Homemade banana bread made with 1 banana and a few pantry staples. This easy banana bread recipe is the perfect size for one person.
When you've got just one banana sitting on your counter, you've got the perfect amount to make a banana bread for one! That's right, you can make this banana bread with one banana and a few pantry staples.
Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe calls for using one very ripe banana. A banana that is even more speckled and brown than the one shown in the ingredient photo is perfect to use. The riper the banana, the sweeter the banana bread.
- If you love banana bread that tastes like bananas, this is your recipe. A good banana bread recipe is one every home cook should have. If you've got one ripe banana and a few pantry staples you can make this delicious bread in virtually no time at all.
- This is a tried and reader tested recipe.
Ingredients
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: Use all-purpose or plain flour.
- Baking soda: This helps the muffins rise.
- Ground cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract: For the best flavor!
- 1 banana: Make sure you use a very ripe banana.
- Sugar: I use white granulated sugar.
- Butter: Use melted butter for a soft texture and amazing butter flavor.
- An egg yolk: To give the bread structure.
How To Make This Recipe
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Set aside.
- Mash the banana with a fork in a separate small bowl. Add the sugar and whip the banana and sugar together.
- Add the melted butter, the egg yolk, and the vanilla; mix well. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.
- Pour into a lightly buttered ramekin or small baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Expert Tips
- To make sweetest and richest banana bread, use ripe bananas. Ripe bananas with lots of brown spots on the skin are perfect to use. If the banana skins are almost all brown, the bread will be sweeter and have a stronger banana flavor.
- When mashing the banana, leave some of the banana chunks. Personally, I love banana chunks in my bread. If you like a smoother batter, mash the bananas completely.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Frequently Asked Questions
If you love banana nut bread, feel free to add about 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts. Chopped pecans or chopped walnuts make great additions.
I use a small 8-ounce ramekin or my 6.5-inch cast iron skillet in this single serving banana bread recipe. Both of these can be found on our Bakeware page.
RELATED: Comfort Food Recipes For One
Other Bread And Muffin Recipes For One
If you're looking for other small batch banana recipes, you might like to try these:
- Lemon Blueberry Muffin For One
- Apple Muffin For One
- Maple Walnut Muffin For One
- Beer Bread For One
- Cornbread For One
- Chocolate Chip Muffin For One
RELATED: The Best Small Batch Cookie Recipes
Other Banana Recipes
- Bananas Foster For One - made with 1 banana.
- Mini Caramelized Banana Upside Down Cake - made with 1 banana
- Grilled Pound Cake With Limoncello Bananas - made with 1 banana
- Tropical Smoothie - made with 1 banana.
- Small Batch Banana Muffins - made with 2 bananas.
- Banana Cream Pie For One - made with 1 banana.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
We now have a COOKING FOR ONE Facebook group. Join us to share your favorite single serving recipes and find new ones too. We’d love to see you there!
Click HERE to join the community!
If you’ve tried this 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!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 banana , mashed (about ½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salted butter , melted (plus more for greasing the ramekin)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
How To Video
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Set aside.
- Mash the banana with a fork in a separate small bowl. Add the sugar and whip the banana and sugar together.
- Add the melted butter, the egg yolk, and the vanilla; mix well.
- Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a lightly buttered 8-ounce ramekin or other baking dish of similar size.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before eating.
Notes
- To make sweetest and richest banana bread, use ripe bananas. Ripe bananas with lots of brown spots on the skin are perfect to use. If the banana skins are almost all brown, the bread will be sweeter and have a stronger banana flavor.
- When mashing the banana, leave some of the banana chunks. Personally, I love banana chunks in my bread. If you like a smoother batter, mash the bananas completely.
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.
Vani says
Best Banana bread that i ever made. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly except doubled everything except the Banana. and used whole egg. My kids loved it.
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so happy you all enjoyed the banana bread. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Viola Osborne says
I had two over ripe bananas so I just made two of the little banana breads for one & they came out super-dee-lish! (: Soooo moist & full flavor. Best banana bread I've ever made (: Thank you!
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Donna B says
Followed the recipe as stated, but added walnuts. Turned out great. Thank you so much!
Joanne says
I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious.
I only wish you could make a recipe that I could microwave so no waiting. LOL
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your feedback, Joanne.
Wendy says
I follow the Weight Watchers program, and made two simple substitutions to make this into a low points treat: I replaced the butter with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce, and the sugar with two packets of stevia sweetener. The 1/4 cup flour was the only remaining ingredient that had WW Smart Points (3). This single portion of banana bread was very big and very delicious, and for a mere 3 Smart Points, I had a special and satisfying Christmas morning treat! Looking forward to adapting more of your one-serving recipes to fit into my food plan. Thank you so much!
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the banana bread, Wendy. Thank you so much for your feedback and your substitution recommendations for those following Weight Watchers. This information will be so helpful to others.
Quicia says
I made this today and it was perfect. I put it on a plate to take a picture and my husband was already cutting it in half because he said it smelled so good and assumed there was no way I intended to eat the whole thing!
Annik says
Just made this with the kids today! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly! The bread was moist and tasted great! I had one very brown banana left and was very glad I found this recipe, instead of throwing the banana away! I didn't have a ramekin so I just used a tiny little loaf pan I had. Great recipe and will definitely make it again!
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you and your kids enjoyed the banana bread. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Kathy says
I’ve made this 3 times and have used regular oven and toaster oven. Always comes out great. Yesterday I doubled it, using a whole egg instead of 2 yolks, and made in a small square casserole dish. Turned out perfect. I keep forgetting to add nuts, and I also want to try it with chocolate chips.
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you are enjoying the banana bread, Kathy. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Shehrbano says
Hi!
This is the 1st time in my life that I followed the steps of an online recipe as it is and man! Not only were they so accurate but it was a 'hit' at home 😀
I'm happy I stumbled upon this wonderful recipe. I'll definitely try your other recipes too.
Keep up the good work!
Joanie Zisk says
Your comment made my day! I'm so happy you enjoyed the banana bread, thank you so much for your feedback. I hope you find many new recipes here that you love.
Mae says
Your recipes are fantastic!
Joanie Zisk says
Thank you so much!
Kimorah says
Hello!
I would like to know if it’s possible to make this egg free? I’ve been using flax seeds but I’ve recently run out and I’ve wondered if an egg yolk is even needed?
Joanie Zisk says
I haven't tested this recipe without the egg or with flax seeds so I can't tell you for sure. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
S says
Quick and easy as promised! I foil-lined a mini springform pan and buttered the foil, turned out perfectly with no mess. Thank you for this recipe!
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the banana bread. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Arley C Running says
My wife has become disabled and unable to do cooking so we look for small recipes and this site is so helpful...I am on a very steep learning curve and just did the bananna bread with added chopped pecans. Very good. saving this recipe
Joanie Zisk says
Hi Arley, I'm so glad you are finding the recipes helpful. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.