Buttermilk banana bread is light, fluffy, moist, and flavorful. With a tender crumb and a sweet cinnamon-sugar topping, it’s the perfect morning or afternoon treat!
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If you love easy banana recipes, be sure to try this quick and easy banana pudding, Hawaiian banana bread, a batch of one-bowl banana nut muffins, and this one-bowl whole wheat banana bread!
While my banana nut bread recipe is a classic favorite, I love using buttermilk in baked goods to lighten the texture, add a touch of tangy flavor, and contribute even more rich moisture to the batter. After many, many rounds of testing, tweaking, and tasting, I’ve finally landed on the perfect loaf of homemade buttermilk banana bread!
It’s easy, it’s super moist, it’s full of sweet banana flavor, and it has a lighter, more tender crumb than a typical loaf of banana bread (thanks to the buttermilk). There’s just no better way to take advantage of those overripe bananas that are probably sitting on your counter right now. Stir together a loaf in about 15 minutes (no electric mixer required), pop it in the oven, and enjoy a delicious breakfast or snack throughout the week. It even gets better as it sits!
Buttermilk is the Key Ingredient in this Banana Bread Recipe
The buttermilk serves many important purposes in this recipe. First, it gives the bread a slightly tangy, rich, and buttery flavor that you can’t achieve with regular milk. Additionally, the acid in the buttermilk reacts with the leavening agents to help the banana bread rise, giving it a light, fluffy texture. It’s not as dense as a typical loaf of banana bread, and instead has a texture that’s more like a moist, tender cake crumb.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk substitute at home with regular milk and either lemon juice or white vinegar. To do so, place either ¾ teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice or ¾ teaspoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup. Add enough regular milk to equal ¼ cup. Give it a stir, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then use it in the recipe.
- The cinnamon-sugar on top is definitely optional, but highly recommended! It’s that extra something special that sets this bread apart from the rest. The sugars caramelize and create a bakery-style crispy crust on top, while the warm cinnamon makes every bite feel decadent and cozy.
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.
- This recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of mashed banana. One large banana yields about ½ cup mashed, so I used 3 large bananas for a total of about 1 ½ cups. If you’re working with smaller bananas, you’ll need at least 4 medium bananas or maybe even 5 small bananas. Measuring is always the safest way to make sure that your banana bread turns out perfectly moist, sweet, and delicious!
How to Make this Banana Bread Recipe with Buttermilk
This buttermilk banana bread just gets better as it sits! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until they’re combined. Too much mixing and the bread will come out tough, dense, or dry. The key to retaining that moist texture is not over-mixing.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan.
- Bake, transfer to a cooling rack, slice, and serve! The total baking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use (and on your individual oven). You’ll know that the bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the top of the bread starts to get too dark before it’s cooked through, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the bread warm, at room temperature, or even straight from the refrigerator! It’s a great option for breakfast or snack when paired with a mug of hot coffee or tea, or with a cold glass of milk.
Banana bread is delicious on its own, but you might also enjoy individual slices with butter, cream cheese, almond butter, or peanut butter. Add some yogurt or eggs and fresh fruit on the side for a perfect morning feast, or offer it in the bread basket at dinner alongside savory options like ribs, pulled pork, steak, or chicken.
Preparation and Storage
- Make-Ahead: This bread just gets better as it sits. The flavors come together, and the bananas help to keep the bread nice and moist.
- How to Store: Always wrap your loaf in plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. It does not need to be refrigerated. The bread will stay fresh at room temperature on the counter for 2-3 days, and it will last in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: This loaf freezes nicely. Let the bread cool completely, wrap tightly, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Did you make this recipe?
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Buttermilk Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups mashed banana (about 3 large bananas)
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup whole buttermilk, well shaken
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Topping: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together mashed banana, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- For the cinnamon sugar topping, stir together the 2 tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the batter.
- Bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. If the top starts to get too dark before the inside is done, tent the loaf loosely with foil. Do not overbake (my bread is usually done in about 50 minutes).
- Remove from the oven, unmold from the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Double all of the ingredients and bake two loaves of bread. Enjoy one now, and freeze the second loaf for later.
- If using unsalted butter, increase the amount of salt in the recipe to ½ teaspoon.
- Add ½ cup – 1 cup of chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans.
- Add whole grains by swapping out half of the all-purpose flour and replacing it with 1 cup of whole wheat flour.
- Fold ½ cup – 1 cup chocolate chips into the batter.
- Stir in some raisins or dried cranberries. They add extra sweetness and plump, juicy texture.
- Buttermilk banana muffins: divide the mixture between 12 standard-size muffin cups that have been greased with cooking spray or lined with paper. Bake in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Mini loaves: If using a mini loaf pan, bake the smaller loaves in a 375°F oven for 25-30 minutes.
More Recipes with Buttermilk
One Bowl Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
50 minutes mins
Fluffy Pancakes
40 minutes mins
For even more ideas, check out this convenient collection of more than 60 recipes with buttermilk!
Originally published in April 2023, this post was updated in March 2025.
Hi , I don’t know why the top cracked and the sugar didn’t completely melt and right under the top it wasn’t done in spots . I baked it for 45 minutes. The rest was so good and moist . Please tell me what I did . Thanks sandy
Hi, Sandy! It’s hard to know why the top may have cracked. This article explains a few possible scenarios: https://www.bakingkneads.com/why-does-banana-bread-crack-on-top/#:~:text=This%20happens%20when%20the%20outside,crumb%2C%20exposing%20the%20batter%20underneath.
As far as the sugar goes, it’s not supposed to melt. We use coarse sugar to create that crunchy topping!
Finally, it sounds like the bread just needed more time in the oven to cook through all of the way.
Hi, Ok thank you – I love your recipes . Sandy
Thank you, Sandy!
I love to fry thick slices of banana bread in a little butter till golden brown and then maple syrup. One can never get enough butter and maple syrup. Banana bread french toast!! Irresistible!!
That sounds incredible! We’ll have to try it out. We hope you enjoyed!