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Make a perfectly moist and flavorful one banana banana bread just for you. This quick and easy single serve banana bread uses one ripe banana and bakes in a small ramekin, giving you the classic taste of homemade banana bread in the perfect portion and ready in about 30 minutes.
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
- Single Serve Banana Bread: Made with just one ripe banana and baked in a small ramekin, it’s perfectly portioned with no leftovers.
- Quick & Easy: This simple recipe comes together in minutes and bakes in about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Soft, Moist Texture: Using an overripe banana keeps the bread naturally sweet and tender every time.
- Classic Flavor: You’ll get the rich, buttery taste of homemade banana bread in a warm, personal-sized version.
- Customizable: Add chocolate chips, nuts, or warm spices to make this banana bread for one your own.
Banana bread has always been one of my favorite ways to use up a single ripe banana. This recipe gives you all the comforting flavor and soft texture of a classic loaf, just in a smaller, personal size.
I love baking it in a ramekin and enjoying it warm, sometimes with a little butter on top. It’s simple, satisfying, and the perfect way to treat yourself any time of day.
This small banana bread makes a wonderful breakfast, especially alongside 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 (or use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend): Forms the base of the batter.
- Baking Soda: Helps the bread rise and stay light. Make sure your baking soda is fresh for the best results.
- Butter (or use melted coconut oil for dairy-free): Adds richness and flavor.
- 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 one overripe banana for sweetness and easy mashing.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Want to change things up? Try one of these easy one banana banana bread variations:
- Banana Nut Bread For One: Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty crunch.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread For One: Mix in 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
- Chocolate Banana Bread For One: Replace 2 tablespoons of the flour (use 2 tablespoons instead of 4) with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and stir in 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips for extra richness.
How To Make Banana Bread For One
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make this small banana bread recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a 10-ounce ramekin.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Mash the banana: Use a fork to mash the banana.
- Combine banana and sugar: Add the mashed banana to a mixing bowl, then add the sugar. Whisk by hand or use an electric mixer until the mixture is well combined.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla until fully blended.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the ramekin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before enjoying warm.
Expert Tips
- Use Very Ripe Bananas: The darker the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful the banana bread. Overripe bananas have more natural sugars, which create a soft, moist texture.
- Freeze Extra Bananas: If your bananas are getting too ripe, freeze them unpeeled. The skins will darken, but the fruit inside stays perfect for baking. Thaw before mashing.
- Mash, Don’t Puree: Leave a few small banana pieces in the batter for texture.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stir the batter just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can make the bread dense instead of tender.
- Check for Doneness: The banana bread is ready when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
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.
A 10-ounce ramekin works best, but you can also use a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet.
Yes, double the ingredients and use either two 10-ounce ramekins or one 5×5-inch baking dish.
Yes, you can substitute an equal amount of vegetable or melted coconut oil for butter. This will make the bread slightly more tender.
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!
Single Serve Banana Bread With One Banana
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.
Quick question: recipe calls for 10-ounce ramekin but video calls for 8-ounce ramekin. Which is correct? Thank you!
Bake the banana bread in a 10-ounce ramekin.
Can this be done in an air fryer?
Yes, you can make it in an air fryer. I haven’t personally tested this recipe that way, but it should work well. I’d suggest baking it at 325°F (about 25 degrees lower than the oven temperature) and start checking for doneness around 20 minutes since air fryers cook faster. The goal is for a toothpick inserted in the center to come out clean.
Hi,
Is it possible to substitute maple syrup for the sugar?
I haven’t tested this recipe with maple syrup, but you could likely replace part of the sugar with it. Since maple syrup is a liquid sweetener, it would change the batter’s consistency, and you might need to reduce the other liquid slightly. I can’t say for certain how it would turn out without testing, but if you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Turned out great! I don’t usually use cinnamon in my banana bread, but this has a great taste. I freeze my unused bananas . This worked out great for this recipe.
,
Made this recipe tonight! So yummy! Added 1T of mini chocolate chips for the hubs, and switched to gluten-free flour and monkfruit for mine. They both turned out perfect…will definitely be using this recipe again.
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.