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
Did you make this recipe?
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This bread is delicious and so fun to share! Got rave reviews from my friends. I use powdered buttermilk and it worked well. Only thing is that even after 40 minutes of cooking, the loaves were just a tiny bit underdone so be sure to check them.
My 8 year old son and I have been making this recipe at least every other month for 3, maybe 4 years now. It is a long-standing favorite in our house and the best way for us to use up over-ripe bananas. It is also one of my go-to recipes to share with friends who have babies or to welcome new neighbors. We usually make it either as a large loaf or muffins.
Really yummy! Added walnuts because why not? Will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I haven’t made this yet but want to— I’m not crazy about bananas. If I just use 1 banana, would I need to substitute something for the other 2? And what would that be? Thanks!
I Put 1/4 cup batter in each muffin space to make 15 muffins. They were baked on convection at 350 degrees for 17 min. I followed some recommended changes. They were reducing sugar to 3/4 c, increasing baking soda to 1-2 tsp and shaking 1 tsp flour with frozen blueberries before adding to batter. My husband said they are his new favorite muffins.
Would this recipe work well for muffins?
Excellent recipe, easy and delicious!!
This bread is delicious! Very easy to make. I followed the directions as they were, used 4 mini-loaf pans, except 30 minutes in the oven was not nearly enough. Ended up cooking them for at least 20 minutes more. Was my oven supposed to be on convection?
My husband loved this recipe so much. The only thing I did different was add chopped pecans, one time, then black walnuts the next time. I added a little bit of sugar on top. He ate all 4 loaves within 2 days. Of course I got a few bites in. Ty so much for this recipe. Will
I have made this recipe multiple times. But today I made it using almond flour and it did not turn out well at all. What can I do in the future to make this turn out like it’s supposed to?
I find that this recipe is truly best when using all-purpose flour.
Made this today and it is wonderful! My husband said “that’s a keeper”. We ate one of the loaves while it was still warm. I deleted the other banana blueberry bread recipes that I had pinned! Thanks for the recipe.
CAN YOU PUT LESS SUGAR
Yes.
This Banana-blueberry bread is amazing! Going in my favorite little recipe bin. I made a double batch in regular loaf pans and made the buttermilk using your white vinegar recipe. A new favorite in our happy home! Thank you!
Would they turn out different if I use frozen blueberries?
Would the colour bleed?
A little bit but it should be fine!
Would I be able to use frozen blueberries instead of fresh ones?
Yes.
This will also be my go to recipe for banana bread. Changes I made – 1 cup mashed bananas, 1 cup brown sugar, rehydrated 1/2 cup dried blueberries with 1/4 cup hot water. Baked 1 hour in 1 loaf pan at 175C. Amazing flavour. Next time will try to cut down sugar to 3/4 cup.
So I have made this recipe a hundred times. It is amazing every time and is one of my most requested recipes. My son asked me to make a peanut butter version without the blueberries. What is your opinion on this in regards to substitutions? Thank you!!
Just took these out of the oven and I burned my tongue because I couldn’t wait for them to cool. I made these in mini mini loaf pan. I turned the temp down to 325 degrees so they wouldn’t burn and substituted Greek yogurt for the buttermilk because that is what I had on hand. This is my new favorite banana bread recipe.
Just made this again, this time substituting coconut oil for the butter and added sliced almonds on top. This is my favorite banana bread recipe.
I dont have any paddle mixers for my electric mixer, would a regular mixer work?
Yes.
This is my go to recipe for banana bread (took out the blueberry) since I found it almost a year ago. So easy and delicious. Thank you!!