This blueberry banana bread recipe is sweet and moist, punctuated by sweet tart berries! It’s the perfect treat for anytime.
If there are two fruits that go hand in hand, it’s tart blueberries and fruity sweet banana. They meet in perfect harmony in this Blueberry Banana Bread recipe! Any kind of banana bread always hits the spot, but this one is a favorite around here. It’s moist, sweet, and punctuated by bursts of tangy purple berries. This quick bread is the ideal use for those brown bananas sitting on your counter. Here’s how to make it!
Ingredients in blueberry banana bread
Blueberry banana bread is a standard sort of banana bread with blueberries mixed in. This recipe is just sweet enough, moist and banana-scented. As always, use the darkest, ripest bananas you can for best results. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ripe bananas
- Fresh blueberries
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon and salt
- Sugar
- Neutral oil like grapeseed oil, organic vegetable oil or canola oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Turbinado sugar
Tips for baking blueberry banana bread
This blueberry banana bread is similar to any standard banana bread, with a few tricks for working with the blueberries. Here’s what to know:
- Use an aluminum baking pan for best results. We’ve realized our ceramic and glass pans don’t cook as evenly. Use aluminum if you can!
- Wash and dry the blueberries, then mix with flour. Dry the blueberries very well, then toss them with 1 tablespoon flour. This helps them to not sink in the bread while baking.
- Bake 45 minutes, then add foil and bake 15 more. Adding the foil helps so the top doesn’t become too brown.
Can you use frozen blueberries?
Want to use frozen berries instead of fresh? Here’s the thing: frozen blueberries can bleed into the batter of muffins and breads, making them turn purple in color! If you’d like to use frozen berries, we recommend rinsing them well and patting them dry with paper towels per these instructions from King Arthur Baking.
Variations and mix-ins
Want to mix up this banana blueberry bread? Try adding a few mix ins to change the flavor profile! Here are a few ideas:
- Chopped nuts: Add ¼ to ½ cup chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts
- Lemon zest: Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest to the batter
- White chocolate chips: White chocolate and blueberry go well together; add ¾ cup chips to the batter
And that’s it! Let us know what you think of this bread recipe in the comments below.
Diet variations
Want to make this blueberry banana bread recipe vegan? Replace the eggs with flax eggs: a simple mix of flax and water that you can make at home. Want gluten-free? Add blueberries to this Gluten Free Banana Bread (toss them with a bit of gluten free flour first).
More blueberry recipes
Got more berries? Here are a few more great blueberry recipes we love:
This blueberry banana bread recipe is…
Vegetarian. For vegan, use flax eggs.
Description
This blueberry banana bread recipe is sweet and moist, punctuated by sweet tart berries! It’s the perfect treat for anytime.
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium bananas)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup neutral oil
- 2 large eggs (or flax eggs for vegan)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries*
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan.
- Wash and dry the blueberries.
- Make the batter: Add the 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and kosher salt to a bowl and mix. Mash the bananas in the bottom of a large bowl, enough for 1 ¼ cup. Whisk in the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir together with a spoon.
- Prep the blueberries: Place the blueberries in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon flour. Gently fold all but ¼ cup of the blueberries into the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the reserved blueberries. Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar. Bake 45 minutes, then add foil to loosely cover the top of the bread. Bake for another 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean (or the internal temperature is 200 degrees). The exact timing will depend on the size of the pan.
- Cool: Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and invert the loaf onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Storage info: The bread lasts 4 to 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for 3 months (slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container).
Notes
*Frozen blueberries can bleed into the batter and make it turn purple in color! If you’d like to use frozen berries, we recommend rinsing them well and patting them dry with paper towels per these instructions from King Arthur Baking.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Bread
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Blueberry banana bread, banana blueberry bread, blueberry banana bread recipe, banana bread with blueberries