This quick and easy one-banana banana bread recipe can be made with just one banana and a few pantry staples. It bakes up moist and sweet with a decadent cinnamon sugar crust.
Last week, I shared Dominique Ansel’s banana bread (AKA my favorite banana bread recipe in the entire world) with you, and promised in the post that I’d make a mini version for all you small-batch bakers out there.
As promised, here is a cute little mini version of my favorite banana bread.
Small-batch Banana Bread
This mini version bakes in a 5.5 x 3-inch loaf pan (or can be baked as muffins in a muffin tin) and like my small-batch banana muffins, it can be made with just a single brown banana.
The bread is soft, moist, buttery, and just such a treat. And to make things even better, there’s a crinkly cinnamon sugar crust over the top that is just SO good.
Ingredient Notes
- One brown banana: You need just one brown banana for this recipe. If you have a banana, but it’s not quite brown enough for baking, check out my post on how to quickly ripen bananas.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter here, just make sure to read the recipe notes and add more or less salt depending on which you’re using.
- Cinnamon sugar: The cinnamon sugar crust, is optional (but highly recommended). If you’re not a huge fan of cinnamon or don’t want the extra sweetness, you can skip it.
How To Make One-banana Banana Bread
1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
2. Combine most of the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, mash the banana and whisk in the egg until well-combined. Pour banana mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just-combined.
3. Add butter: Add melted butter, and mix until butter is incorporated into the batter. Don’t over mix, but there should not be melted butter remaining around the edges of the batter (note the way the batter looks in the last photo above).
4. Bake: Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan, leaving ¾-inch of space from the top of the pan (discard extra batter if there is too much). Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the batter, and bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Enjoy: Allow to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before removing and slicing.
FAQ
I love this recipe, can I make a full-size version?
Absolutely! If you want to make a full-size loaf of this banana bread, go check out my post My Favorite Banana Bread.
How do I store this banana bread?
Store the bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I don’t have a 5.5 x 3-inch loaf pan. What can I use instead?
Any mini loaf pan around that size will work, so if you have something that’s similar in size but not exact, feel free to use it. Just be sure to leave about ¾ of an inch of space from the top of the pan when you add your batter so it doesn’t overflow in your oven.
If you don’t own a mini loaf pan at all, these are the ones I own, or you can bake the batter in a muffin tin. It will make 5 to 6 banana muffins. Bake at 350°F for 17 to 22 minutes.
More Small-batch Breakfast Recipes
More Banana Recipes
- Small-batch Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Banana Milkshake
- Banana Pancakes
- 20+ Banana Recipes to Use Up Your Brown Bananas
One-banana Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt *
- 1 medium overripe banana
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons (42g) salted butter melted*
Cinnamon Sugar Crust
- 1 teaspoon (4g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a mini loaf pan, line with parchment paper sling (optional), and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, mash the banana and whisk in the egg until well-combined. Pour banana mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just-combined.
- Add melted butter, and mix until butter is incorporated into the batter. Don’t over mix, but there should not be pools of butter remaining around the edges of the batter.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan, leaving ¾ inch of space from the top of the pan (discard extra batter if there is too much).
Optional Cinnamon Sugar Crust
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
Bake
- Bake for 30 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before removing and slicing.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Susanne says
Perfect recipe! I don’t bake a lot but I have baked it 3 times already and always turns out perfect. I Like that the cake keeps some airiness to it, whilst firm at same time. Perfect!
I only reduced sugar to 3/4 because my personal flavour is less sweet. Do it with any recipe.
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Susanne! Reducing the sugar is definitely a good idea if you prefer less-sweet desserts. This is a really sweet banana bread recipe (by design lol).
ndidi says
Really good! Put a Nigerian twist on it and made it with fried plantain instead of bananas. Would change nutmeg to 1/8 tsp instead of 1/4 tsp, and added some honey roasted pecans to the batter. Came out really well!
Lee Rutter says
Absolutely simple and results came out perfect.
I only added Cacao and an additional egg.
This will be my go-to recipe!!
I had been staring at a banana for a couple hours debating on making banana bread or eat it ripe. I finally decided to bake a bread and am so excited I did.
My GF loved it!!!!
Julia says
Made exactly as directed, moist with lots of flavor. Not too sweet, the comments said could decrease sugar to 1/3 cup so will try this next time. Used 7.5 x4.5 pan as it was the smallest I have and it turned out great; 35 minutes at 350 degrees. 9 nice size slices. Perfect size for just the 2 of us empty nesters. I always have that pesky one left over banana getting riper every day and daring me to toss it out. Who has the last laugh now?
Philomena says
Thank you for posting this! My goal is to make small desserts for my family so we don’t over indulge and this was exactly what I was looking for. The best part is that I substituted egg with “egg replacer” and not only was it great, but it was vegan!
Brittany B. says
Great recipe! I didn’t have nutmeg so I did a generous amount of cinnamon and 1/8 tap of allspice. I also swapped the full 1/2 portion of all purpose flour for 1/4 almond flour 1/4 APF for some added nutrients.
I added chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts to the cinnamon and sugar topping. CHEFS KISS. Thanks for this recipe
Emily says
Love this! Had that lone brown banana just needing a purpose – and perfect for mini-loaf pan. . Baked for the longer time- added just a whisper of cardamom and a splash of vanilla- chocolate chips sound good for next time. Thank you for sharing!
Maya says
This banana bread was great! Only had one egg left and one half rotten banana, so this recipe was perfect! Will definitely make again
Anais says
can i freeze this loaf after baking and pre slicing for meal prep?
cmal says
I made this today in my mini rice cooker following the cake directions that came with the pot. (https://manuals.plus/curtis-stone/mini-multi-cookercuiseur-manual#buttery_vanilla_cake_with_berries_and_cream)
I was amazed that it worked. You DO HAVE TO let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so in order for the thing to set up, but it’s cute and it’s yummy!
Anna says
I’m so glad I can across this recipe, usually banana bread recipe will make for more than 4 servings. This is just perfect measurement for two person! Thanks for sharing!
Diane G. says
This was very tasty. Full disclosure – I had to use gluten free flour because I have Celiac Disease. I used King Arthur Measure for Measure GF flour. It worked perfectly.
Linda says
I made this recipe into muffins. My husband and I both loved them! I can’t wait to make them again. The topping is like the icing on the cake – it makes them so extra delicious! I love that the recipe only makes a small amount, perfect for two people. Thank you for sharing!
Ari Horton says
I only had one banana left and was craving some banana bread. Thanks the lords for the recipe, it’s bomb and super easy/quick. Best banana bread I’ve made, I’ll for sure be making the full size version.
Myrna says
Just made this recipe this morning. I made the muffins. Delicious and moist! I used coconut sugar and instead of nutmeg I added cinnamon and vanilla extract. Thank you very much….
Sandra says
I’m not very big on banana bread and why I googled a recipe for one is beyond me but I had a very ripe and lonely banana, it’s -2° outside and the ground is covered with snow so what the heck. My goodness, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I didn’t deviate at all from the recipe (a first); made muffins as I didn’t have a loaf pan small enough; sprinkled all the cinnamon sugar; baked for 27 minutes. The only flaw in my muffins is that they had a flat middle but I recently moved to a high altitude and I’m still trying to understand how to adjust baking. Bottom line – best banana muffins I’ve tasted and plan to make it again and again, especially when I have overnight company! Delish 🙂