I may be prone to hyperbole, but this Blueberry Banana Bread is ridiculously delicious. Imagine the very best banana bread crossed with the ultimate blueberry muffin. Epic!
Blueberry Banana Bread
There are few things I love more than a slice of banana bread—and when you add in blueberries, well, it’s the best! This recipe is super easy to stir together, bakes without any work from you, and stores so well in the fridge for days.
We love it cold, warmed, or toasted with a little butter. It’s great for an easy breakfast or as a snack. We sometimes even pack it in a lunch box!
It’s a really delicious version of my classic Lower Sugar Banana Bread that is a perfect use for very ripe bananas. And fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries. It is, for sure, one of our very favorite banana bread recipes.
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Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Very ripe bananas: Very ripe bananas with some brown spots are the key to success with this recipe. The brown spots indicate natural sweetness and flavor, so be sure to use this type of banana.
- Unsalted butter: I like to use unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the level of salt. Butter, in conjunction with the yogurt below, ensures that the bread is super moist.
- Whole-milk plain Greek yogurt: You can use all butter or half butter and half yogurt as you prefer.
- Eggs: Eggs help the bread have a tender crumb and the classic texture of banana bread. If you need to make this egg-free, try a store-bought subsitute like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
- Vanilla extract and cinnamon: Vanilla and cinnamon add a nice undertone of flavor so I like to add it here.
- Whole wheat flour: I like to make this bread with whole wheat flour for extra nutrients and also because this hearty flour can hold up to the high moisture content of the other ingredients. (To bake with all-purpose flour, add an extra 2 tablespoons.)
- Sugar: I use regular sugar in this recipe, in an amount that is half of what’s usually added to banana bread, for sweetness. I find that using granulated sugar ensures a moist and tender bread a little better than something like honey or maple syrup. (You can use either of them if you prefer, just know that I do prefer sugar.)
- Baking soda: Fresh, active baking soda is the key to ensuring this bread rises and bakes through. Check yours before you start baking.
- Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe, regular or wild, so use the ones you have access to.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process in this recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to see the full recipe at the bottom of this post.
- Mash the banana and add to a bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Stir in the dry ingredients.
- Add to a greased loaf pan.
- Bake until golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
TIP: I like to add a piece of foil to cover the loaf toward the end of baking to ensure it cooks through without over-browning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, fresh or frozen berries work well in this recipe. If using frozen berries, just know that they may make the batter seize up a bit (just because they’re very cold!) Use some muscle to stir and it’s fine.
I like to let the bread cool completely, then slice and store in an airtight container. You can also individually wrap slices for easy future meals or store the slices in a zip top freezer bag in the freezer.
For one year olds, you can dice it up into small pieces or cut it into sticks. Other than that, you can try it cold out of the fridge, warmed slightly or toasted. Add butter or nut butter or cream cheese if you’d like. It’s very versatile!
How to Store
Let bread cool completely, then slice and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
You can also individually wrap slices for easy future meals or store the slices in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Best Tips for Success
- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe.
- Add a handful of chocolate chips if desired.
- I like to add a piece of aluminum foil to cover the loaf toward the end of baking to ensure it cooks through without over-browning.
- This bread takes a while to bake due to the bananas and berries.
- Try it cold out of the fridge, warmed slightly, or toasted. Add butter or nut butter or cream cheese if you’d like.
Related Recipes
Breakfast
Easy Strawberry Banana Bread
Breakfast
Blueberry Banana Muffins with Oats
Breakfast
Blueberry Yogurt Cake
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment and rate below!
Favorite Blueberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 large)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- ¼ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. (I use classic Pam.)
- Add the banana, butter, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently stir in the blueberries.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula so it’s even. Bake for 60 minutes. (If around the 40-minute mark the bread is starting to brown a lot, place a piece of foil loosely over the top and continue baking.) The bread is done when it's golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan (carefully) and let cool on a wire rack completely.
- Slice and serve.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe.
- You can lower the sugar to ⅓ cup if you prefer. You can also swap in ¼ cup honey or maple syrup. It won’t be as sweet and the texture may vary a little.
- I like to add a piece of foil to cover the loaf toward the end of baking to ensure it cooks through without over-browning.
- This bread takes a while to bake due to the bananas and berries.
- Try it cold out of the fridge, warmed slightly, or toasted. Add butter or nut butter or cream cheese if you’d like.
- Let bread cool completely, then slice and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
- You can also individually wrap slices for easy future meals or store the slices in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This post was first published April 2021.
I started mixing everything and discovered someone had eaten all our blueberries! So I made this with an extra banana instead and it came out great. My 15 month old loved it (and daddy too). Next time I’ll make sure we have blueberries and make it the intended way!
I’ve made this countless times now and I wanted to mention for anyone else who might need it that it works out perfectly to make it dairy-free. I always use a vegan butter substitute and either dairy-free yogurt or oat milk in place of the Greek yogurt. It’s a family favorite!
Can i substitute the flour for oat flour?
I haven’t tested it that way and I am not sure that it would bake the same way. Let me know if you try it!
This was a favorite for sure!
I didn’t have Greek yogurt so I used regular yogurt and subbed the sugar with honey.
I also used dried Blueberries and it worked out just fine.
All 3 of my children liked it, even my picky child.
I’m so glad!
Random but I want to make this today and have only salted butter in my fridge – do you think I can sub salted butter for the unsalted you call for or will it be too savory?
That would be fine, just omit the salt listed in the recipe.
This was really good! Quite moist and therefore fell apart in some places, but still so good!
Substitutes I did:
Instead of 1/4 cup butter, I used 2 Tbsp vegetable oil spread and 2 Tbsp applesauce
Instead of 2 cups flour, I did 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/4 cup coconut flour + 1 egg + splash of water
Instead of 1/2 cup of flour, I did 1/4 cup monkfruit
Only 2 WW (weight watchers) points per serving! My husband loved it! (as well as my preschooler of course)
This recipe is sooo good! I don’t have a bread tin so I made it in a muffin pan and baked for 30 minutes. They’re moist and not too sweet, my picky toddler devoured one and asked for more.
Good Evening Amy,
I made this for my toddler this afternoon while he was napping. A couple hours after dinner, I decided to cut up some pieces and serve it to him and to my surprise HE ATE EVERYTHING! I always taste all your recipes except the ones containing banana…my husband is the taster for those and he loved this recipe. Also, I didn’t add the sugar. I simply added more yogurt. Everything turned out great as I followed the recipe step by step. Thank you!
Tia
Amy, this might be my favorite recipe on your website – and that’s saying a lot as we looove everything on here! We’re egg free so I use a bob’s red mill egg replacer in here, along with white flour, and my loaf takes a lot less time to bake than the original recipe – yay for me because I can eat it faster! So. So. Good.