Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray. I usually add a strip of parchment paper across the bottom too because it makes lifting the loaf out easier later.

The first time I skipped greasing the corners properly, part of the bread stuck to the pan. It still tasted fine, but it definitely didn’t look pretty.

Peel the bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to mash them until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are totally okay.

You want the bananas to look thick and creamy but not completely pureed. Overmixing here can make the batter a little heavy.

The smell at this point already starts to remind me of banana pancakes.

Pour the melted butter into the mashed bananas and stir until combined. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Mix everything together gently until smooth and creamy. The batter should look pale yellow with little banana specks throughout.

What worked better for me was letting the melted butter cool slightly before adding it. One time I poured it in too hot and the eggs started cooking around the edges of the bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until no dry flour remains.

Try not to overmix the batter here. That’s probably the biggest mistake people make with banana bread. Overmixed batter usually turns dense and chewy instead of soft.

If you’re using walnuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly.

At this point the batter should look thick but still easy to spread. If it looks extremely stiff, your flour may have been packed too tightly in the measuring cup.

I usually tap the pan lightly on the counter once or twice to remove air bubbles.

Place the loaf pan on the center rack of the oven and bake for about 55 minutes.

Around the 40-minute mark, your kitchen will smell buttery and sweet. The top should turn golden brown and develop small cracks across the middle.

Check the bread by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with only a few moist crumbs, it’s done.

If the top starts browning too quickly before the middle cooks, loosely cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.

Then carefully transfer it to a cooling rack.

I know it’s tempting to cut into it right away, but the texture actually improves as it cools. The first time I sliced it too early, the center kind of fell apart.

Letting it rest helps the loaf firm up while staying moist.