This moist, tender Joanna Gaines banana bread is made with ripe bananas, brown sugar, and melted salted butter, and it’s ready in under an hour. Instead of a traditional loaf, this recipe uses a square pan to create a soft, cake-like texture with a crunchy sugar crust on top. I love how the switch to an 8×8 pan speeds up the baking time while keeping every bite perfectly fluffy.
Try More Desserts Recipes:
- Pioneer Woman Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe
- Joanna Gaines Banana Muffins Recipe
- Joanna Gaines Blueberry Puff Recipe
💛 Why You Will Love Banana Bread Recipe:
- Incredible Texture: It achieves a tight, moist crumb that is soft enough to melt in your mouth but sturdy enough to be toasted and slathered in butter.
- Deep Flavor Profile: By using overripe, blackened bananas, you get a natural, honey-like sweetness that avoids the “artificial” taste of quicker recipes.
- Minimal Effort: It is a “one-bowl” masterpiece, requiring no fancy mixers—just a fork and a little bit of patience while it bakes to golden perfection.
- The Professional Finish: A sprinkle of demerara sugar or a halved banana on top creates a “scroll-stopping” caramelized crust that looks amazing on any food blog.
- Versatility: It stays fresh and moist for days, making it the perfect “grab-and-go” breakfast or a sophisticated afternoon tea treat.
🔆 What Not To Do When Making Banana Bread?
To keep your Banana Bread at “bistro-quality,” avoid these mistakes:
- Overmixing: Stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears, or the bread will become tough and rubbery.
- Underripe Bananas: Use only blackened, spotted bananas for the necessary sweetness and moisture.
- Slicing Too Soon: Let it cool completely; cutting a hot loaf makes the texture “gummy.”
- Ignoring the Center: Always use a skewer. The top often looks done while the middle is still raw batter.
🍌 Joanna Gaines Banana Bread Ingredients
- Salted Butter: 8 tablespoons (1 stick), melted and cooled. You will also want a little extra softened butter for serving.
- Brown Sugar: 1 cup packed light brown sugar. This adds moisture and a deeper flavor than white sugar.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs, beaten.
- Vanilla Extract: 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
- Bananas: 4 to 5 very ripe bananas, mashed. Joanna recommends leaving them a little chunky for texture.
- All-Purpose Flour: 1 ¾ cups.
- Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon.
- Kosher Salt: ½ teaspoon.
- Pecans: ½ cup chopped (optional).
- Granulated Sugar: 1 to 2 tablespoons, for sprinkling over the batter before baking.
🍞 How To Make Joanna Gaines Banana Bread
- Prepare the Equipment: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is well blended.
- Add Bananas: Add the mashed bananas to the wet mixture and stir until combined. It is okay if the banana mash is slightly chunky.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Make the Batter: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat gently just until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the chopped pecans if you are using them.
- Top and Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared square pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the entire surface. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
💡 Recipe Tips
- Check the Pan Size: This recipe is specifically designed for an 8×8-inch square pan. If you use a standard 9×5 loaf pan, the batter will be deeper, and you will need to increase the baking time significantly (usually to about 60-65 minutes).
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour, stop mixing as soon as the white streaks disappear. Overmixing develops the gluten and can make the bread tough instead of tender.
- The Sugar Crust: Don’t skip the step of sprinkling granulated sugar on top before baking. It creates a delightful crispy layer that contrasts beautifully with the soft crumb inside.
- Banana Ripeness: The bananas should be very ripe—covered in brown spots or almost black. This ensures they are sweet enough to carry the flavor of the bread without adding extra sugar to the batter.
🧭 How To Know If Banana Bread Is Done?
Insert a skewer or toothpick into the center; it’s done if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The loaf should be golden brown, firm to the touch, and have a signature central crack that looks set, not “wet” or shiny.
🧈 What To Serve With Banana Bread?
Joanna suggests serving this warm with a smear of good quality salted butter, which enhances the sweet and salty profile. It pairs exceptionally well with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk for an after-school snack.
🎚 How To Store Leftovers Banana Bread?
Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan, then cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, you can freeze individual squares wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months.
FAQs
- Can I make this in a loaf pan? Yes, but the baking time will change. A standard loaf pan is deeper, so you will likely need to bake it for 60 to 65 minutes. Check it with a toothpick to ensure the center is set.
- Why use salted butter? Joanna Gaines often prefers salted butter in her baking because it eliminates the need to guess salt ratios and adds a savory richness that cuts through the sweetness of the brown sugar and bananas.
- Can I add chocolate chips? Absolutely. You can substitute the pecans for ½ cup of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips if you prefer a chocolate version.
- How do I ripen bananas quickly? If your bananas are yellow, place them on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 15-20 minutes until the skins turn black and the fruit is soft. Let them cool before mashing.
More Desserts Recipes:
- Pioneer Woman Orange Cranberry Bread
- Pioneer Woman Orange Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Pioneer Woman Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Recipe
📊 Banana Bread Nutrition Fact
- Calories: 425
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
- Sodium: 340mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 62g
- Protein: 5g
joanna gaines banana bread
Course: Breakfast, DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium8
servings15
minutes45
minutes1
hourJoanna Gaines banana bread is a moist, golden snack cake featuring ripe bananas, brown sugar, and a crunchy sugar crust. This recipe uses a square pan for even baking and is ready in just 60 minutes. It’s the perfect easy breakfast or afternoon treat.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 to 5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended.
- Add the mashed bananas to the mixture and stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently just until combined. Fold in pecans if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before serving.
