Honey Vanilla Banana Bread

Honey vanilla banana bread with a honey-brushed, deeply golden crust and a tender, lightly golden crumb. Made with mashed ripe bananas and real vanilla for a warm, floral aroma in every slice.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 15

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Calories: 320

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Bananas

3 ripe bananas Mash until smooth with only small lumps remaining.

Wet ingredients

0.3333333333 cup butter Melted; cool slightly so it doesn’t cook the egg.
0.5 cup honey Use 1/2 cup in batter and reserve 1 tablespoon for brushing.
1 large egg Room temperature for best mixing.
2 tsp pure vanilla extract Use vanilla bean seeds instead if desired.

Dry ingredients

1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 tsp cinnamon Optional but recommended for warm flavor.

Equipment

1 sheet pan
1 Dutch oven

Method

Prep and heat

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

Mix the batter

Whisk the melted butter, honey, egg, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until smooth and well combined.

Add dry ingredients

Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined—do not overmix.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F, until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Glaze and cool

Remove from the oven and immediately brush the top with 1 tablespoon of honey while still warm.

Slice

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and slice when cooled to room temperature.

Notes

For the most tender crumb, mix the batter just until the dry ingredients disappear—overmixing can make banana bread dense. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. If you want a lower-sugar option, reduce honey slightly and add 1–2 tablespoons mashed banana for moisture, keeping the batter thick enough to hold its shape.