This banana raisin bread is about to make your dreams come true. With cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins and, of course, bananas, you have a winning breakfast recipe that you will want to make again and again. In addition, it freezes well, so you may want to make a second loaf and freeze for a ready made breakfast on the go.
Like our cardamom quick bread, maple syrup bread, chocolate chip peanut butter bread, strawberry muffins with ginger crumb topping, maple bacon muffins, and orange craisin muffins, this banana bread is a quick bread. This means that it gets its rise from a chemical reaction in the batter from leavening agents like baking powder and/or baking soda. Once these ingredients are combined in a batter, the loaf can be baked immediately and does not require time for proofing (resting time before baking) that a yeast bread requires. Hence the name "quick bread."
Reasons to Love This Recipe
- It's easy. You literally add everything to a non-reactive saucepan and cook on the stovetop for a few minutes.
- It's simple in that it uses only 3 ingredients.
- It's quick. Fifteen minutes max is all you need to make this delicious, fruity compote.
- It's versatile. As mentioned above, this compote will take you from breakfast to dessert.
- It can be made ahead. You can easily make this ahead and store it as instructed below.
- It makes enough to share with a hungry crowd. This recipe makes two cups, easily enough to please a crowd. It's great for Mother's Day, holidays, and and other special occasions like Valentine's Day.
🍌 Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- ½ teaspoon baking powder. Double acting.
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- ½ teaspoon salt.
- 1 cup buttermilk.
- 3 large very ripe bananas. As noted in the tips section of our banana chocolate chip pancakes post, you can quickly ripen the bananas by placing them (in the peel) in a 350° (176°C) oven for about 5 minutes or until they turn very dark brown as in the photo above.
- 2 large eggs. Room temperature.
- ¼ cup unsalted butter. Melted and cooled.
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar. You can substitute light brown sugar. As I mentioned in my post for butterscotch pancakes, to properly measure the brown sugar in this recipe, scoop the sugar into the measuring cup, then press it down into the cup. Keep adding sugar and packing it down until you reach the top of the measuring cup.
- 1 cup raisins.
📝 Instructions
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with baking spray or grease and flour or grease and flour the loaf pan. To grease and flour, rub softened butter all over the surface of the inside of the pan and then add a couple tablespoons of flour. Tilt and tap the pan on all side until every greased surface is coated with flour. Set pan aside.
Step 7. Allow loaf to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool completely. Once cool, slice into 9 one-inch slices.
🥣 Equipment
🍞 Variations
- Banana Nut Raisin Bread. Stir ½ to ¾ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts into the batter along with the raisins.
- Banana Chocolate Chip Raisin Bread. Stir ½ to ¾ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips into the batter along with the batter.
- Rum Raisin Banana Bread. The night before, place the raisins in a small bowl and pour two tablespoons of dark rum over the top. Stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap. The next day raisins should have absorbed all of the rum. Incorporate them into the batter as instructed above and in the recipe card below.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You should have enough batter for 12 standard size or 6 jumbo muffins. Please see the FAQs section in our post for chocolate chip peanut butter bread for more information about converting a quick bread recipe to muffins.
Wrap any leftovers tightly in foil or plastic wrap. It will keep in your refrigerator for up to a week. To freeze, place a square of wax paper between each slice, then tightly wrap the loaf in foil or place the slices in a heavy duty freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave on high at 30 second intervals.
🔖 Related Recipes
More quick bread recipes to make and enjoy. 😋
Made this recipe? We would love it if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free e-cookbook of quick & easy breakfast recipes. Thanks!
📖 Recipe
Banana Raisin Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder double acting
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 large bananas Very ripe.
- 2 large eggs Room temperature.
- ¼ cup unsalted butter Melted and cooled.
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar You can substitute light brown sugar.
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with baking spray or grease and flour or grease and flour the loaf pan. To grease and flour, rub softened butter all over the surface of the inside of the pan and then add a couple tablespoons of flour. Tilt and tap the pan on all side until every greased surface is coated with flour. Set pan aside.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Add buttermilk, bananas, eggs, butter, and dark brown sugar to a blender and blend for about a minute.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir to combine.
- Stir in raisins until well distributed.
- Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. Bread is done with a toothpick or fork inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow loaf to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool completely. Once cool, slice into 9 one-inch slices.
Nutrition Facts
Nutritional information provided is for one serving and is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Mar says
Can you make this without buttermilk?
Sandra says
Hi Mar,
For a buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup then add enough milk to make 1 cup. I hope this helps!