40+ Banana Bread Variations (Easy Banana Bread Recipes)

Our banana bread variations are delicious & simple to make. These banana bread recipes include chocolate chip banana bread, blueberry banana bread, no butter banana bread, etc. Our website provides you with tons of easy banana bread recipes that you can bake in your oven or bread machine.

So when your family gets tired of “regular” banana bread… you should try switching to one of these wonderful banana bread variations! Variety is the spice of life… especially for banana bread.

Banana Walnut Bread

Popular Banana Bread Recipes – Visitor favorites!

• Banana Walnut Bread
• No Butter Banana Bread
• No Egg Banana Bread
• Bread Machine Banana Bread

Complete List of Easy Banana Bread Recipes

1. Banana Bread with Oil – This is a “no butter” banana bread recipe. It uses vegetable oil instead of butter… in case you have run out of butter or you would prefer not to use butter.
2. Almond Banana Bread – This easy banana bread recipe creates a perfect snack or dessert if you love the taste of ripe bananas & the “crunch” of delicious almonds.
3. Blueberry Banana Bread – This banana bread variation is made with healthy blueberries.
4. Bread Machine Banana Bread – This is a classic version of banana bread. Just like grandma’s… but made with a bread machine! One of Bread Dad’s most popular banana bread recipes.
5. Bread Machine Blueberry Banana Bread
6. Bread Machine Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
7. Bread Machine Gluten Free Banana Bread – This bread machine recipe makes a great tasting gluten free banana bread.
8. Brown Sugar Banana Bread – This banana bread variation uses brown sugar (instead of granulated white sugar) and has a delicious brown sugar crust on top of the bread.
9. Buttermilk Banana Bread – This easy banana bread recipe is a wonderful combination of buttermilk and sweet ripe bananas.
10. Butterscotch Banana Bread – Just in time for the holidays… a recipe for some delicious butterscotch banana bread. Your guests & family will love it.
11. Cake Mix Banana Bread – This cake mix banana bread recipe is very simple to make. It consists only of cake mix, eggs, butter… and of course ripe & delicious bananas!
12. Chocolate Banana Bread – This is an “adult friendly” chocolate banana bread (because the chocolate flavor is more refined & less overwhelming). It is a great & tasty combination of bananas & chocolate.
13. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – A perfect banana bread recipe for milk chocolate candy loving fiends (most kids).
14. Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread – A delicious fusion of sweet chocolate & bananas with the crunch of chopped walnuts.
15. Cinnamon Banana Bread (Crumble Top) – This banana bread variation produces a wonderful cinnamon banana bread with a crumble top.
16. Coconut Banana Bread – You will love the “tropical” taste of this easy coconut banana bread. Made with flaked coconuts.
17. Cranberry Banana Bread – You will love the combination of sweet bananas with the slightly tart cranberries in this banana bread. This is one of my favorite banana bread recipes.
18. Double Banana Bread – Bananas on top & inside this delicious banana bread.
19. Double Chocolate Banana Bread – This easy banana bread recipe uses a sweet combination of milk chocolate chips and natural cocoa powder.
20. Easy Banana Bread – This quick & easy recipe produces an old fashioned “classic” banana bread. It relies on simple ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, butter and of course bananas.
21. Eggless Banana Bread – A classic old fashioned-style banana bread… but made without eggs.
22. Flaxseed Banana Bread – This banana bread variation is made with golden flaxseeds and ripe bananas. It is a delicious way to add some extra fiber to your diet.
23. 4 Banana Bread – Have 4 fully ripe bananas? You could make a regular banana bread that uses 3 bananas and freeze the remaining banana (where it will remain lost in your freezer for years!). Or you can make an extra moist banana bread made with 4 bananas.
24. Gluten Free Bread Machine Banana Bread – A delicious banana bread made with gluten free flour and your bread machine.
25. Gluten Free Blueberry Banana Bread (oven baked) – A delicious gluten free dessert.
26. Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (oven baked) – Who doesn’t like chocolate??!
27. Greek Yogurt Banana Bread – This extra moist banana bread benefits from the flavor of your favorite fruit-flavored Greek yogurt. I like to use blueberry Greek yogurt in order to give a flavor & aroma hint of blueberries to my banana bread.
28. Hawaiian Banana Bread – NEW – This tropical banana bread is made with bananas, pineapples, coconut and mangoes.
29. Oatmeal Banana Bread – Here is an easy banana bread recipe. This banana bread tastes great and has the power of oats! This banana bread is a more “adult” banana bread as it lacks the extra sweetness of chocolate chips, butterscotch, etc.
30. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – NEW – This recipe creates a delicious banana bread that has a mild peanut butter flavor.
31. Pecan Banana Bread – Like nuts? Then you will love this “nutty” pecan banana bread.
32. Pineapple Banana Bread – This great tasting banana bread has pineapple rings on top.
33. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – A fantastic pumpkin dessert recipe.
34. Raisin Banana Bread – This delicious banana bread variation is made with sweet golden raisins.
35. Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread – NEW – The addition of sour cream helps to create a super tender & moist banana nut bread. You can make this banana nut bread with either chopped walnuts or chopped pecans.
36. Strawberry Banana Bread – This banana bread idea is a delicious combination of strawberries & bananas!
37. 2 Banana Bread Recipe – This easy banana bread recipe helps you to create a delicious banana bread with only 2 bananas. It is a great “emergency” recipe if you are missing one of the 3 bananas used in many banana bread recipes!
38. Vegan Banana Bread – This vegan banana bread recipe is made without butter, eggs or milk.
39. Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – Here is a tasty vegan chocolate chip banana bread recipe. It is made with vegan chocolate chips and ripe bananas!
40. Walnut Banana Bread – This is an old fashioned banana bread with walnuts. This is one of my favorite banana bread recipes. Your family will love this easy banana nut bread recipe.
41. White Chocolate Banana Bread – This white chocolate banana bread recipe produces a wonderful snack or dessert.
42. Whole Wheat Banana Bread – A delicious whole wheat banana bread… stuffed with mini chocolate chips!

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No Butter Banana Bread (Banana Bread made with Vegetable Oil)

Bonus – Banana Bread Glaze

• Banana Bread Glaze – This page shows you how to make a vanilla or chocolate glaze for your banana bread.

Bonus – Banana Bread Muffin Recipes – Banana bread recipes turned into delicious muffins!

• Banana Bread Muffins – This simple recipe helps to make great tasting basic banana bread muffins.
• Banana Nut Bread Muffins – Here is an easy recipe for some great walnut banana muffins.
• Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins – A delicious combination of blueberries & sweet ripe bananas.
• Brown Sugar Banana Bread Muffins – Banana bread muffins made with rich brown sugar & ripe bananas. It also has a fantastic large crystal sugar topping.
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins – These delicious banana bread muffins are made with mini chocolate chips. Banana bread muffins allow you to make even more easy banana bread variations.
• Cranberry Banana Bread Muffins – These great tasting muffins are a wonderful combination of sweet ripe bananas and slightly tart cranberries.
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins – These wonderful dark muffins are made with bananas, mini chocolate chips and cocoa powder.
• No Butter Banana Bread Muffins – Fantastic banana bread muffins… made without any butter.
• Pumpkin Banana Muffins – These are wonderful muffins… especially since they are topped with mini chocolate chips!
• Strawberry Banana Bread Muffins – A great combination of ripe bananas & strawberries. Your kids will love them!

Related Recipes

• Sweet “Quick Bread” Recipes – This section focuses on sweet quick bread such as blueberry bread, cranberry bread, pumpkin bread, etc.

Hawaiian Banana Bread (Pineapple, Coconut & Mango)

Questions – Easy Banana Bread Recipes

Can you use bread flour to make banana bread?

You can use bread flour to make banana bread. However, I would advise that people use all purpose flour (as called for in most banana bread recipes). Bread flour has more gluten than all purpose flour and is used mainly for sandwich type breads (versus sweet “quick breads” such as banana bread and zucchini bread). Unfortunately, the extra gluten in bread flour can result in a “gummier” banana bread (which can ruin the texture of the banana bread). For this reason, most banana bread recipes call for the use of all purpose flour.

Can I make banana bread with yellow bananas?

You can use spotless yellow bananas for banana bread. However, while pure yellow bananas look great, they are not the best bananas to use for banana bread. When bananas are picture perfect yellow without any black spots, they still have too much starch and don’t have the best flavor. The best bananas to use for banana bread recipes are fully ripe bananas. These bananas don’t look as great because they usually have small black spots & blemishes on the yellow banana peel. However, these softer & riper bananas are usually sweeter and have more banana flavor than spotless yellow bananas.

Is banana bread a bread?

Banana bread is a type of sweet quick bread. Quick breads use flour and a chemical leavening agent (usually baking soda and/or baking powder). Quick breads do not use yeast as a leavening agent (unlike regular sandwich type breads). Breads using baking soda & baking powder rise more quickly and usually more predictably than yeast breads. More importantly, banana bread tastes more like a muffin or cake than a sandwich-type yeast bread. Other quick breads include beer bread, cornbread, gingerbread, zucchini bread, etc.

Do bananas have to be ripe for banana bread?

For the best results, you should use ripe bananas when making banana bread. Ripe bananas are usually sweeter and have much more banana flavor than unripe bananas. If you are having a hard time telling ripe from unripe bananas, ripe bananas are soft and usually have a yellow exterior with many small black spots. In contrast, unripe bananas are hard, yellow/green(ish) in color, too starchy and have less banana flavor.

Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread

Can I substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a banana bread recipe?

Yes, just use the same amount of sugar. For example, if the banana bread recipe calls for 1 cup of white granulated sugar, you can substitute 1 packed cup of brown sugar. However, please be aware that the brown sugar (esp. dark brown sugar) will change the flavor of the banana bread because brown sugar gains its distinctive taste (and color) from molasses.

For more information on brown sugar, you should read this Wikipedia article. Or you might like to read our Brown Sugar Banana Bread recipe.

Can you use white sugar instead of brown sugar for banana bread?

Yes, you can use white sugar instead on brown sugar when making banana bread. However, if a banana bread recipe calls for brown sugar, you might want to try sticking with brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a richer flavor than white sugar because it is less refined and has a mild molasses taste. In addition, baked goods with brown sugar often tend to be moister than baked goods with an equivalent amount of white sugar. Packaged brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar.

Of course, if you love brown sugar…. you should try our Brown Sugar Banana Bread!

What can I add to banana bread?

You can add almost anything to banana bread! There are tons of great banana bread variations such as Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Walnut Banana Bread, Blueberry Banana Bread, Cranberry Banana Bread, Butterscotch Banana Bread, Golden Raisin Banana Bread, Coconut Banana Bread and many more. Add your children’s favorite sweet ingredient to a banana bread recipe in order to make your own special banana bread variation.

Can I use yeast instead of baking soda in banana bread?

No. If you use yeast instead of baking soda and/or baking powder, you would be more likely to create a sandwich-type bread versus a traditional cake or muffin-like banana bread. In addition, since yeast rises at a much slower rate than baking soda & baking powder, the baking instructions for a normal banana bread recipe would be much less likely to work properly.

Can I use old baking soda & baking powder to make banana bread?

No. You shouldn’t use old baking soda & baking powder to make banana bread recipes. Open containers of old baking soda & baking powder may suffer from exposure to the natural moisture in the air. This can lead to problems with the banana bread rising and/or small lumps of bitterness in the banana bread (because old baking soda/baking powder can form hard clumps & does not dissolve as easily as fresh baking soda/powder). For the best results, you should use relatively fresh baking soda and baking powder.

Is banana bread considered a sweet?

Banana bread is a delicious sweet snack or dessert. Most banana bread recipes contain at least a cup of sugar plus the natural sweetness of bananas. Moreover, many easy banana bread recipes include additional sweet ingredients such as chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or fruit. Banana bread is considered a type of sweet quick bread.

What fruit can you add to banana bread?

You can add almost any type of soft fruit to banana bread. Common banana bread variations that include extra fruits are Cranberry Banana Bread, Blueberry Banana Bread, Raisin Banana Bread, etc. You can make banana bread with fresh or frozen fruit such as blueberries, cranberries, etc. You also make banana breads that contain dried fruit such as dried cranberries, golden raisins, etc. Moreover, you can combine the fruit with other delicious ingredients such as chopped walnuts or chocolate chips in order to create even more great tasting banana bread varieties. Fruit filled banana breads are wonderful desserts or snacks.

How many cups does 3 mashed bananas equal?

Our banana bread recipes usually have 3 mashed bananas (not sliced) as one of the main ingredients. Depending on the recipe, they could be large or medium-sized bananas. 3 medium-sized bananas equal roughly 1 to 1 1/3 cups of mashed bananas (not sliced bananas). 3 large-sized bananas equal roughly 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups of mashed bananas (not sliced bananas). Of course, banana sizes can vary greatly… and my version of medium and large-sized bananas may differ from yours!

What is the banana bread toothpick test?

The banana bread toothpick test helps to determine if the banana bread has been fully cooked. Given some variability in banana sizes, the moisture of banana bread can differ modestly. This can lead occasionally to the banana bread to be under cooked. Therefore, people use the “toothpick test” in order to determine if the banana bread has been fully cooked. The toothpick test consists of gently pushing a toothpick into the top center of the bread (or any under cooked looking area) and looking to see if any batter sticks to the toothpick. If batter sticks to the toothpick then the banana bread hasn’t been completely cooked yet and should be placed back in the oven to finish baking.

For more information on this test, you should read this King Arthur Flour article.

What setting do I use to make bread machine banana bread?

In order to make bread machine banana bread, you need to use the Quick Bread/Cake setting. Quick breads use baking soda/baking powder and do not use yeast. Therefore, quick breads (i.e. banana breads) have shorter baking cycles because they rise more quickly than yeast breads (i.e. sandwich breads).

Visit our Bread Machine Banana Bread Recipe page for a lot more information on how to find the correct bread machine setting. It can be very confusing with some machines, especially as some manufacturers use the name “quick bread” for fast sandwich-type breads that use yeast and not sweet “quick breads” (i.e. banana breads & pumpkin breads) that use baking soda/powder (and not yeast). If you use bread machine sandwich bread settings (those based on yeast recipes), they will not work to make your banana bread.

Don’t be fooled by setting names like Rapid or Express (as these settings are often used for very rapid yeast baking and are not used for quick breads). Setting names can vary by bread machine manufacturer. Therefore, you must check the instructions/manual for your bread machine for the exact setting designed for quick breads (i.e. banana bread). However, be aware that some basic bread machines have only a limited number of settings and do not have a quick bread setting. Please check the available settings on your bread machine BEFORE you start to make your banana bread.

I don’t have any bananas. Can I still make banana bread?

Unfortunately, you can’t make banana bread… without bananas!! However, you can try making applesauce bread as a replacement. Like banana bread, applesauce bread is another type of quick bread (one that uses baking soda/baking powder as the leavening agent). You can substitute applesauce for the bananas in many banana bread recipes. For example, here is our recipe for Applesauce Cranberry Bread. Applesauce is a great substitute if you are out of bananas.

Why did my banana bread not rise?

If your banana bread did not rise, it may be due to old baking soda & baking powder. Banana bread is a type of sweet quick bread and uses baking soda and/or baking powder (versus bread yeast) in order to rise. However, old & hard baking soda/powder can lead to rising problems and/or leave small bitter clumps in your banana bread. For example, using baking soda from an open container (that has been deodorizing your refrigerator for months) can lead to subpar baking results and a banana bread that does not rise. You should always try to use relatively fresh baking soda & powder for the best results.

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Reference Sources

• Wikipedia, Banana
• Wikipedia, Banana Bread
• Wikipedia, Brown Sugar
• Wikipedia, Flour
• Wikipedia, Quick Bread

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