Banana Bread with Oil is the best banana bread I have ever had. Oil and sour cream are the secret to moist banana bread, and two full cups of banana and brown sugar give it sweet, rich, cozy flavor. It's an easy one-bowl banana bread recipe, and you can even use frozen bananas!
When I don't feel like waiting for banana bread to bake, I love these Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins or Carrot Banana Muffins.
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🎥Video: How to Make Banana Bread with Oil
✅Recipe at a Glance
🍽️Servings: 12
👍Difficulty: Easy
⏰Prep Time: 10
🔥Bake Time: 60 min.
🛒Key Ingredients: Overripe bananas, oil, sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, flour; mini chocolate chips and pecans are optional.
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❤️This is the Best Banana Bread Recipe
- Super soft and moist. Banana bread with oil is softer and moister than butter.
- Tastes like bananas. Made with more bananas than other banana bread recipes.
- Fast, easy, one-bowl banana bread. Everything comes together in one bowl. So easy.
- Customize with toppings and mix-ins. Chocolate chips and pecans are optional.
For more easy banana bread recipes with oil, try Banana Zucchini Bread and Banana Bread with Pancake Mix. Want a fun new way to use up overripe bananas? Try this Cinnamon Banana Cake with Angel Food Mix!
🍌Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients.
- Overripe bananas. You'll need about 4 medium bananas for 2 cups of mashed banana. Bananas covered in brown spots or with black peels taste the sweetest and mash the smoothest. Frozen bananas (thawed, mashed, and strained) also work.
- Oil. Oil makes quick breads softer and moister than butter. Use a neutral oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil. Avoid olive oil, as it may overpower the banana flavor.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and rich molasses flavor. I prefer dark brown sugar, light brown sugar also works.
- Sour cream. Sour cream makes banana bread exceptionally moist. Plain full-fat Greek yogurt also works.
- All-purpose flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping can pack in too much flour, making the bread dry.
- Toppings or mix-ins. Chocolate chips, chopped pecans or walnuts, or dried fruit. Stir in up to 1 cup total mix-ins or sprinkle ⅔ cup on top. I like to use mini chocolate chips because they are less likely to sink.
🥣How to Make Banana Bread with Oil
Step 1: Mash bananas in a large bowl. Keep the banana a little chunky. Stir in oil and sour cream, then baking soda and salt, then both sugars, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Mix in the flour and stir until just combined. Optional: add up to 1 cup of mix-ins (chocolate chips, nuts).
Step 3: Pour batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment or sprayed with nonstick spray. Optional: sprinkle up to ⅔ cup toppings in an even layer.
Step 4: Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees f for 55-65 minutes. Tent with foil toward the end if it starts to get too brown. Cool 10-15 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack to cool completely.
✅Expert Tips
- Use room temperature eggs and sour cream for smoother mixing and a well-blended batter.
- Add up to 1 cup mix-ins to the batter or sprinkle ⅔ cup on top of the batter.
- Line the pan with parchment if adding chocolate chips on top for easy removal without disturbing the soft chocolate.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, or the internal temperature reaches 200-205°F.
🧊Storage & Freezing Tips
- Storage: Store banana bread at room temperature for 3-4 days, in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then wrap the loaf, partial loaf, or slices in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Place wrapped loaves in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- If topped with chocolate chips, wrap in parchment paper before wrapping in plastic to protect the topping.
- Get more banana bread storage tips here.
❓FAQs
Yes. Very ripe bananas with brown or black peels are ideal for banana bread. Don't use them if they have mold or an off odor.
Yes. You can substitute the butter in banana bread with oil. A good rule of thumb is to use a 3:4 ratio. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, replace it with ¾ cup of oil.
Yes. Freeze very brown or black bananas unpeeled. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature or microwave at 50% power for 3-4 minutes until soft. Mash and strain off the excess liquid to prevent the bread from becoming too dense. The mashed, strained bananas should have the same appearance and texture as fresh overripe ones.
Yes, Brown sugar adds moisture, a rich molasses flavor, and a darker color. Dark and light brown sugar work well. You can use all brown sugar or a mix of brown sugar and white sugar.
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📖 Recipe
Banana Bread with Oil
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed banana about 4 medium bananas
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ⅔ - 1 cup chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, optional for mix-ins or topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 inch bread pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
- Lightly mash bananas in a large bowl. Keep the banana a little chunky.
- Stir in the oil and sour cream, then the baking soda and salt. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract, and stir until combined.
- Add the flour. Stir until just combined, do not overmix. If desired, gently stir in up to one cup of mix-ins (mini chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit).
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Optional, sprinkle ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips and nuts on top.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean or the internal temperature reads 200-205 on an instant read thermometer. Tent with foil toward the end if it's getting too brown.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan on a wire baking rack. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely on the rack.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs and sour cream make for smoother mixing and a well-blended batter.
- Use up to 1 cup total mix-ins in the batter, or ⅔ cup as a topping.
- If topping with chocolate chips. line the pan with parchment for easy removal without disturbing the topping.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, or the internal temperature reaches 200-205°F.
Maria says
Can I use oat flour or almond flour for this banana recipe?
Thank you
Cara Lanz says
Hi, Maria, I haven't tested this recipe with oat flour or almond flour, so I can't speak to how well either of those substitutes will work. Please let me know what you try and how it turns out! Thank you, Cara