The Best Sour Cream Banana Bread
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This Sour Cream Banana Bread beat out the competitors and won the hearts of a room full of friends. Banana Bread with sour cream and brown sugar is moist, full of banana flavor, and easy to make. This one bowl recipe really is the best!
A Banana Bread Recipe Worthy of a Wedding Cake
A few years back, we conducted a very formal scientific study to determine the best banana bread.
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By that I mean, we made four different banana bread recipes, served them to a group of our friends, and had them vote on their favorite.
We tried banana breads that used vegetable oil and butter, five bananas or three, all granulated sugar and all brown sugar.
This banana bread recipe with sour cream and brown sugar rose to the very top, striking all the right flavor and texture notes.
A few weeks later, one of our friends (I mean, survey participants), asked us to use that banana bread recipe to make her wedding cake. The story of that cake is for another day, but suffice it to say, we have put this banana bread recipe through its paces.
Over and over, this recipe has proven itself to be delicious enough for a wedding cake, but also easy enough for an average Saturday morning.
What Makes this Banana Bread with Sour Cream recipe the best?
There are a few reasons why this recipe won the battle for the best banana bread.
- First, it tastes amazing. It’s sweet, rich, and buttery, but it still tastes like bread, not cake. (P.S. If you’d rather eat banana cake, you’re going to want to head straight for this Banana Crumb Cake recipe).
- The brown sugar and sour cream keeps it very moist without being too dense.
- It’s got a good banana flavor without being overwhelming, so even those who are iffy about bananas will likely enjoy this.
- It’s the perfect vehicle for all your favorite banana bread additions (nuts, chocolate, glaze)- more on that below!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter– The banana bread made with butter was much preferred by tasters than those made with oil. You just can’t beat the flavor of butter!
- Granulated and brown sugar– A mix of brown and white sugar provides the right amount of moisture and sweetness without being too rich.
- Sour cream- The secret weapon for moisture! You can substitute whole milk Greek yogurt if you prefer.
- Eggs
- Baking staples– Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon round out this classic banana bread.
How to Make Banana Bread with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar
- Make a parchment paper sling. This is optional, but it’s helpful to get the bread out of the pan without any stress. To make the sling, cut a piece of parchment paper to be as wide as the long side of the pan. Press the parchment down into the pan so it lays flat. Greasing the pan first can help it stick. Leave 1-2 inches of extra parchment paper draped over each of the long sides to act as “handles” when you’re pulling it from the pan, then trim the rest. Grease the inside of the parchment paper with butter or cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk together until smooth, creamy, and no brown sugar lumps remain.
- Add wet ingredients. Whisk in the sour cream, then add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add bananas. In another bowl, mash the bananas then whisk them into the sour cream mixture.
- Add dry ingredients. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon evenly over top of the wet ingredients, then gently stir everything together until no white remains.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. (Note: I usually check the pan at about the 35 minute mark. If the top is getting too browned, cover it with foil for the remaining baking time.)
- Cool. Allow the bread to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
FAQs and Storage Instructions
How can I make moist banana bread?
- First, as with any baked banana recipe, I recommend using extra ripe bananas. This is your chance to use up all those extra spotty, kinda gross looking brown bananas.
- Secondly, use melted butter instead of oil for the richest flavor and intense moisture.
- Using both brown sugar and white sugar adds moisture and gives the banana bread a deeper flavor.
- Finally, add sour cream to banana bread! A half cup of sour cream makes banana bread unbelievably moist and tender.
Can you freeze banana bread?
Absolutely! I froze the banana bread cake layers well in advance for the wedding.
To freeze, remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool completely. Then double wrap in plastic wrap and foil. The bread will keep for up to 3 months.
To thaw, remove the sour cream banana bread from the freezer and place at room temperature for 6-8 hours.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! Just double all of the ingredients and bake in two pans!
How can I make this banana bread into a cake or cupcakes?
This recipe can be baked in round cake pans or made into cupcakes. One batch will make enough for two thin 8 or 9 inch pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. I always recommend lining cake pans with parchment circles for easy removal.
How to Store and Serve Banana Bread with Sour Cream
Banana bread should be removed from the pan and cooled completely before storing, but I highly recommend enjoying a slice while it’s still warm. Slather that baby with butter or whipped cream cheese! Hooo baby! That’s the good stuff.
Once the banana bread is cooled, wrap it in saran wrap and store at room temperature. It will stay perfectly moist and lovely for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
Variations of Sour Cream Banana Bread
There are so many different ways to customize this recipe to make it your own. We sometimes add ½-1 cup chocolate chips or nuts (pecans are my personal favorite).
I’ve also made Double Chocolate Banana Bread, Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, and a Banana Ginger Bread Loaf all using this recipe as the base.
You could try a simple crumb topping or frost it with my favorite cream cheese frosting (found on this Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting).
Of course, sour cream banana bread also tastes darn delicious without any extras at all.
This is the kind of recipe I hope you’ll return to over and over again throughout the years. Maybe as a surprise after-school snack for the kids. Maybe for breakfast with good friends. Or maybe it’ll find its way into a care package or “Welcome, neighbor!” basket.
I’ve made this bread so many times now, it’s committed to memory. I hope it’ll become a part of our family throughout the years, bringing comfort, delight, and the satisfaction of a warm, buttery slice of bread for generations to come.
More Quick Breads and Muffin Recipes
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Easy Pumpkin Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bread
- Banana Nutella Swirl Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Lemon Raspberry Jam Muffins
Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick )
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large very ripe bananas (or 4 small bananas)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Grease a 9 inch bread pan with butter, or create a parchment sling and spray with cooking spray. (Full directions in the notes). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk together until smooth, creamy, and no brown sugar lumps remain.
- Whisk in the sour cream, then add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- In another bowl, mash the bananas then whisk them into the sour cream mixture.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon on top of the wet ingredients, then stir everything together until no white remains.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Note: I usually check the bread at the 35 minute mark. If the top is getting too browned, cover it with foil for the remaining baking time. Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack, after you sneak a slice warm from the oven, of course.
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Notes
- To make a parchment sling: cut a piece of parchment paper to be as wide as the long side of the pan. Press the parchment down into the pan so it lays flat. Greasing the pan first can help it stick. Leave 1-2 inches of extra parchment paper draped over each of the long sides to act as “handles” when you’re pulling it from the pan, then trim the rest. Grease the inside of the parchment paper with butter or cooking spray.
- This recipe can easily be doubled and made in two loaf pans.
- Wrap leftover bread in saran wrap and store at room temperature for up to five days. Tightly wrapped bread can also be frozen for several months then thawed in the fridge or at room temperature.
Hands down the BEST!!! Used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar for the second loaf and was even better! Thank you!
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! So glad you loved the banana bread recipe!
Hi Courtney, I’m a novice baker and found this recipe. It sounds like exactly what I’m what I’m looking for but I wanted to add walnuts to this. Can you recommend a quantity and should I just add in. When I’m mixing all the ingredients? Thank you!
You can definitely add walnuts to this recipe! I recommend between 1/2 and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. You can stir them in at the end and proceed with the recipe as usual. Hope you love the banana bread!
This was the BEST tasing banana bread! Only issue I had was the center was still liquid, I thought it was because I was undercooking it but if I left it in longer I worry the rest would have dried out. I’ll be making it again as soon as my bananas are ripe enough! That’s the worst part of baking this.. I don’t love bananas on their own so I have to basically wait a week for them to ripen before I can bake again!
I just can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I follow the recipe exactly, add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and after cooking 1hr the centre still isn’t cooked ! Leaving it in longer and hoping the ends won’t be super dry.
Did you check your oven temp with an extra little oven thermometer? Mine tends to be off a few degrees. Sometimes I start with a slightly higher oven and then turn down to bake the bread.
I have the same issue! Just made this for the second time and the center was still liquid but the ends started burning. I covered the ends with foil and didn’t seem to help 🙁
Hmmm I’m sorry you had this experience. It’s so hard to know what the issue could be without being in the kitchen with you. I do know if I use very very ripe and large bananas, sometimes the center can take longer to bake. You can cover the whole pan with foil as soon as its browned and continue to bake.
This was the best banana bread I’ve eaten. So moist and flavorful. My husband was very happy!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share!
Really is the best ever! Amazing. I had to fudge a little – I was about a half cup short on flour so substituted garbanzo flour – great results. Used Greek yogurt. Then I baked in 3 of those little foil baby loaf pans and it was just the right amount. Great suggestion to check doneness a bit early – mine was perfect at 25+ minutes.
Put on some frosting or some ice cream and nuts and you’d have a splendid dessert for company!
What do you suggest if I only have two ripe bananas? Do I modify the measurements? How so? Or should I grab another banana from the store that won’t be as ripe?
I would probably substitute the third banana with 1/3 cup applesauce.
Hey there. What is the measure of 3 or 5 mashed bananas? 1 cup? 3 cups?
One large banana is about 1/2 cup mashed, so 3 is 1 1/2 cups.
I made this creamy-moist banana bread (moist part I credit to the sour cream). I added in some walnuts and raisins for fun, and baked inside several emptied, cleaned and greased soup cans. which made them a cute shape. These will be my early Valentines for a few people I will drop in on tomorrow. Red ribbon, card…good to go! I heard about the soup can part from a friend online. I’ll try to post a pic on the instagram site.
Love the banana bread recipe! I am not really a fan of cooking and was so happy with all the details provided, the bread tasted amazing. The tip about covering the bread with foil to avoid burning was great.