This 2 banana bread recipe creates a delicious banana bread that uses only 2 bananas. Sometimes, you run out of bananas and only have 2 bananas left at home (versus the 3 needed for most banana bread recipes). Therefore, instead of making a special trip to the supermarket to buy more bananas, here is an easy “emergency” recipe to produce a great tasting banana bread with only 2 bananas.
Question = Oh No! I Have Only 2 Bananas. What Do I Do?
The secret is to replace the missing banana with something commonly found in your refrigerator. There should be no need to run to the supermarket to buy missing bananas… or scramble to find some crazy banana substitutes. I like to use milk as a simple banana substitute (if I am missing a singular banana when I am making a banana bread). Milk adds the necessary moisture and doesn’t overwhelm the banana taste of the 2 bananas. Moreover, the mild flavor of milk seems to enhance the taste of the “cake” ingredients contained in a banana bread.
Answer = Make Delicious 2 Banana Bread!
Many other recipes cut their ingredients by 1/3 when they have only 2 bananas. However, this results in a short mini-sized banana bread (which often has too much crust and/or is too dense). I would rather create a delicious normal-sized banana bread… that uses 2 bananas and a little milk. However, does this 2 banana bread recipe have the same banana flavor as a 3 banana bread recipe? No. It has a nice banana flavor but not as much as a standard 3 banana recipe. It is best as a good “emergency” recipe if you find yourself in a situation with only 2 ripe bananas. However, we also show you below how to add chocolate chips, blueberries, etc. in order to make this 2 banana bread even better!
This 2 banana bread recipe should take you roughly 10 minutes to prepare and clean up. Please be aware that this is an oven-baked banana bread recipe. It is not made with a bread machine. You will also find a printable and “pin-able” recipe at the bottom of this page.
Ingredients – 2 Banana Bread Recipe
- 1/2 Cup – Unsalted Butter
- 2 – Eggs (large)
- 2 – Bananas (ripe & LARGE sized)
- 1/3 Cup – Milk
- 2 Cups – Flour (all purpose flour)
- 1/2 Cup – White Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup – Light Brown Sugar (packed cup)
- 1 Teaspoon – Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon – Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon – Baking Powder (aluminum free)
- 1/2 Teaspoon – Salt
- Optional – 1 Cup – Chocolate Chips, Chopped Walnuts, Blueberries, etc.
- Optional – 1 Tablespoon – Turbinado sugar (sprinkled on top of the batter just before bread pan is placed in the oven)
Servings – Roughly 12 slices
- Equipment required for this recipe – Measuring cup & spoons, mixing bowl, long wooden spoon, 9 by 5 bread pan, oven mitts, silicon spatula, cooling rack and an oven. Visit our “equipment store” if you are missing anything.
Instructions – 2 Banana Bread Recipe
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- If necessary, grease/spray the bread pan or use baking parchment paper to line the bread pan.
- Mash bananas with a fork.
- Lightly beat eggs.
- Soften the butter in a microwave.
- Stir eggs, milk, bananas and butter together.
- Mix in remaining ingredients. Stir until the batter is fully mixed.
- Optional – If you want to enhance this 2 banana bread recipe, you can stir in 1 cup of your family’s favorite dessert ingredient (i.e. chocolate chips or chopped walnuts) after you have mixed the batter.
- Pour the finished batter into a nonstick bread pan. Smooth out the top of the batter within the bread pan.
- Optional – Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Turbinado sugar (large crystal sugar) across the top of the batter just before the bread pan is placed in the oven.
- Bake in the oven for 60-65 minutes or until golden brown.
- Take bread pan out of oven and let the banana bread cool down in the bread pan for 10 minutes. Do not remove the banana bread from the bread pan during this 10 minute cool down period. Use oven mitts as the bread pan will be very hot coming out of the oven.
- Optional – Right after taking the bread pan out of the oven, use a long wooden skewer (or toothpick) to test if the banana bread is completely cooked. Wear oven mitts as the bread pan will be hot. See the tips section for more details on this classic “toothpick” test.
- After 10 minutes, remove the banana bread from the bread pan. Place the banana bread on a cooling rack in order to completely cool. This cool down may take 1-2 hours. Gently slide a silicon spatula between the banana bread and the bread pan walls if the banana bread is stuck in the pan.
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Reference Sources
- Wikipedia, Banana, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana
- Wikipedia, Banana Bread, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_bread
Tips – Banana Bread with 2 Bananas
- The tips below are designed to help banana bread “novices” and/or people with limited baking experience.
- Has this happened to you? I will be saving 3 bananas in order to make a banana bread later in the day. Of course, when I start to make the banana bread, there are only 2 bananas left… one of my kids has “stolen” a banana for a snack!! Thus the impetus to make a great banana bread that only uses 2 bananas.
- As I said above – Does this 2 banana bread recipe have the same banana flavor as a 3 banana bread recipe? No. It has a nice mild banana flavor but not as much as banana flavor as a standard 3 banana recipe. This 2 banana recipe is best as a good “emergency” recipe if you find yourself in a situation with only 2 ripe bananas. However, for even more flavor, you can easily add chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, cranberries, etc.
- In case, you like to use cups versus banana “sizes”… 2 large bananas equal roughly 3/4 to 1 1/4 cups of mashed bananas (not sliced bananas). Of course, banana sizes can vary greatly… and my version of large-sized bananas may differ from yours!
- This recipe calls for the use of 2 LARGE sized bananas. However, if you have only 2 MEDIUM sized bananas, you will need to add more milk. 2 medium sized bananas equal roughly 2/3-3/4 cups of mashed bananas. Therefore, if you only have 2 medium sized bananas, you need to use 1/2 cup of milk (versus the 1/3 cup of milk used with 2 large bananas). However, be aware that 2 medium bananas will have less banana flavor versus 2 large bananas.
- Use RIPE bananas for the best results. If you use unripe green or hard yellow bananas, your banana bread will not be as tasty. Unripe bananas have more starch and less sugar than ripe bananas. The natural sweetness of ripe bananas works best when making banana bread recipes. Ripe bananas are soft and have small brown & black spots on the exterior of the yellow banana peel.
- Since you are using only 2 bananas in this recipe, you need to make sure that your bananas are RIPE or your banana bread will have very little banana flavor.
- If you are lactose intolerant, you can replace the 1/3 cup of milk with 1/3 cup of applesauce. Your banana bread with 2 bananas will have a very mild applesauce flavor that combines well with the banana flavor.
- Optional – You can also use this recipe to make chocolate chip banana bread with 2 bananas. Just follow all of the recipe steps and stir in 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips before you pour the batter into the bread pan. Other easy variations that you can make from this 2 banana bread recipe include 2 banana nut bread, 2 banana blueberry bread, 2 banana cranberry bread, etc. Just add 1 cup of your favorite ingredients (such as chopped walnuts or blueberries) to this 2 banana bread recipe.
- Optional – Messed up the top of your banana bread? Hate the ugly top on your banana bread? Then try adding some homemade whipped cream to cover up any “blemishes”! See our Strawberry Bread Recipe for instructions on how to make homemade whipped cream. You can also slice up some strawberries, kiwis, etc. and place them on top of the whipped cream. This will make your banana bread even more unique/special.
- Optional – You can also sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Turbinado sugar on top of the finished batter just before you put the bread pan in the oven. The addition of this large crystal sugar creates a crunchy & sugary top to the dessert. Turbinado sugar is made from sugar cane. You can find this natural sugar in most supermarkets.
- Optional – Our visitors also like to use spices in order to enhance their banana bread with 2 bananas. This is an easy way to turn a “basic” banana bread into something special or unique. They like to use spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, allspice, extra vanilla, etc. What spices do you like to use with your banana bread? Please post your spice recommendations in the comment section below.
- This doesn’t happen often but if the top of the banana bread looks too moist or undercooked, you should try the “toothpick test”. Gently push a wooden toothpick or wooden skewer into the top of the banana bread and see if any batter sticks to the toothpick. If batter is sticking to the toothpick then it hasn’t completely cooked. Place the bread pan back into the still hot oven for another 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure to wear oven gloves because the bread pan will be very hot. After the 3 to 5 minutes, remove the bread pan and test the banana bread again with a toothpick or skewer.
- Given variability in banana sizes, banana breads tend to have more moistness variability than many other quick bread recipes. This can lead to excess moisture and the banana bread being potentially undercooked. Therefore, many bakers like to use the “toothpick” test to ensure that their banana bread with 2 bananas is completely baked.
- If your banana breads are sticking to the bottom of your bread pan, you should consider either “greasing” the bottom of the pan with butter or vegetable oil, using a cooking spray, using a nonstick pan or lining the interior of the bread pan with baking parchment paper.
- Light brown sugar adds a slightly richer flavor to banana breads (versus using only white granulated sugar).
- Make sure that the light brown sugar is completely mixed because you will occasionally find small hard brown lumps of brown sugar in the sugar package. These light brown sugar clumps should be broken up by hand or mashed with a fork.
- If you have a problem with a banana bread recipe, please make sure that you are following the recipe exactly (i.e. using the correct oven temperature), using the correct amounts of ingredients (i.e. don’t eyeball the measurements versus using a measuring cup or accidentally add a tablespoon when a teaspoon is called for), using the correct ingredients (i.e. baking soda/powder versus yeast or all purpose flour versus bread flour), etc. Please don’t “wing” things with recipes.
- In addition, you should always try to use fresh baking soda & powder for the best results. For example, using baking soda from an open container (that has been deodorizing your refrigerator for months) may lead to subpar results. Old & hard baking soda/powder may lead to rising problems and/or leave small bitter clumps in your banana bread with 2 bananas.
- You can visit our instructional videos section if you want to watch videos that provide information on common banana bread problems & solutions, how to do the “toothpick” test, how to use baking parchment paper, etc.
- Always wear oven mitts/gloves when dealing with a hot oven and bread pan.
- For more easy banana bread recipes (i.e. blueberry, cranberry, chocolate chip, vegan, oatmeal, etc.), please visit Bread Dad’s main Banana Bread Recipes section. Or if you want even more banana bread & quick bread recipes, you should visit Bread Dad’s section covering popular Quick Bread Cookbooks.
2 Banana Bread Recipe (Banana Bread with 2 Bananas)
This 2 banana bread recipe creates a delicious banana bread that uses only 2 bananas. Sometimes, you run out of bananas and only have 2 bananas left at home (versus the 3 used in most banana bread recipes). Therefore, instead of making a special trip to the supermarket to buy one banana, here is an easy recipe to produce a delicious banana bread that uses only 2 bananas. Visit BreadDad.com for more easy banana bread recipes.
Servings: 12 Slices
Calories: 254kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 Eggs (large)
- 2 Bananas (ripe & large sized)
- 1/3 Cup Milk
- 2 Cups Flour (all purpose flour)
- 1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed cup)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder (aluminum free)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- If necessary, grease/spray the bread pan or use baking parchment paper to line the bread pan.
- Mash bananas with a fork.
- Lightly beat eggs.
- Soften the butter in a microwave.
- Stir eggs, milk, bananas and butter together.
- Mix in remaining ingredients. Stir until the batter is fully mixed.
- Optional – If you want to enhance this 2 banana bread recipe, you can stir in 1 cup of your family’s favorite dessert ingredient (i.e. chocolate chips or chopped walnuts) after you have mixed the batter.
- Pour the finished batter into a nonstick bread pan. Smooth out the top of the batter within the bread pan.
- Bake in the oven for 60-65 minutes or until golden brown.
- Take bread pan out of oven and let the banana bread cool down in the bread pan for 10 minutes. Do not remove the banana bread from the bread pan during this 10 minute cool down period. Use oven mitts as the bread pan will be very hot coming out of the oven.
- Optional - Right after taking the bread pan out of the oven, use a long wooden skewer to test if the banana bread is completely cooked. Wear oven mitts as the bread pan will be hot. See the tips section for more details on this classic "toothpick" test.
- After 10 minutes, remove the banana bread from the bread pan. Place the banana bread on a cooling rack in order to completely cool. This cool down may take 1-2 hours. Gently slide a silicon spatula between the banana bread and the bread pan walls if the banana bread is stuck in the pan.
Notes
This is a Bread Dad recipe and may not be copied or reproduced. This recipe is copyright protected under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Legal Disclaimer
The nutritional information is provided using recipe tools such as WP Recipe Maker. These figures should only be considered as an estimate. They should not be construed as a guarantee of accuracy given visitors may use different serving sizes, ingredients, etc. See our legal disclaimer for additional nutrition disclosures.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
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