Anna Louise Banana bread is the recipe that turns a kitchen problem into a kitchen triumph. Those blackened, overripe bananas sitting on the counter that nobody wants to eat — they are not a problem.
They are the best possible ingredient for the best possible banana bread, and this is the recipe that makes the most of them.
Mary Berry’s banana bread is everything this bake should be. Deeply moist from the bananas, properly sweet without being cloying, with a tender crumb and a slightly cracked, golden top.
It comes together in one bowl in about ten minutes and bakes into something that smells extraordinary and tastes even better — warm from the oven with a scraping of cold butter, or toasted the next day when the flavour has deepened overnight.
The riper the bananas, the better the bread. Black-skinned, soft, intensely sweet bananas produce a banana bread with far more flavour and moisture than yellow ones. Do not throw them away. Make this.
Why Overripe Bananas Make Better Banana Bread
As bananas ripen, the starch converts to sugar. An overripe banana has significantly more natural sugar, more moisture, and a much more intense banana flavour than a fresh one. All three of these things are exactly what banana bread needs.
A banana bread made with fresh yellow bananas is pleasant. One made with black, overripe bananas is genuinely wonderful. The difference is immediately and completely noticeable.
If your bananas are not ripe enough, place them unpeeled on a baking tray in a 180°C oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins turn black. Cool before using. This accelerates the ripening process and gives you bananas sweet enough for an excellent banana bread.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Banana Bread
- 3 very ripe bananas (about 300g peeled weight — the riper the better)
- 175g self-raising flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine salt
- 100g soft light brown sugar
- 75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp whole milk
Optional Additions
- 75g walnut pieces, roughly chopped — adds crunch and a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness
- 75g dark chocolate chips — adds richness
- 50g dried cranberries or raisins
How to Make Mary Berry Banana Bread — Step by Step
Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare
Preheat your oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / Gas 3. Grease a 2lb (900g) loaf tin and line with baking parchment, leaving overhang at the sides for easy removal.
Step 2 — Mash the Bananas
Peel the bananas and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash thoroughly with a fork until almost smooth — a few small lumps are fine and add texture to the finished bread. The mashing releases all that natural sweetness and moisture that makes banana bread so good.
Step 3 — Add the Wet Ingredients
Add the melted butter, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and milk to the mashed banana. Stir with a fork until everything is combined.
Step 4 — Add the Dry Ingredients
Add the soft light brown sugar, sifted self-raising flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold gently with a large spatula until just combined — stop the moment there are no dry streaks of flour. Do not overmix. Overmixing banana bread makes it tough and dense rather than soft and tender.
Fold in the walnuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit if using.
Step 5 — Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread to level the top. Bake on the middle shelf for 55 to 65 minutes until the loaf is deep golden brown, well risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
At the 45-minute mark, check the top. If it is browning too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of baking parchment and continue baking.
Step 6 — Cool and Serve
Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and place on a wire rack. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing — hot banana bread tears rather than slices cleanly.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Sliced and buttered is the best possible way.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Banana Bread
Use the blackest bananas you can find. The blacker the skin, the sweeter and more flavourful the banana, and the better the finished bread. If you only have yellow bananas, roast them in their skins at 180°C for 15 minutes until black.
Do not overmix. Fold the batter gently and stop the moment the flour is incorporated. Overmixed banana bread is dense and tough rather than soft and tender.
Use brown sugar rather than white. Soft light brown sugar adds a slight caramel depth that suits banana bread perfectly and gives the loaf a warmer, more complex sweetness.
Add walnuts. The slight bitterness and crunch of toasted walnuts against the sweet, soft banana bread is one of the best flavour combinations in baking. Toast them in a dry pan for five minutes before adding.
This bread improves overnight. Made today, it is good. Made today and eaten tomorrow, it is better — the banana flavour deepens and the crumb becomes even more moist. Wrap in cling film and leave at room temperature overnight.
Do not overbake. Banana bread dries out quickly if left in the oven too long. Check at 55 minutes and remove as soon as the skewer comes out clean.
Serving Suggestions
Warm slices with cold salted butter — always the best way. Toasted the next day with butter and a drizzle of honey. As part of a weekend brunch spread alongside eggs and fruit. As an afternoon snack with a strong cup of tea.
How to Store Mary Berry Banana Bread
At room temperature: Wrap in cling film or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It stays moist and the flavour improves over the first two days.
In the freezer: Slice, wrap individually in cling film, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or toast from frozen.
Mary Berry Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / Gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
- Mash bananas in a large bowl until almost smooth.
- Add melted butter, beaten eggs, vanilla, and milk. Stir to combine.
- Add brown sugar, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold gently until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in walnuts if using.
- Pour into prepared tin. Bake 55–65 minutes until deep golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cover top loosely with parchment if browning too quickly.
- Cool in tin 10 minutes. Lift out and cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising?
Yes — use 175g plain flour and increase the baking powder to 2 teaspoons. The result is virtually identical.
Why did my banana bread sink in the middle?
Usually underbaking, opening the oven door too early, or too much liquid from very wet bananas. Always do the skewer test and do not open the oven before 45 minutes.
Can I make banana bread without eggs?
Yes — replace each egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, left 5 minutes). The bread will be slightly denser but still very good.
Can I make banana muffins with this recipe?
Yes — divide the batter between 12 muffin cases and bake at the same temperature for 20 to 25 minutes. They are wonderful and bake much faster than the loaf.
Can I add Nutella or peanut butter?
Yes — swirl two tablespoons of Nutella or smooth peanut butter through the batter just before baking for a spectacular result. Do not fully mix it in — leave it in swirls.
How ripe is too ripe?
There is no such thing as too ripe for banana bread. Fermented or mouldy bananas are the only ones to avoid. As long as the flesh smells sweet and fruity, however black the skin, they are perfect.
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