Approximate Cost: $1.45 ($0.18 per slice)

This 4 ingredient banana bread is surprisingly delicious, tender, and perfectly sweet. It’s also so quick and easy to make, and it’s affordable, too! The perfect way to use up overripe bananas.

Slices of a loaf of banana bread made with only 4 ingredients.

🍞 What Makes This Recipe So Good

Banana bread is a great way to use up any overripe bananas that may not look super appetizing but are totally fine to eat. When I’m on a tight budget, one of the very first things I do is try to find a way to cut down on food waste. This recipe does exactly that!
Did we mention this banana bread recipe only needs 4 ingredients?! FOUR. INGREDIENTS! And they’re all staples that you probably have on hand right. now.
You might be looking at the ingredients list and thinking “how on earth is this going to make a loaf of bread that actually tastes good?” Well, it doesn’t. It makes a loaf of bread that tastes AMAZING! It’s moist and tender and fluffy and sweet, not at all dry or dense. The brown sugar makes it warm and rich, and there’s a ton of banana flavor in every bite. In fact, because there aren’t a lot of other ingredients to cover things up, the flavors of the bananas and the brown sugar really shine through!

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

The key to perfectly sweet, moist 4 ingredient banana bread is to use overripe bananas. The ones where the peels are more brown than yellow. Where the stems threaten to fall off if you look at them wrong. Bananas become sweeter as they ripen, and their banana-y flavor is more pronounced – exactly what you want for banana bread. Not only are the flavors better, they’re also more moist when they’re overripe. That’s super important when the bananas make up 50% of the wet ingredients in the recipe.
If your bananas aren’t overripe yet, don’t worry. You can help them along. Option 1 is to place the bananas in a paper bag and fold the top of the bag closed a few times. The ethylene will be trapped in the bag, which will speed up the ripening process. You may need a day or two for this depending on how ripe your bananas are. Option 2 would be to place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and put them in the oven while it preheats for your bread. The heat will also help speed up the ripening process. Just keep an eye on them and take them out when the peels start to turn black.
Now for the other wet ingredient… the eggs. Eggs make up the other 50% of the moisture, which is, y’know, not exactly nothing when your banana bread only has 4 ingredients total. Make sure you use large eggs (or even extra-large eggs), or you won’t have enough liquid and your banana bread will end up dry and crumbly.

Top down view of a loaf of banana bread made with only 4 ingredients.

🍌 You’ll Go BANANAS for These Recipes!

4-Ingredient Banana Bread

Quick, easy, and SO affordable – this delicious banana bread is the absolute best way to use up overripe bananas!

Prep: 15

Cook: 55

Total: 1 10

Recipe Makes: 8 slices

Approximate Cost: $1.45 ($0.18 per slice)

Equipment

oven
8-½" x 4-½" loaf pan
parchment paper
large mixing bowl
fork
whisk (optional)
flour sifter (optional, see Notes)
silicone spatula
toothpick (or butter knife)

Ingredients

For the Banana Bread

▢ 3 large overripe bananas
▢ 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
▢ ½ packed cup brown sugar (light or dark)
▢ 1 level cup self-rising flour

Suggested Topping (Optional)

▢ 1 large overripe banana (halved length-wise)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper overhanging both sides of pan for easy removal after baking. Set pan aside.
Peel 3 large overripe bananas and place in large mixing bowl. Use fork to mash bananas until almost liquid, with few lumps remaining.
Crack 2 large eggs into mixing bowl. Mix eggs into mashed bananas with fork or whisk until ingredients are fully incorporated.
Sift ½ packed cup brown sugar and 1 level cup self-rising flour into mixing bowl with wet ingredients. Stir well until ingredients are just fully combined. Be careful not to overmix batter or bread will be dense.
Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan. Spread batter out into even layer, making sure to reach all 4 corners of pan. If desired, place 2 halves of 1 large overripe banana, cut-side up, on top of batter and press gently just to set.
Place loaf pan in preheated oven. Bake bread 45 minutes, then begin testing doneness. To check doneness, insert toothpick or butter knife into center of bread, then remove immediately. Continue baking bread, checking doneness every 3 to 5 minutes, until toothpick or knife inserted into bread comes out covered in very few or no crumbs at all.
Once bread is fully baked, carefully remove loaf pan from oven and set aside to cool. When bread is completely cool, use excess parchment paper to gently lift bread out of pan. Slice bread and serve as desired.

Notes

Flour Sifter: If you don’t have a sifter, just use your hands or a fork to break up any lumps or clumps in the brown sugar and the flour before adding them to the wet ingredients.
Bananas: If your bananas aren’t overripe yet, place them (unpeeled) on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for a few minutes while it preheats. The heat will help the bananas ripen in a short amount of time. Take them out when you see the peels turn black!
Eggs: In addition to overripe bananas, it’s important that you use large eggs, or your bread may end up being too dry. The eggs and bananas are your only sources of moisture here, so don’t use eggs that are too small!
Flour: To use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising flour, you’ll need to add a little baking powder and salt so the bread turns out like it should. Replace 1 cup self-rising flour with 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder + ½ teaspoon salt.

Optional Mix-Ins

Chopped walnuts
Mini chocolate chips
Cinnamon
Vanilla extract
Banana extract
Orange zest
Fresh blueberries

Storage Recommendations

Room Temperature: Store any leftover slices in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place. The bread will keep 2 to 4 days this way.
Refrigerator: Place the leftover slices in an airtight container and refrigerate them up to 7 days. Enjoy the bread chilled or microwave it for a few seconds first.
Freezer: Wrap the cooled loaf or slices tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap it again in aluminum foil. Make sure both wraps cover the bread completely. Place the wrapped bread in a freezer-safe sealable bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal the bag shut. Keep the bread in the freezer up to 6 months. Make sure to defrost it completely in the fridge before serving.

Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclaimer

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Did You Make This Recipe?Be sure to leave us a rating and review below!

Recipe by Cheryl Malik

3 Comments

Toni says:

December 16, 2023 at 2:48 pm

If you don’t have an oven. Can you use a crock pot

1. Megan | Cheap Cheap Eats Team says:
  
  December 18, 2023 at 11:56 pm
  
  Oh, I’m so sorry, we didn’t test this bread in the Crockpot, so I can’t say if it would work or not. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
  
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