One Banana Banana Bread Recipe (2024)

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, customizable one banana banana bread with basic baking ingredients.

There's always that one lonely banana on the counter that just passed its prime.

What do I make with one ripe banana?

It's not enough for a standard banana bread recipe, but hey, it's enough for two mini loaves of this simple one banana bread!

Just like its regular-sized counterpart, this one banana banana bread is customizable and easy to make. Despite containing just a single banana, it still packs in plenty of banana flavor!

Get All Of The Recipe Ingredients

You can get loads of flavor in a banana bread recipe with one banana. I've used simple and standard ingredients so it's easy too!

Just like regular banana bread, this small loaf banana bread recipe uses basic ingredients:

• One banana
• Eggs
• Sour cream or plain yogurt
• Oil
• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt

How Many Cups of Mashed Banana Per Banana?

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!

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.

Can Mix-Ins Be Added?

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.

How to Make One Banana Banana Bread

I like to mix my liquid ingredients first and then add the other things, so I wouldn't call this a one bowl banana bread, but it's really simple and you won't have many dishes.

Here's a look at how the banana bread recipe with one banana is made, with step-by-step photos.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Like I always recommend, please get an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is set to the right temperature!

Step 2: Line or spray your loaf pans, and mash the banana with a fork in a mixing bowl.

Step 3: Add the eggs, sour cream, oil, butter, and sugar to the banana and whisk to combine.

Step 4: Mix the dry ingredients together and then stir into the banana mixture. DON'T OVER MIX! Over mixing will create a tough quick bread, instead of soft and tender.

Step 5: Add your mix-ins if using, like mini chocolate chips or nuts.

Step 6: Divide batter between the 2 mini loaf pans and sprinkle with nuts or crystal sugar if desired.

Step 7: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tip: You can make this small batch in your toaster oven!

How Long to Bake Mini Loaves of Banana Bread?

The mini loaves will need to bake for roughly 26 to 30 minutes at 350ºF.

Why Make Mini Loaves?

You can make two mini loaves of quick bread with one banana. I make two mini loaves because I think they 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 of this recipe into two small pans, 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.

Can This Recipe Be Made in a Standard Loaf Pan?

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.

Can Banana Bread Be Frozen?

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.

Can This Recipe Be Made Gluten-Free?

I haven't tried this recipe with gluten-free flour, but for most of my gluten free recipes I use Cup4Cup GF flour and would suggest trying that in this recipe.

Tips for Making Banana Bread with One Banana

• 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.

More breakfast recipes:

• Breakfast Fondue
• Best Bran Muffin Recipe
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
• Mushroom Breakfast Strata

More recipes with bananas:

• Frozen Smoothie Pops
• Almond Banana Smoothie
• Banana Split Ice Cream
• Fruit Salsa Recipes

Let me know how it went!

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About Tara Teaspoon

I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

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