One Bowl Banana Bread {Light & Fluffy!)

by Laney Schwartz on Oct 13, 2014 (updated Nov 10, 2023) 235 comments

The most delicious, light and fluffy banana bread you’ll ever taste. Mix it all in one bowl, bake it off and never make another banana bread recipe for the rest of your life.

3 slices of banana bread piled on top of each other and a hand taking on slice off the top

I’m one of those lucky girls who happens to come from a long line of amazing cooks. Between my mom, grandmothers, aunts, and close family friends, I’ve been set up for success in the kitchen. When I think of my mom in the kitchen, her banana bread always comes to my mind first.

I’m well aware that people have VERY strong opinions about banana bread. Everybody think’s that theirs is the best. Why should you trust me? Just try it first, then you’ll know.

Watch how to make it

To me, banana bread just isn’t the same without the sweet addition of chocolate chips. It’s kind of like peanut butter and jelly. A peanut butter sandwich on its own is good, don’t get me wrong ~ but adding the jelly just makes your taste buds sing, Halleluuuuuujah!

I’m partial to the mini chips. They’re just so darn cute. And can we take a minute to discuss the sheer volume of mini chips that I have somehow INHALED during the baking process? I really should just buy two bags. One for the recipe, and one to eat while making the recipe. It’s embarrassing. And if you’re a chocolate lover like me, you gotta try my Double Chocolate Banana Bread to satisfy all your chocolate cravings.

Okay, moving on.

My mom makes this rock star banana bread that I have come to make my own. It’s light, fluffy, and just freaking delicious. Every time I eat it, I’m reminded of home. I can eat an entire loaf in one sitting. The recipe is extremely simple and versatile. It also easily makes great muffins. Just bake for 18-20 minutes.

Ingredients you need

Bowls of ingredients on a grey background

Avocado oil (or any flavorless oil like coconut, or veg oil)
Sugar
Eggs
Milk any kind
Vanilla extract
Ripe bananas
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Chocolate chips

How to Make Banana Bread

oil, eggs and sugar mixed in a white bowl — Whisk the oil, sugar, and eggs until thoroughly combined.

oil, eggs and sugar mixed in a white bowl with a whisk — Add the milk, vanilla and mashed bananas and whisk well.

flour mixing with wet ingredients in a bowl with a whisk — Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the banana mixture.

banana bread batter in a white bowl with a spatula — Mix using a rubber spatula.

banana bread batter with chocolate chips in a white bowl with a spatula — Fold in the chocolate chips.

banana bread batter in two loaf pans — Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk the oil, sugar, and eggs until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla and mashed bananas and whisk well.
Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the banana mixture and use a rubber spatula to combine. Be careful not to over-mix.
Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter equally into two greased standard size loaf pans. Bake for about 45-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then flip out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

3 slices of banana bread piled on top of each other on a wood board

Can I freeze banana bread?

The short answer is, YES! It freezes really well, and while I guarantee you’ll eat it too fast to have a chance to freeze it, you certainly can. Simply wrap it in plastic wrap or foil then place in a ziplock back to freeze for up to 6 months.

Sometimes (all the time) I eat it too fast and I get this thing my sister and I call “bread throat” where it feels like you have WAY too much bread trying to go down the pipes at one time, and it hurts really, really bad! But oh man, it tastes so good, so you just keep going.

It’s just my fave. Period. The end. And I know it’ll be your fave too.