My No-butter Banana Bread Recipe: Banana Bread Lovers Rejoice

I’ve learned that, albeit the hard way, every aspiring cook should have a bread recipe under their belts. The fact is that bread is one of the most basic and filling foods out there. But that doesn’t mean it should lack any taste or flair. And this no-butter banana bread recipe is a prime example of that.

Banana bread is commonly made with butter, and there is nothing wrong with that. Butter provides fine moisture and flavor, which are welcome additions. But it can be replaced, in this case, with vegetable oil. The latter is not only healthier, but some would actually prefer the flavor as well. The next time you are out of butter, or if you decide to cut butter from your diet, you might want to consider this no-butter banana bread.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• My No-butter Banana Bread Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Bananas — 3 pcs., mashed
• Vegetable oil — ½ cup
• Salt — ½ tsp.
• Baking powder — 1 tsp.
• Baking soda — 1 tsp.
• Vanilla extract — 1 tsp.
• All-purpose flour — 2 cups
• Granulated sugar — 1 cup
• Eggs — 2 pcs.

Instructions

1. Set your oven to 375° degrees and lightly grease a loaf pan.

2. Combine the eggs, mashed bananas, oil, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl.

3. Stir well until thoroughly mixed.

4. Then, add the rest of the ingredients.

5. Once again, stir well until mixed.

6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

7. Let the banana bread cool for 10 minutes.

8. Remove the banana bread from the loaf pan and let it rest for an hour or two before serving.

Substitutions

• All-purpose flour — This no-butter banana bread recipe calls for all-purpose flour. But if you’re short on all-purpose flour or simply want to make a change, I’ve realized that both cake flour and pastry flour make good substitutes for all-purpose flour. You can substitute both with a 1/1 ratio. On the other hand, don’t go with bread flour, or your banana bread will end up dense and heavy.

• Vegetable oil — During the first few tries, I used vegetable oil, and things went smoothly, so there really isn’t a need for a substitution when it comes to that. However, this no-butter banana bread recipe can also be made using olive oil, though the flavor will be a tad different. You can use avocado and canola oil as well.

• Granulated sugar — While granulated sugar seems like a no-brainer, it might make the banana bread sweet for some. After a tiresome trial and error process, I found out that granulated sugar could be replaced by honey. Keep in mind that, when it comes to honey, less is more would be the best approach. Maple syrup and molasses would be fine alternatives as well.

Variations

• Spice it up — Even though the long list of ingredients might suggest otherwise, this no-butter banana bread recipe is as minimalistic as it gets. Still, some might find it lacking in various areas. If that’s the case with you, don’t be afraid to spice things up by adding some cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, or even chocolate chips to the mix. We found that they elevated the dish to another level.

• Make it gluten-free — Although bananas contain some carbs, they are naturally gluten-free. If you’d like to make this no-butter banana bread recipe gluten-free, all you need to do is simply swap all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative. Almond flour worked the best for us, though it comes with a different flavor. Coconut flour is another alternative, and so is oat flour.

Equipment

• Measuring cup

• Measuring spoon

• Mixing bowl

• Whisk

• Loaf pan

• Food spray

• Oven 

Storage

• You should transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. Store the leftovers at room temperature, where they will last for up to a week.

• You can also refrigerate the leftover banana bread in an airtight container. That way, it will last a few days longer.

Pro Tips

• The batter — Although this no-butter banana bread recipe makes a great dish, you can easily end up with a mess in your hands if you overmix the batter. Your banana bread will end up dense and tough, and it will be a far cry from what the recipe is intended for. Simply mix until the batter has a smooth texture without any lumps.

• The bananas — For this no-butter banana bread recipe, we strongly recommend using overripe bananas; they are the ones that are darker in color. Dark brown and brown bananas simply work better because they are usually softer and sweeter, resulting in a better texture.