banana (about ⅔ cup mashed)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream (or plain yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado or canola)
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup walnuts, pecans, or mini chocolate chips (Optional)
- Raw or turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray two mini loaf pans (5-by-3-by-2-inch pans) with cooking spray or brush with butter. I line the very bottom with a little rectangle of parchment. You can do this if you’d like.
- Mash the banana using a fork in a medium mixing bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, oil, butter and sugar and whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to banana mixture with mix-ins you are using. Mix gently until a batter is formed. DO NOT OVERMIX!!! There will be dry bits of flour and it will seem lumpy. This is fine. You do not want to stir until super smooth or the bread will be tough.
- Portion half the batter (about 1 cup each) into each loaf pan. Sprinkle the tops with raw or course sugar, or chopped nuts if desired. About a tablespoon for each loaf.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with minimal crumbs, 26 to 30 minutes.
- Let bread cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- If your banana isn’t quite ⅔ cup or just a bit more when mashed, that’s just fine. Use whatever amount one standard banana yields.
- Bringing all the ingredients to room temperature before mixing will create better results.
- Each mini loaf pan gets about 1 cup of batter
- Add ½ cup additions to the recipe, or ¼ cup to each loaf. Use mini or regular chocolate chips, any chopped nut, coconut, or chopped pineapple. Or you can leave it out altogether and make plain banana bread.
Nutrition
Delicious Bread and Quick-Bread Recipes
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Britney says
Yes yes yes! This is the perfect recipe for my one lonely banana. Such a simple recipe so I'll be making this bread again and again!
Mia says
This recipe came just in the nick of time! I was about to toss the last banana! Oh my goodness! Such a great recipe and such a perfect concept - one banana banana bread. Mine just came out of the oven and, I must say, the best I've ever made. Love the mini loaves!
Laurel says
Is there anything I could substitute for the sour cream. I have all the ingredients but this.
Tara Teaspoon says
Laurel you could substitute plain or vanilla yogurt. That being said if the yogurt is low fat or nonfat there will be a bit of a texture difference from using sour cream. I love 5% or even 10% fat plain Greek yogurt if you can find it. Tara
Mary says
May I tell you how happy I am to have this recipe!?? There is always that last banana that I usually toss. I’ve made this delicious recipe several times and say, “Thank you, Tara Teaspoon “ every time!!! Bravo!
Julie says
This is fantastic! I live alone and I ALWAYS have that one smushy banana left over. Plus I won't eat the whole loaf!!
Tara T. says
Same! It's the perfect amount. Thanks for letting me know.