Buttermilk Banana Bread

This Buttermilk Banana Bread is a classic, dense,  and moist quick bread using buttermilk for a delicious change of pace.

Do you ever buy a quart of buttermilk for one recipe, then have loads left over that you have no idea how to utilize? Yes, me, too. This banana bread and my corn muffins are two quick bread recipes that will help decrease your supply!

Buttermilk Banana Bread

I hadn’t made banana bread in a long time. My kids all ate bananas as toddlers, but when that stage was through, this fruit became banana non-grata in our household. I had a legitimate excuse for not liking bananas.

My sisters and I had to choke down banana-flavored liquid Dramamine before our cross-country vacations through the plains and over the Rocky Mountains in an unairconditioned station wagon. The nausea from riding in the back of that station wagon on winding roads through the mountains and the nausea from the nasty taste of the Dramamine resulted in my siblings and I boycotting banana anything for years.

So it was a bit of a shock when my oldest asked if I could make banana bread. What? Where did this request come from? I picked up bananas the next day and left them to ripen on the kitchen counter.

Recipe Tips

That request had me hooked again! The sweet tender loaf was perfect for breakfasts and snacks. Here are a few tips for making banana bread and also a few for baking up quick breads in general.

• Use very ripe bananas for this recipe. The skin should be covered with dark speckles and there should be an obvious banana aroma.
• PRO-Tip: You can also ripen bananas by roasting them when you’re in a pinch. Place unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined cookie sheet and roast at 300 degrees for 15-30 minutes.
• Did you know you can freeze ripe bananas to use later? If you just have one or two, but not enough to make a full recipe, peel them, then toss them in a Ziploc freezer bag, remove any excess air, and freeze until you have enough to complete the recipe.
• To use your frozen bananas in banana bread, defrost first, mash a bit if needed, and mix into the batter as your recipe directs.
• PRO-Tip: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can make your own by putting 1 tablespoon of either vinegar or lemon juice into a 1 cup Pyrex measuring cup. Fill the cup to the 1 cup mark and let sit for a few minutes to allow the milk to thicken and curdle slightly. You will only need 1/4 cup for this recipe.
• PRO-Tip: Make sure not to over-mix your batter. The dry ingredients should be mixed in just until combined. If you must use a mixer, mix on the lowest speed only until the flour is incorporated or tunnels will form throughout the loaf.
• PRO-Tip: Baking times will vary depending on your oven and even the ripeness of your bananas. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the loaf to check for doneness (I insert a toothpick into the cracks along the top of the loaf at a few spots). If it comes out clean, the loaf is done. If not, bake for a few more minutes and recheck.
• Let your banana loaf cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack to finish cooling. This first cooling period allows the loaf to firm up a bit before your release it. I like to line the bottom of my pans with a rectangle of parchment so that the bottom does not stick. I spray the top of the parchment with non-stick cooking spray for easy removal

Perfect Banana Bread

When those bananas became perfectly ripe, I knew it was time to bake that requested loaf of banana bread. I opened one of my recipe binders and right on top was a sheet I had printed off the Internet in 2006 for “Indescribably Delicious Banana Bread.” I couldn’t resist trying a recipe with a name like that. Plus it contained buttermilk which, like sour cream, adds a certain tenderness to baked goods.

It also had a brown sugar nut glaze, but I didn’t guild the lily this time. I will make that version for my girlfriends, who aren’t nut-phobic like my family.

The resulting bread was perfect…a lovely crumb, not too dense and incredibly moist…just the way a quick bread should be. After a lengthy hiatus from all things banana, I think I found a new favorite banana bread recipe.

If you love nuts in your banana bread, try my Classic Walnut Banana Bread. I also have a marvelous Cinnamon Topped Banana Bread and Chocolate Chip Toffee Banana Bread for you to check out. Other favorite quick bread recipes include these Mini Pumpkin Breads, Southern Peach Bread, and Classic Zucchini Bread.

More Banana Recipes:

This Sugar Crusted Zucchini Bread is another favorite quick bread recipe, but you may also enjoy these other banana recipes:

• Bananas Foster from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is perfect for Mardi Gras or anytime you want a quick, impressive dessert.
• Banana Pudding Cheesecake Blondies from Grandbaby Cakes is easier than making pudding or pie, but still awfully tasty!
• Classic Hummingbird Cake with Coconut from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is a super-rich and dreamy layer cake. Perfect for Easter or spring entertaining.
• Pineapple Banana Bread from The View from Great Island is a delicious twist on the classic banana bread!
• Seed Topped Whole Wheat Banana Bread from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is a healthier version of banana bread that’s still hard to resist!
• Old-Fashioned Southern Banana Pudding from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is another fun banana dessert to try!

This recipe was first shared in June 2011. Photos and text were updated in 2019.

Continue to Content

Print

The Recipe:

Buttermilk Banana Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Yield 16 servings

A classic moist banana bread with a buttermilk twist.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Topping:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 10 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease and flour one 9 x 5 loaf pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Add bananas, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix to combine. Whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, and salt in a clean bowl.  Add to banana mixture.  Mix until just combined (I like using a wooden spoon or spatula for this step) as quick breads should not be beaten or over-mixed.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the bread pulls away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool before slicing.
4. To make the optional topping, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar and milk.
5. Cook until very syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add chopped pecans.
6. Pour over bread, and spread across the top. Place under broiler, watching very carefully,  until brown and bubbly.

Notes

Adapted from The White Oak Restaurant on Buffalo Lake.

Makes 1 large loaf.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wooden Mixing Spoon
• 
  KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer 
• 
  Stainless Steel Loaf Pan

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 174mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 2gSugar: 30gProtein: 4g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest