banana bread with sour cream

About This Moist Banana Bread with Sour Cream Recipe

Welcome to the best banana bread recipe on the internet! This banana bread recipe is from my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. It makes an incredibly flavorful and moist banana bread, thanks to sour cream in the batter. The sour cream gives the banana bread a subtle tangy flavor that compliments the bananas and brown sugar in the batter. The best part? The sour cream also keeps this banana bread moist for days!

For more popular banana recipes on Hummingbird High, check out these Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and My Best Banana Bundt Cake Recipe! And of course, check out my recipe archive for my collection of banana baked goods.

@hummingbirdhigh FOOLPROOF BANANA BREAD RECIPE. I accidentally overbaked it but if still came out soooo tender and moist thanks to all the sour cream in the batter. Never making another #bananabread recipe again! #bananabreadrecipe ♬ fishing for magikarp – demon gummies

What Does Sour Cream Do To Banana Bread?

Simply put, sour cream adds moisture and flavor to banana breads, and gives the banana bread a soft and tender crumb. Banana bread recipes WITHOUT sour cream have drier crumbs, and go stale much faster. But a banana bread recipe with lots of sour cream keeps moist and fresh for almost a FULL WEEK after baking.

banana bread with sour cream
banana bread with sour cream

Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make this banana bread, here’s the shopping list for the recipe:

Banana Bread with Sour Cream Recipe Shopping List

  • all-purpose flour
  • baking soda
  • kosher salt
  • unsalted butter
  • light OR dark brown sugar
  • large eggs
  • sour cream
  • pure vanilla extract
  • bananas

And let’s talk about some of the key ingredients:

Key Ingredients (and Their Potential Substitutions) In This Banana Bread With Sour Cream Recipe

  • All-Purpose Flour: Want to make it gluten free? Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten free flour like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour.

  • Kosher Salt: Learn why kosher salt is the best salt for baking recipes in this blog post. But in a pinch, you can replace the kosher salt in the recipe with half its amount in table salt.

  • Brown Sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar works in the recipe. Dark brown sugar will give your cookies a subtle caramel flavor.

  • Sour Cream: Use full fat sour cream for the most flavorful banana bread. In a pinch, you can also use full fat Greek or regular plain yogurt. If you’re feeling fancy, crème fraîche works too!

  • Bananas: This recipe works best if you use incredibly ripe, spotted, and almost black bananas. How ripe should bananas be for banana bread? VERY ripe. Like “leaving them on the counter for another day is a bad idea because it would attract too many fruit flies” ripe. Check out the FAQ below for more info!

Can I make banana bread with yellow bananas?

Technically, yes, you can. But I guarantee you that the resulting banana bread won’t be as moist as flavorful as the one that would have been if you’d used spotted black bananas. Why? As bananas naturally ripen, the fruit inside becomes more sugary and flavorful. Yellow bananas are still pretty starchy and don’t contain as much natural sugars and flavors.

How to make banana bread with frozen bananas

Yes, yes you can make banana bread with frozen bananas! In fact, I even encourage you to do so. I love freezing overripe bananas for future baking projects. I put the bananas, skin and all, in a gallon-size zip top bag and freeze them. In the freezer, the peel turns entirely black (don’t panic, this is normal!). It then leeches oil into the fruit to make the bananas more flavorful.

When I want to use the frozen bananas in a recipe, I transfer them to the fridge, still in their bag, and thaw them overnight. Alternatively, if it’s a hot day, I thaw them on the counter at room temperature for a few hours on a plate. The plate is important—as the bananas thaw, they’ll release a large amount of liquid. Don’t throw it out! Simply dump the fruit and its liquid into a bowl. Whisk them together before using in the recipe as directed. That banana juice is actually the secret to the making the very best and crazy moist banana bread.

banana bread with sour cream

Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: What You Need To Make The Recipe

Can I make the recipe in an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan instead of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan?

Yes, yes you can! Your loaf will come out even taller and more picturesque than mine. My only warning is that there’s a higher risk of the batter overflowing out onto the oven floor. That’s because you’re cramming the same amount of batter into a smaller cake pan. So be sure to set the loaf pan on top of a sheet pan to catch any potential batter spillage.

Can I make the recipe in a muffin pan to make banana bread muffins?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Banana bread recipes are made specifically for loaf pans to produce thick and dense loaves. As a result, baking a banana bread recipe in a muffin pan will result in thick and dense muffins. Baking this recipe in a muffin pan could potentially result in muffins that are too greasy or heavy. You’d be better off finding a recipe that’s specially for muffin pans that make soft and light muffins. In fact, I even have a recommendation! Check out this banana cinnamon muffin recipe (also known as one of the most popular recipes on my blog, EVER).

FAQ: Questions About Banana Bread Techniques

How To Know When Banana Bread Is Done

The best way to test for doneness is to use a wooden skewer and stick it in the direct center of the loaf. The skewer should come out with few crumbs.

Although it can be tempting to keep baking the bread until the skewer comes out clean, it’s easy to overbake it that way.

Why? The pan will continue to cook the bread even after it’s pulled out the oven. Be sure to check out the baker’s notes below for more specifics on how to check for doneness for this banana bread with sour cream recipe.

FAQ: Storing The Banana Bread

How long does banana bread last

Most banana breads can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. After 3 days, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for an additional 2 more days.

How to store banana bread with sour cream

Wrap the cooled banana bread tightly in plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 3 days. If you’re skipping the banana slices on top, this banana bread can actually keep for longer at room temperature (an additional 2 days more). However, the banana slices make the bread more susceptible to spoilage. If using the banana slices, transfer the bread to the refrigerator and chill for an additional 2 more days.

Can you freeze banana bread with sour cream?

Yes, yes you can! Wrap the cooled banana bread tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will help prevent the banana bread from absorbing any weird flavors or smells in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To defrost, unwrap the layer of foil from the bread and place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. When soft, slice and serve chilled, or toasted in the griddle (like this Banana Bread French Toast recipe) or toaster (like these Cake Toast slices).

Best Recipe Tips

Ingredient Tips

  • Bananas are listed in the recipe by weight, not volume or size. Why? It’s risky not to include exact measures for banana bread. Too little banana, and your banana bread will turn out dry, flavorless, and maybe even soapy tasting. Banana’s natural acidity helps neutralize the baking soda in the recipe, so without enough fruit, the banana bread will taste like baking soda! But go the other way and use too much banana, your bread will take forever to bake or collapse in the center. For best results, first peel the bananas, then use a digital scale to weigh the naked fruit. But for those of you who insist on volume measurements, use 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (from around 3 large bananas).

  • This recipe works best if you use incredibly ripe, spotted, and almost black bananas. The unpeeled bananas should feel soft to the touch and give easily when gently pressed. That means that they’ll mash easily in the stand mixer. If the bananas feel firm, you may need to mash them before using them in the recipe. Set the bananas on a firm surface and use the twines of a fork to press down on the fruit until mashed.

Baking Tip

  • The Bake Time for this recipe is listed at 1 hour. Specifically, my cookbook even gives you an exact range for Bake Time between 60 to 65 minutes. That being said, if you’re using extremely ripe bananas, you’ll likely need to bake it for 10 to 15 minutes longer than what’s listed in the recipe. The same goes for bananas that were frozen, then thawed for use in the recipe. Extremely ripe and previously frozen bananas contain more moisture and will need longer to cook in the oven. The best way to test for doneness is to use a wooden skewer and stick it in the direct center of the loaf. The skewer should come out with few crumbs. If you find that the skewer is plenty wet with batter but the top of the banana bread looks too browned to keep on baking, don’t panic! Simply cover the top of the bread with a loose sheet of aluminum foil. This will help prevent the top of the bread from browning further.

Video Tutorial For The Recipe

Use the video player below to watch my Instagram Story tutorial on how to make this banana bread with sour cream recipe! The arrows to the left and right of the frame allow you to skip through the different recipe steps. You can also hit the “pause” or “enlarge” buttons on the upper right hand side of the frame to pause or enlarge the frames accordingly.

More Banana Bread Recipes

banana bread with sour cream
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Get the Recipe: Moist Banana Bread with Sour Cream

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 1 9 x 5-inch loaf
Author: Michelle Lopez
This baked homemade loaf of banana bread is extra moist, tender, and slightly tangy thanks to the addition of sour cream in the batter. A highly rated recipe by Hummingbird High readers — let’s bake it! Grab the recipe in the blog post, along with tips, tricks, and techniques on how to make it.
(5 stars) 71 reviews
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Ingredients

For the Banana Bread with Sour Cream Recipe

  • 2 cups (9 ounces or 256 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup tightly packed (7.5 ounces or 213 grams) light OR dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces (or 340 grams) very ripe peeled bananas (see baker's notes for cup measures)

For Garnish

  • 1 medium or large banana, sliced crosswise

Instructions
 

For the Banana Bread with Sour Cream Recipe

  • Prep your oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Spray the parchment, too.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
    Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
    Add the sour cream and vanilla all at once and beat on low until combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients, then the bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
    Add the bananas a handful at a time and beat until broken into pieces and distributed evenly throughout the batter, about 1 minute.
    Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Assemble the banana bread. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Use a sharp knife to slice an extra peeled banana (there's no need to weigh this one!) in half lengthwise. Place the banana halves, cut-side up, on top of the batter.
  • Bake the banana bread. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the banana bread comes out with few crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack.
  • Serve and store. Serve warm or at room temperature. The banana bread can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule

Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.

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