Buttermilk Banana Bread

This buttermilk banana bread recipe is moist and full of sweet banana flavor. It’s simple to make, freezes beautifully, and is ready in just over an hour!

Adding buttermilk to banana bread is truly game-changing. It adds moisture, keeping the bread soft while complementing the bananas’ flavor. 🍌

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this buttermilk banana bread recipe is the best ever. It’s simple and uses no fancy ingredients, but it has that classic moist texture and sweet banana flavor we all know and love.

Buttermilk takes this banana to the next level, so I don’t recommend plain milk. The acidity in buttermilk helps break down gluten, resulting in a lighter, fluffier, more tender texture. If you don’t have any on hand, it’s easy to make buttermilk at home with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or you can substitute it with kefir, thinned yogurt, or sour cream.

Spotty bananas are another key ingredient. They’re sweeter, have more aroma, and mash easily to incorporate into the batter. When they start to look overripe, it’s time to make banana bread!

Enjoy a slice of buttermilk banana bread anytime with a simple spread of butter (like my homemade butter ) and a cup of tea or coffee. Make a second loaf and share it with friends, or freeze it for those moments when only a slice of freshly baked banana bread will do!

Key ingredients

This buttermilk banana bread is made with simple ingredients you’re likely to have on hand already. Here’s everything you need to make it:

Bananas – save your spotty bananas for this recipe! Instead of throwing out overripe bananas, we freeze them, then thaw them in the oven while we’re getting out our banana bread ingredients.
Eggs – if you have time to bring your eggs to room temperature eggs, it does help in the baking process. They blend more evenly into the batter, and it helps the dough rise more easily.
Buttermilk – you can buy buttermilk or make your own by adding lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to regular milk.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar – a mix of both granulated sugar and brown sugar gives this loaf great texture and just the right amount of sweetness.
Butter – real butter gives this loaf a rich taste and helps keep it nice and moist.

A loaf of Buttermilk Banana Bread in a loaf pan. - 2

This loaf bakes up golden and beautiful every time. The hardest part of making this is waiting for it to cool before you slice it.

looking down on slices of banana bread made with buttermilk - 3

The trick to perfect slices is to let the banana bread cool completely, preferably overnight.Why ⇢This gives the bread time to firm up so it doesn’t crumble.

How do I know when my banana bread is done?

You’ll know your banana bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine). If the top is getting too dark and it’s not fully cooked through, tent a piece of aluminum foil over it for the last bit of baking.

Add-ins to try

Depending on how I’m feeling, sometimes I like to keep this recipe simple and enjoy it as written. It really is the best banana bread recipe ever! Other times I like to jazz it up. Here are some of my favorite add-ins:

Toasted nuts like walnuts or pecans
Dark or milk chocolate chips
Chopped dried fruit like dates
Warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom

Store and freeze

Store: I put the cooled loaf into a plastic bag to keep it moist. It lasts for about 3 days on the counter.

Freeze: You can freeze the whole loaf or slices. Wrap them in parchment paper and then a layer of aluminum foil. They keep well for about 6 months in the freezer.

Banana Bread Recipe Using Buttermilk

Ingredients

▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
▢ 2 teaspoons baking soda
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ 3 medium ripe bananas (1 cup)
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 1 cup buttermilk (see notes)
▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
▢ ½ cup brown sugar
▢ ½ cup melted butter
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 5"x9" loaf pan. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, mash the bananas then whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, both the sugars, melted butter, and vanilla. 3 medium ripe bananas, 2 large eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until they are just combined. Do not over mix the batter.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the bread after 45 minutes and if it is golden brown on top, tent it loosely with a piece of foil to prevent it from browning too much. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the loaf pan then remove it and cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing it.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .

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Two slices of banana bread on white plates; one with butter. A knife rests beside the buttered slice. A small bowl of butter and a cup of coffee are nearby, hinting at the comforting aroma of buttermilk banana bread in the air. - 7

One of my favorite breakfast treats is a buttered slice of banana bread with a cup of coffee.

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