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Enjoy a warm, moist single serve banana bread made with just one ripe banana and baked in a small ramekin. This quick and easy recipe delivers classic banana bread flavor in the perfect portion – no leftovers, just a delicious, homemade treat whenever you want it!
Featured Comment
“I’ve made the Banana Bread recipe many times. It’s a winner. Delicious. I’ll buy bananas just to make this. Very moist and flavorful.”
– Michele
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Minimal prep and bakes in no time.
- Perfect for One: Enjoy homemade banana bread with no waste.
- Soft & Moist: A single ripe banana keeps it perfectly tender.
- Customizable: Add your favorite mix-ins or toppings.
Banana bread has always been one of my favorite ways to turn simple ingredients into something special. With just one banana and a few pantry staples, this recipe bakes right in a ramekin, giving you a warm, flavorful treat without the need for a full loaf.
I love this small banana bread for breakfast, especially with a breakfast bowl for one and small batch potatoes O’Brien. For more breakfast ideas for one, try a blueberry muffin for one, French breakfast puff, or our waffle recipe for one.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this mini banana bread recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour: All-purpose flour forms the base. If you need a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute.
- Baking Soda: Helps the bread rise. For the best results, make sure your baking soda is fresh.
- Butter: Adds richness. You can substitute with coconut oil for a dairy-free alternative.
- Egg Yolk: Binds everything together. Hang onto that egg white and use it in one of our egg white recipes like mini Texas Sheet Cake and small batch Coconut Macaroons.
- Banana: The key ingredient! Use an overripe banana for the sweetest, easiest-to-mash texture.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Want to change things up? Try one of these simple one banana-banana bread variations:
- Banana Nut Bread For One: Stir in chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Mix in chocolate chips.
- Chocolate Banana Bread: Add chocolate chips and cocoa powder.
- Warm Spices: A pinch of nutmeg or cardamom adds extra depth.
- Berry Banana Bread: Fold in blueberries or raspberries for a fresh, fruity option.
How To Make Banana Bread For One
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make banana bread with one banana. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a 10-ounce ramekin. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Mash the banana with a fork and add to a medium-sized bowl. Add the sugar and whip the banana and sugar together with an electric mixer or a wire whisk.
- Add the melted butter, the egg yolk, and the vanilla; mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour into the ramekin and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before eating.
Expert Tips
- Use Ripe Bananas: The riper the banana, the sweeter the bread. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots for the best flavor.
- Freeze Overripe Bananas: Keep a stash of ripe bananas in the freezer. If you have some on the counter that are turning brown, freeze them unpeeled. The skins will darken, but the banana inside stays perfect for baking.
- Keep the Batter Lumpy: When mashing, leave a few banana chunks for texture. Avoid overmixing the batter to keep your bread soft and tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bananas should be very ripe, with skins that are heavily spotted or mostly brown. Overripe bananas are softer and sweeter, which makes the bread moist and flavorful.
At room temperature, it usually lasts 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. In the refrigerator, it can last up to a week.
You can use a small 10-ounce ramekin or a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet in this mini banana bread recipe.
Yes, double the ingredients and use either two 10-ounce ramekins or one 5×5-inch baking dish.
Yes. Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More One Banana Recipes
Try these easy recipes made with one banana:
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this one-banana banana bread or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Banana Bread For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium banana , mashed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salted butter , melted (plus more for greasing the ramekin)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a 10-ounce ramekin. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
- Mash the banana with a fork and add to a medium-sized bowl. Add the sugar and with an electric mixer or a wire whisk whip the banana and sugar together.
- Add the melted butter, the egg yolk, and the vanilla; mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour into the ramekin and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before eating.
Notes
- Use ripe bananas. Ripe bananas make the sweetest banana bread. When bananas have plenty of brown spots on the skin, they’re perfect to use. The browner the skins, the sweeter the banana bread.
- Buy bananas and freeze them. It’s a great idea to keep overripe bananas handy in your freezer ready for baking. If you’ve got a few forgotten bananas on your counter, freeze them, unpeeled. Freezing bananas will turn the skin black, but once peeled the flesh will be perfect for making banana bread or our easy banana muffin recipe.
- Leave the batter lumpy. When mashing the banana, leave some of the banana chunks. Overmixing the batter can also result in a tough bread.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
If I double this banana bread recipe, do I use 2 egg yolks or can I use 1 whole egg?
If you double the recipe, I recommend using 2 egg yolks. Egg yolks provide richness and tenderness, which is what gives this banana bread its soft texture. A whole egg includes the white, which adds extra protein and structure. That can change the balance and make the bread firmer and less moist than intended. Using only yolks keeps the texture close to the original recipe.
I loved this banana bread! I forced myself not to eat it all at once so I could enjoy it for more than one day. Now I have to wait for another ripe banana to try the chocolate version.
This is actually the best banana bread I have ever made! It is really good and I have made it 2x this week 🙂
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Two questions. Why not use the whole egg, and why not whole wheat flour. Would these two changes be okay in this recipe?
I use just the egg yolk because using the whole egg can change the texture of the banana bread, often making it firmer or rubbery in a small-batch recipe. I haven’t tested this recipe with whole wheat flour, but it does tend to make baked goods denser. If you’d like to try it, I’d suggest using a mix of half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour to help keep the bread tender.
This was the most delicious banana bread ever! It was exactly what we needed for 2. And the recipe was so darn easy. I will add walnuts next time. Thank you so much for this recipe.