Buttermilk Banana Blueberry Bread
by Chungah
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Mini banana bread! The most perfect way to use up those spotty, overripe bananas. Incredibly moist and loaded with all the banana flavor!
Featured Comment
why i love these mini banana bread loaves
- Faster baking time. A full-sized banana bread loaf will typically bake in 1 hour, whereas these mini banana bread loaves bake in about 30-35 minutes.
- Evenly baked. No more burning-sides-overcooked-insides! Because these mini loaves are so much smaller, the banana bread bakes through evenly (no more doughy insides!) without drying out the edges.
- Freezer-friendly. Banana bread freezes very well, keeping in the freezer for at least 3 months, perfect for a rainy (or snowy, sunny, lazy) day.
- So customizable. This banana bread recipe can easily be customized with various mix-ins like nuts, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and so much more.
- Versatile. Little banana loaves work so well for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or even an after school snack for the kids (and grown ups, of course).
- Makes for great gifts. Who doesn’t love homemade banana bread? These cute little loaves make for the most adorable, charming gifts for neighbors, teachers, friends and family. The best part? This recipe yields 5 mini loaves!
Why add buttermilk to banana bread?
The buttermilk serves many purposes here, adding increased moisture and tenderness to the banana bread, reacting with the baking soda for a superior rise (think lighter, fluffier bread!), and also adding a subtle tang to balance out the sweetness of the bananas.
freezer hack
Overripe bananas can be frozen.
Have some brown bananas but not ready to make banana bread? These overripe bananas can be frozen for up to 3 months! Peel the brown bananas first and store in a freezer-safe bag, thawing at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Banana Bread variations and Mix-Ins
One of the best things about banana bread is how highly adaptable it is, dressing it up or down as needed with any of these mix-ins.
Chocolate
Semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips or mini chocolate chips
Nuts
Pecans or walnuts (nuts can be toasted beforehand for extra flavor)
Coconut
Shredded coconut
Fruit
Raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries or dried pineapple
Swirl
Cream cheese, peanut butter or Nutella
Tips and tricks for success
- Use ripe bananas. Bananas for banana bread should be ripe to overripe (heavily spotted to mostly black). The browner the banana, the sweeter, more fragrant it will be, yielding moist banana bread. Bright yellow bananas are not ideal as they will be too starchy.
- Frozen blueberries can be used. Both fresh or frozen blueberries can be used in this recipe, while many prefer frozen blueberries for convenience. When using frozen blueberries, skip the thaw and add them directly from the freezer to the batter or else they will bleed. Frozen blueberries can also be coated in a little bit of all-purpose flour to suspend them in the batter and to keep them from sinking to the bottom.
- Fill 2/3 full. For the best results, fill the mini loaf pans 2/3 full, allowing the batter to rise without overflowing. Overfilling the loaf pans can yield an uncooked center with crusty edges.
- Serve at room temperature or warm. Banana bread is so versatile, and can be served with a morning cup of coffee or as an after school snack. Serve at room temperature or warm (lightly toasted) with a slather of butter, if desired.
- Cool on a wire rack. Cooling the warm banana bread on a wire rack prevents over baking and ensures even cooling – allowing air to circulate throughout and preventing the steam from trapping at the very bottom of the loaf pan (which can yield soggy, wet banana bread loaves).
- Freeze as needed. Let the banana bread cool completely on a wire rack prior to freezing to prevent sogginess and freezer burn.
freezing and storage
Make ahead
Banana bread tastes even better the very next day, fully distributing the moisture from the bananas and allowing all the banana flavors to really meld and deepen overnight. If time permits, bake the banana bread 1 day prior, covering tightly with plastic wrap and storing overnight at room temperature.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Avoid storing the banana bread in the fridge as the cold air can cause the bread to dry out much faster (think stale, hard banana bread).
Freeze
These mini banana bread loaves can keep in the freezer for a few months. Cool completely and cover the banana bread tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil (this will help prevent freezer burn). Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw at room temperature on a wire rack for 2-3 hours (or in the fridge overnight for a slow, consistent thaw). Optional: once thawed, reheat in the oven at 250°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
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Buttermilk Banana Blueberry Bread: Frequently Asked Questions
A quick and easy buttermilk substitute is creating your own buttermilk with whole milk and something acidic such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.
You can add 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to 1 cup milk, letting it stand for 5-10 minutes.
Yes! When using frozen blueberries, skip the thaw and toss them in with some flour before adding to the batter at the very end, mixing gently and as little as possible.
Leftover banana bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
For the best results, banana bread should be stored at room temperature for a few days or the freezer for long term storage. Unfortunately, the fridge can cause the banana bread to stale much faster (unless the banana bread contains a cream cheese filling or swirl).
Absolutely! Banana bread freezes beautifully for about 3 months, and can be frozen in individual slices or whole loaves.
Buttermilk Banana Blueberry Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat 4 mini loaf pans with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until well combined.
- Beat in bananas until well combined. Gradually add flour mixture to the sugar mixture at low speed, beating just until incorporated.
- Stir in blueberries and lemon zest.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the loaf pans. Place into oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting the loaves onto a wire rack.
Equipment
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My favorite banana bread recipe! This is the only one I ever make. I’ve made lots of substitutions over the years and it turns out great every time – greek yogurt or milk/lemon juice for buttermilk, reduced sugar, used brown sugar, coconut oil instead of butter, add cinnamon, chocolate chips instead of blueberries, made as a large loaf or muffins….so many options! (Note: I don’t do all of those substitutions at the same time time)
This is the best banana bread I have ever had and the addition of blueberries is the crowning glory. Baked it in a 9 by 5 loaf pan and it was delicious. Will be making this often.
This is the best banana bread recipe that I’ve found. Simply delicious.
Hi, whats an alternative to butter milk? – I can’t find butter milk that fits my kosher standard.
CAN THIS RECIPE BE MADE IN 1 LOAF PAN OR BUNDT PAN? IF SO WHAT IS BAKING TIME?
I can’t go back to regular banana bread now. This is THE recipe I use anytime I make banana bread. It’s so moist and the blueberries add such a great sweet flavor. When I bring this to gatherings, many ask for the recipe. Grateful for her sharing this delicious recipe with us.
I love this recipe! My daughter introduced it to me and it has been our favorite banana bread ever since.
Thank you for your gift of a great recipe!
Me and my family just love this recipe! The recipe is delicious as is but I do add 1/2 cup of more blueberries that just takes it over the top. I use frozen blueberries, that I stored up last year, and it turns out every time. Thank you for the recipe.
I just want to say I can count on your recipes to be perfect each and every time. I can’t be sure how many I’ve tried, but I use them over and over again. Not sure why it took me so long to try the Banana Bread recipe, but WOWZA. I’ve tried so many BB recipes and I’m thrilled I no longer have to search for more. After reading reviews I decided to use a little less sugar only to find out I had exactly 1/2 cup of sugar left. I threw in a little brown sugar and it was delicious! Also skipped the blueberries this time. I used a regular loaf pan so it baked a bit longer. Perfectly moist, texture not to fluffy or dense, just right. Sweetness perfect. Thank you!!
I have made this multiple times now and everyone loves it. I dont have mini tins so I found using a Bundt cake pan is perfect for this recipe and bake a bit longer. Making it right now for a party tonight. Turns out moist, delicious and everyone thinks it is beautiful too! Highly recommend!
Very good. I saw others used Greek yogurt in place of buttermilk so I did the same and it still tastes great. I wanted a full size loaf because that’s the pan I have so I did one full loaf instead of minis. Thanks for the recipe.
Omg it came out beautiful! It’s for my son’s school crossing guard. They risk their lives for our kids and I witnessed her do it first hand. Thank you Mrs. Elizabeth!!
Loaf pan it is and I bake for longer than the time listed. Perfect. Brown outer and slightly gooey center.
Omg. Just delicious. it didn’t last very long in my house. I also used Greek yogurt and cut the sugar to 3/4 cup.
Genial, sano y con las mejores frutas del mundo
I love this banana bread. I too am loaf pan challenged. This turns out great every time. No gooey middle or dry overbaked outside.
OMG! This is so damn delicious! I used greek yogurt instead of the buttermilk and 3/4 cup of sugar and baked it in a bundt pan. It’s moist and full of flavor. THANK YOU! I will definitely be making this over and over again.
Thank you for the tip. that worked very well for me as well
I make this wonderful recipe every Christmas as gifts for our wonderful friends and neighbors. Then I make a whole new batch for my family. Great bread for gifts and anytime.
This recipe has been a staple of mine for years. It is well loved and gets gobbled up quickly, summer or winter, young, old, or somewhere in between. It is excellent.
Look great and can’t wait to have with my coffee