Best Banana Bread Recipe Easy - this is my favorite recipe for easy banana bread because it is super moist, loaded with sweet ripe bananas, and ridiculously delicious! Best of all, it’s boosted with even more nutrition thanks to the chia seeds which taste just like poppy seeds when baked inside the bread!
This is definitely not your average banana bread, but it’s even better! Who would have known banana bread with chia seeds would taste so good! Adding chia seed to banana bread makes it high in fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and Omega 3s! It’s a snack I can feel good about packing in my kids' lunches or having them start their days with a bang with a healthy breakfast.
If you have bananas sitting on your counter and you’re wondering what to do with them, this banana bread recipe is for you!
Banana Recipe Tips
- If you notice the bread is browning too quickly, turn the heat down in the oven and move it to a lower rack. Cover it lightly with foil so that the outside doesn’t burn before the inside has a chance to bake.
- Test to see if it’s done using a toothpick and inserting it into the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Remember to take your butter out beforehand. It’s much easier to cream into a smooth consistency when it’s soft.
- The riper the bananas the sweeter and better they are! Yes, even when they’re turning brown. You want them nice and sweet and mashable.
Simple Banana Bread Swaps
- If your bananas are super sweet, you can reduce the amount of granulated sugar you add to this recipe.
- For a few additional add-ins, you can always toss in some chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins.
- Swap the chia seeds for flax seeds, or any seeds you like. Sunflower, pumpkin, or poppy seeds would be great.
- Sometimes people use a flax egg or chia egg as an egg replacer. This is typically done in vegan recipes. I haven’t tried it, because the chia in this recipe is more of an additional component rather than an egg replacer. However, if you want to try it, go ahead and let me know how it goes!
Ingredients Needed to Make Banana Bread
Room temperature butter: Remember to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you begin.
Sugar: A sweet quick bread needs a bit of sugar! It’s especially helpful if your bananas aren’t as ripe or sweet as they should be.
Eggs: Needed to bind the ingredients together and add a bit of moisture.
Mashed bananas: You can’t have banana bread without bananas! Use a potato masher or fork to mash, a few lumps are ok.
Flour: Measure flour properly so that way the consistency of your bread is nice and light. I use all-purpose flour.
Baking soda: A leavening agent that will help activate the batter to rise.
Salt: Brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
Chia seeds: These can be found at your local health food store, bulk store, Costco, or grocery store. If you use them a lot I suggest buying a lot at once. They can be used to boost nutrition in so many recipes.
If YOU make this Banana Bread Recipe Easy PLEASE tag @munchkintimeblog and use a hashtag #munchkintimeblog on Instagram, I would LOVE to see your creation ???? Thank you!
How to Make Easy Banana Bread Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan. Cut out enough parchment paper to line the loaf pan with enough to hang over the sides for easy removal later on.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar together using an electric hand mixer. Then add eggs and bananas and beat until everything is combined and smooth.
Step 3: In a separate mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda, salt, and chia seeds and mix to combine.
Step 4: Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and use a spatula to gently stir everything together. Careful not to overmix, you don’t want to lose too much air. That’s what helps keep it nice and light!
Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes. Allow it to cool in the pan for a bit. Then, use the side flaps of the parchment paper to carefully lift the banana bread out of the pan. Place it on a cutting board or platter.
Slice the bread, and enjoy!
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly?
If you have a few days to spare and your bananas aren’t quite where you need them to be, place them in a brown paper bag with an apple on your counter. Give them a couple of days and the bananas will be nice and ripe thanks to the ethylene gas transferred from the apple!
On the other hand, if you really want to make this recipe today (I mean, who could blame you!), place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Bake in a 300-degree oven for about 15 minutes until they are completely black on the outside. They should be soft to the touch, but use a fork or knife to test them as they’ll be hot!
Once they are cool enough to touch, slice the banana to reveal the soft, mushy banana on the inside.
Do I Need to Refrigerate Leftover Chia Seed Banana Bread?
Not at first! As long as it’s covered in an airtight container to lock in moisture, this banana bread can stay at room temperature for a couple of days.
If you know you won’t be eating all of it right away, it’s best to not slice the whole thing. Sliced bread will lose its moisture quicker than a whole loaf.
I don’t think you’ll have any leftovers after day 2 but if you do transfer it to the fridge where it can be kept fresh for up to 1 week!
Can I Freeze This Easy Banana Bread?
Definitely! Making a double batch of quick banana bread is great for serving one and freezing the other for a rainy day!
Wrap the loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap. Place them in a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Easy Dessert Recipes:
- Chocolate Cake “Spartak” Recipe
- Carrot Cake Recipe From Scratch
- Peach Pie Walnut Bars Recipe
- Apple Roses Recipe
- Ice Cream Cake Recipe
📖 Recipe
Chia Seed Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3-4 ripe bananas mashed with potato masher
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons chia seeds 100% optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and place a cut out parchment paper into a loaf pan, set aside. Using a hand mixer, whisk ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar. Add 2 eggs and 3 mashed bananas, whisk until everything is combined.
- In a different bowl, mix 1 ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt and 3 teaspoons chia seeds. Add flour mixture to banana mixture, using a spatula stir until everything is combined, try not to over mix.
- Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes. Let it cool, cut a slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Do YOU like this Easy Banana Bread Recipe?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
Thank you for stopping by!
Quote of the Day
"Whoever is happy will make others happy too."
-Anne Frank
This post was updated on June 2, 2022, the recipe is the same delicious.
Lisa F
Absolutely loved this, I added 1/2 cup of fine shredded coconut, 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and I doubled the chia. I had closer to 4 bananas so the extras didn’t dry out the batter. I did one muffin tray and put the rest in a loaf pan, after 30 minutes the muffins were a bit browner than I prefer but the small loaf needed about 8 more minutes. All in all, stellar results!
Munchkin Time
That sounds amazing, Lisa! I love how you customized the recipe with coconut and pecans—those additions must have added such great texture and flavor. Using extra bananas is a smart idea, too! I'm glad to hear that the overall results were stellar, even with the muffins being a bit browner. The loaf must have turned out wonderfully as well. Thanks for sharing your experience!