Banana bread recipe that uses just one banana. Small batch banana bread recipe made in a mini loaf pan, perfect for two people, and for using up that one lonely brown banana on your counter!
You will love this One Banana Banana Bread
Anytime you have one banana covered in brown spots, staring at you on the counter, I want you to think of me! I hope you have a mini loaf pan so you can make this, but if you don't, you can use the disposable mini loaf pans easily found in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
I also use mini loaf pans for storing make ahead mashed potatoes in the freezer for two people, too! The mini size is perfect for serving two people any side dish.
Because I have kids, I frequently have one banana that we all forgot about in the pantry. I love baking with one banana because it provides so much natural sweetness and moisture to any baked good! If you're looking for something bigger to use more bananas, you'll love my chocolate chip banana bread recipe.
I scaled this recipe down from my Mom's Eggless Banana Bread, which uses almost melted butter, wheat germ and chopped pecans. Personally, I'm leery of banana bread recipes that don't use butter. Oil is great for moisture, but butter is better for flavor. The wheat germ is optional, just for bonus nutrition.
Another thing that this recipe has that many others lack is honey! My mom swears by honey in her banana bread recipe. She still uses regular sugar, too, but the honey brings a floral sweetness to this bread that I love! Plus, honey brings moisture to the batter!
Never make another loaf of banana bread again without using butter or honey, ok? And promise me you'll make chocolate banana muffins for a chocolate version at least one time..
Mini Banana Bread ingredients
- one banana: One brown spotty banana, forgotten about in the pantry, that measures 6-7" long. The darker the banana, the better!
- unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, use it and omit the salt called for in the recipe.
- granulated sugar
- honey: This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of honey for sweetness and moisture.
- egg yolk: We only need the egg yolk; here are recipes to use up leftover egg whites.
- all-purpose flour
- wheat germ: Wheat germ is totally optional, but it is a great source of micronutrients, like folate.
- baking soda
- salt
- pecans: You can use any type of chopped toasted nuts; we like pecans the best, but walnuts or almonds are equally welcome.
How to make Banana Bread with One Banana
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350, and generously grease a mini loaf pan with extra butter.
- Mash: First, mash your one banana in a medium bowl.
- Wet ingredients: add the room temperature butter, sugar, honey, and egg yolk to the bowl with the banana. Mix everything together very well using a fork to break things up. This only works with very soft, room temperature butter. Melting the butter is fine, too!
- Dry ingredients: Finally, stir in the flour, wheat germ (if using), baking soda, salt and pecans. Pour this mixture into your well-greased mini loaf pan.
- Bake: bake the one banana bread for 35-40 minutes, testing with a toothpick to see if it's done in the middle of the loaf.
Isn't this mini banana bread loaf the cutest thing you've ever seen? It slices up into 6 mini slices, and I happen to think it makes the best breakfast for two. If you like sweet banana treats for breakfast, you might also like my peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies in the morning.
How to serve One Banana Bread
I like to slice this banana bread once cool, and serve individually slices along side a cup of coffee or tea.
How to store One Banana Banana Bread
To store leftovers, first slice the loaf into thick slices. Place the slices flat in an air-tight container. They will keep for up to 2 days on the counter at room temperature. You can extend this to 4-5 days if you store them in the fridge. You can also freeze the slices for up to 3 months, and defrost them in the microwave as needed.
Mini Loaf Banana Bread FAQs
How many mini loaf pans equal a regular loaf pan?
The batter from four mini loaf pans fit in one regular loaf pan. If your regular loaf pan is 9-inches, it requires 4 mini loaf pans worth of batter to fill.
At what point should you not use bananas for banana bread?
While we love a dark brown and black banana for banana bread because they contain the most sugar, ensure your that your banana isn’t rotten. It should still smell like a banana and it should not be overly liquidy when cut open.
How far do you fill mini loaf pans?
Mini loaf pans should be filling ¾ of the way full, typically. This recipe makes enough to fill one mini loaf pan, so the entire recipe goes in the pan.
Other Banana Recipes You Love:
Mini Banana Bread with One Banana
One banana bread made in a mini loaf pan.
Ingredients
- 1 small (6-7”) over-ripe banana
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature/ very soft (plus extra for pan)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon wheat germ
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 5 ¾” x 3” x 2” mini loaf pan with extra butter. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mash the banana into a puree using a fork.
- Next, add the butter, sugar, and honey to it and stir well. Stir in the egg yolk well.
- Finally, sprinkle the flour, wheat germ, baking soda and salt. Stir in the pecans, if using.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan slightly before moving it to a wire rack.
Notes
one banana: One brown spotty banana, forgotten about in the pantry, that measures 6-7" long.
honey: This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of honey for sweetness and moisture.
egg yolk: We only need the egg yolk; here are recipes to use up leftover egg whites.
wheat germ: Wheat germ is totally optional, but great here.
pecans: You can use any chopped roasted nuts; we like pecans the best.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 62mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
Victoria says
Doubled this recipe to use up 2 overripe bananas and added in some chocolate chips. This my be the best banana bread I've ever tasted and I've made many over the years. I appreciate that this recipe was created to use up that one lonely overripe banana that was forgotten, but can also be scaled up easily. 5/5 stars!
Jessica says
My kids loved this banana bread! So easy to make, no fuss.
Cathy says
Make this often and we love it! Use 1/2 whole wheat flour and reduce the sugar to two tbsp.
Cbj says
I definitely made this recipe 3 times already. It’s definitely a hit in our house. I’m making a gf version as I type. Super easy recipe . I also had to melt the butter due to time restraints .
Steve says
The next time you buy bananas, buy one more than you need. When you have finished those other bananas, and that last one is all brown and spotty and super sweet, pop it into the freezer, skin and all.
On the morning that you want to make a banana bread, take that frozen banana out of the freezer, skin and all, and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.
When you start to make the banana bread, take that thawed banana, cut the stem off and squeeze the goo into the recipe, like an entire tube of toothpaste.
What's the point of this? You are ready to make a banana bread anytime you want. You can think start thinking about it this morning to bake this evening, and don't have to start planning on Monday to bake a banana bread on Friday.
Kudos to Alton Brown for this trick. He had banana ice cream in mind, but it works perfectly for banana bread. I have done this dozens of times, and it has never failed me. It won't fail you, either.
Muddy says
I made it and left out the wheat germ. It was superb. I'm about to make it again, doubling the recipe. Thank you!
Cara says
Thanks for the recipe! I it and it was so moist and good. I did cut down on the sugar to make it less sweet and added some cinnamon but it was still the best banana bread I have ever tried.
Jeanette Schutz says
Hi Christina! Love, love, love this recipe! So moist! I’ve made this 3 times now 1 single and 2 doubles, and each time I have trouble with the rise. No dome on the breads. Got any ideas what could be going on? Thanks so much. I just love your recipes!!
LC says
This is definitely one of the best banana bread recipes I’ve made. Thanks so much for sharing!
EF says
It tasted okay and was easy to make. I’d cut down on the honey as it was a tad over powering. 3 out of 5.