Our 20 Best Banana Bread Recipes

Bananas and peanut butter are a likely duo, but bananas and tahini? Mind-blowing. For those with nut allergies, tahini is a great, slightly more complex, substitute. Try spreading Soom's chocolate-sesame spread over each slice for an extra tahini hit. Expert tip: whenever you find yourself with over-ripe bananas but without time to make a banana bread loaf, peel the bananas and freeze them, then simply defrost and add to your banana bread recipe when you're ready to make it. 

These whole-grain mini banana bread loaves are a great alternative to cupcakes, and much easier to package without a dome of messy frosting. If you don't have mini loaf pans, you can use 12 muffin cups lined with cupcake liners. For a kid-friendly drizzle, you can swap the alcohol for fresh orange juice.

This easy banana bread recipe is healthy, nourishing, and incredibly indulgent. Quick-cooking oats, tangy buttermilk, brown sugar, a double nutty dose of chopped walnuts and walnut oil, and course—bananas—take this moist banana bread to a whole new level.

This gluten-free quick bread features a harmonious blend of bananas and walnuts wrapped in the sweetness of pure maple syrup. It makes an easy breakfast treat or an after-school snack.

One of our most basic banana breads, this recipe lives up to its name; it's a classic. Choose very ripe fruit―the browner the better―for the most intense flavor and a soft texture that mashes and blends easily. This banana rbead recipe is a favorite of Executive Food Editor Ann Taylor Pittman. "It's pure banana flavor," she says. "You can't go wrong with this one."

Ground flaxseed adds heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and nutty flavor in this Basic Banana Bread recipe. Look for whole ground flaxseed (sometimes labeled "flaxseed meal") on the baking aisle.

Peanut butter is whipped into the basic recipe for a moist banana bread with a hint of nutty flavor. A small amount of chopped roasted peanuts offers delightfully surprising crunch.

Use avocado instead of butter to make banana bread with a dose of healthy fats and a low measure of guilt. Avocados are cholesterol free, and about 50% of the fat in the gorgeous green fruit comes from monounsaturated fats (one of the good ones)—which makes this quick bread that much more alluring.

Use a light hand when swirling the batter; too much swirling may lose the stripe effect.

Mini chocolate chips disperse well and melt nicely for the chocolatey glaze.

This adult interpretation switches all of the sugar to brown sugar and cooks the mashed bananas with butter and cognac or dark rum. And it's topped with a slightly boozy glaze. The buttery banana-cognac flavor makes this moist treat feel decadent enough to be a dessert. Like most banana breads, this recipe freezes well. Just be sure to slather on the glaze after you've thawed the loaf.

After receiving a banana bread recipe from a friend, reader Eileen Solberg brainstormed about ways to make it a healthier treat. She started by replacing sour cream with yogurt and reducing the amount of oil. Next, she substituted whole-wheat flour for half of the all-purpose and added flaxseed meal. The result: a tasty and nutritious top-rated recipe.

We love the combination of sweet bananas and tart blueberries in this quick bread. Praises one Cooking Light reader, "This bread is supereasy to make. I like to take it to my daughter's play group and watch the other mothers and toddlers enjoy it. The freshness of the fruit gives a sensational flavor to the bread."

You'll find all the delicious spices of Chai tea in one melt-in-your-mouth loaf of Chai Banana Bread.These spices work really well together and are a good contrast with the sweetness of the banana.

The most tempting of all our quick breads, the chocolate glaze on this banana bread makes it irresistible.

A few smart techniques take banana bread to the next level: Cooking ripe banana slices in butter deepens the sweet banana flavor, while browned butter gives the glaze nutty richness.

This recipe first appeared on the cover of our September 2003 issue. Four years later, it was named one of the 20 best recipes in our magazine's history for the 20th anniversary issue of Cooking Light. It remains a favorite of many staffers.

Melted chocolate chips add an elegant (and tasty) swirl to this gorgeous banana bread, making it a perfect candidate for gifts and guests.

This 3-ingredient reader recipe has become a favorite among reviewers for its ease and versatility. Says recipe creator Tara Bennett, "The moist, sweet muffins go with almost anything and are a great way to use a ripe banana."

A healthier spin on banana-nut muffins, this recipe packs just about every healthful ingredient you can put in a baked good―crunchy walnuts, hearty oats, chewy dried fruit, and more. You can eat these tasty banana bread muffins for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert.