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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just baked these this afternoon and one loaf is already gone- scrumptious! thanks for such a fabulous and quick recipe 🙂 it’s nice when you already have all the ingredients 🙂
I only have 1 big ripe banana, can I make this recipe as is? Can I add another banana not as ripe?
You can add another banana that is not ripe but there may be a change in texture/taste. This unripened banana is not as sweet, nor will it contain much liquid to bring to the recipe.
So I already left a comment but I just wanted to add, I have made this twice with only 1/2 cup sugar (once with super old spotty bananas and once with relatively fresh bananas) and didn’t notice a difference in taste, quality, or texture. This recipe is super customizable, you can add in nuts, chocolate chips, extra spices, other types of berries (I made this with blackberries), play with the amount of vanilla, different types of milk and sweeteners. This recipe is super fun to pay with, thank you!
I made this yesterday and it was a hit! I substituted chocolate chips for blueberries and it was yummy! This is probably the most delicious banana cake I have ever made. I will be trying it with less sugar next time.
I’m having one heck of a time baking this. It’s been in the oven for over an hour. I did one loaf pan. Golden brown on top almost liquid in the middle. I live in Colorado. Any takes on what I’m doing wrong?
Briana, if there is too much batter in one large loaf pan, it will have a hard time baking through completely as it will also overcook the exterior. I recommend making mini loaves as the recipe indicates to avoid this.
Hi! How do you think almond milk will work? Thanks!
Unfortunately as I have never baked with almond milk before, I cannot speak for how this substitution will change the texture/flavor of this.
Hi Monique! I rarely ever have regular milk in our house anymore these days.. we have almond milk, and I’ve substituted it in a lot of things! (even mac and cheese! ha!) I’m going to try this recipe this weekend with almond milk, but I think it would be fine!
Hi! How did it turn out with the almond milk? How much did you use?
Making these right now during the winter freeze in Texas. Can’t wait to try them!!!
This looks absolutely stunning! Will definitely be making this soon! (:
Any suggestions for how much oat flour needs to be substituted for the all-purpose flour? Also keen to substitute the sugar for a mix of coconut sugar & honey/maple syrup but not sure of quantities? Keen to make this diabetic & gluten free friendly if possible! THANKS!
Shelley, you can replace up to one quarter of the all-purpose flour with oat flour. As for coconut sugar and honey/maple syrup, you will have to adjust to taste. Hope that helps!
I to found you on Pinterest today. Going to use my muffin pan so I can take them to my son’s shop. Thank you,
Any suggestions for an egg substitute? Baking for someone with an egg intolerance…next to impossible!
Ashley, I suggest adding an additional 1/2 cup pureed banana. Hope that helps!
Linhaça substitui o ovo ,uma colher de sopa .
I don’t have a stand mixer, just a regular electric hand mixer, is there anything I need to do differently?
No, you can keep everything as is.
I just made these! Delicious! Will most definitely be making them again!! Thank you for the yummy recipe!!
My house smells like a bread bakery!! Mmmmm…. Scrumptious…… 😉
Has anyone make these with artifical sweeteners? If so, how did they turn out. I am diebetic.
Linda I think you can use Splenda for baking. I believe the amounts are equivalent. Just look on the bag. You can find it next to the sugar on the baking aisle.
I used half sugar and half Truvia Baking blend and they turned out AMAZING! You could probably sub the entire sugar amount for the Truvia Baking blend, but I wanted some authenticity without the artificial aftertaste … and the half and half TOTALLY did the trick! I highly recommend it — Also, I made a small adjustment to the flour, using 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup oat flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Im not sure why, but I ended up having enough for 5 mini loaf pans and about 8 mini muffins!! The mini muffins were perfect for “tasting” and the mini loaf pans are perfect to bring with me for Easter!! This is the 2nd time I’ve made this recipe and I just LOVE it!
In the snow storm and have everything but buttermilk…would regular milk work??
You can create a buttermilk substitute with milk and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
And if you don’t have fresh lemons you can use white vinegar. One tablespoon vinegar then add white vinegar to equal a cup.
I think you mean 1 TBSP white vinegar and add MILK to 1 cup to equal 1 cup Buttermilk.
Could I use frozen blueberries?
Yes, absolutely. I actually prefer frozen blueberries since there is less likelihood that they will pop in the batter.
Made this in an 8×8. 2 bananas, double blueberry, and sprinkled mini choc chips on top!
Just made these in giant muffin pan. I didn’t make any changes. Smells amazing and tastes even better. Thanks for sharing!
Has anyone tried to freeze these, making today but want to freeze for quick school day breakfast option.
Yes, I’ve made and frozen this recipe several times, using small pans. After cooling, I wrap each individually in waxed paper, and then put the wrapped loaves in a Ziploc freezer bag and set them on flat area in freezer. When I want a loaf, I pull it out, and unwrap it (so the waxed paper doesn’t cause the top of the loaf to get sticky) and let the loaf thaw.
Made this delicious bread this morning and it was amazing! ! Thanks so Much for this tummy recipe 🙂
I’m so excited to finally be trying out this recipe! I’ve got them in the oven now!!!