Banana Raisin Bread

Banana Raisin Bread is a super moist quick bread made with plenty of bananas, sweet raisins, and a layer of cinnamon sugar swirl to complement the raisins. To make the Banana Raisin Bread extra moist, the recipe calls for ½ cup of sour cream in addition to 2 cups of mashed bananas.

Banana Raisin Bread is so versatile that it can be made to go with breakfast, as an afternoon snack (great for kids after school), or as a dessert. I also love to pack a slice of banana bread as a snack for my kids at school as a special treat for them to look forward to during the day. I love to make this Banana Bread with Streusel Topping, or the easiest Banana Bread Without a Loaf Pan (it is more cake-like in consistency, which is so good!). I also love to use this recipe for a glaze for banana bread.

Regardless of what banana bread you make, be sure to check out my Complete Guide to Baking Banana Bread which has a detailed discussion of what type of bananas to use, what type of dish to use, the impact of lots of different variations such as when to use sour cream and plenty of tips and tricks.

Banana Raisin Bread Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make Banana Raisin Bread.

• Butter: Many recipes use ½ cup butter, but this recipe uses only ¼ cup. There is plenty of moisture and flavor from the bananas and sour cream, so only ¼ cup butter is used in this recipe. Any more and it will taste greasy.
• Granulated Sugar: This recipe uses only ½ cup granulated sugar for the batter. The bananas are already plenty sweet. An additional ¼ cup sugar is used for a layer of cinnamon sugar in the middle.
• Mashed Bananas: About 4-5 medium bananas, or two cups mashed. Mash the bananas in a 4-cup measuring pitcher with a hand-held mixer to be precise.
• Eggs: Adds richness and protein and helps give the loaf shape.
• Vanilla Extract: To complement the banana flavor.
• Sour Cream: Adds richness and moisture without thinning the batter too much. The acidity helps to activate the baking soda.
• Baking Soda: To help the Banana Raisin Bread rise.
• Salt: To enhance the flavors and balance the sweetness.
• Flour: All-purpose unbleached flour.
• Raisins: Key ingredients in Banana Raisin Bread, adds sweetness. I use black raisins, but golden raisins can be used as well.
• Cinnamon: Combined with granulated sugar to pair with the raisins. The cinnamon sugar layer is optional. You can also add a layer of cinnamon sugar to these Banana Sourdough Muffins.

Ripe vs. Overripe Bananas

Most banana recipes will tell you that you should choose overripe bananas, often indicating that overripe bananas are sweeter and will result in a sweeter banana bread. However, overripe bananas are not any sweeter than ripe bananas. Rather, they have a stronger “banana” flavor. This is demonstrated in a study published in the journal PLoS One. For more details, see my thorough Guide to Making Banana Bread.

One of the reasons that overripe bananas were originally used to make banana bread is because it was a way to not waste food during the Great Depression.

Generally, I prefer using bananas that are between ripe and overripe. This is because very overripe bananas have a very intense banana flavor, and those between ripe and overripe have a strong, but not overpowering banana flavor.

For most types of banana bread, I choose bananas that are at the tail end of what you would consider eating as a snack. Plenty of brown spots, but more yellow than brown. This recipe, however, calls for sour cream. Adding sour cream adds moisture and flavor (from the fat content), but it also dilutes the banana flavor. In this case, using even very overripe bananas (mostly brown) would work well since the intensity of the banana flavor is toned down by the sour cream.

Measuring Mashed Bananas

Be sure to measure the volume of your mashed bananas. This recipe calls for 2 cups of mashed bananas, this amounts to 4-5 medium bananas. If you use significantly more or less than 2 cups, the wet-dry ingredient ratio will be off resulting in either a dense and gummy bread, or one that is dry.

Using Sour Cream

Using sour cream creates an extra moist Banana Raisin Bread. It will decrease the banana flavor for a milder-tasting banana bread. However, this bread also has raisins and cinnamon, so there will be plenty of flavor in the bread.

If you do not have sour cream, you can use full-fat plain or plain Greek yogurt. If you do not have sour cream or yogurt, you can skip it altogether and reduce the amount of flour from 1 ¾ cups to 1 ½ cups.

How to Make Banana Raisin Bread

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Banana Raisin Bread with a cinnamon swirl layer.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Butter and flour a 9x5 ceramic or metal loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar.

Step 2. Add the mashed bananas and combine.

Step 3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and combine.

Step 4. Add the sour cream, baking soda, and salt and combine.

Step 5. Add the flour and with a spoon stir to combine until just incorporated.

Step 6. Gently stir in the raisins. Avoid overstirring to prevent gluten development for a lighter and fluffier loaf.

Step 7. In a separate small bowl, combine the ¼ cup granulated sugar and the cinnamon

Step 8. Pour half of the banana raisin batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter. Top with the remaining batter.

Step 9. Bake at 350℉ for 55-60 minutes if using a ceramic loaf pan or 50-55 minutes if using a metal loaf pan. The Banana Raisin Bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out without any wet batter. See the note below on ensuring that the loaf does not get overdone.

Variations and Substitutions

Below are a few variations that you can consider depending on what you have available in your pantry. For more details as to why certain substitutions can be made, see my detailed Guide for Making Banana Bread.

• Sugar: Brown sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar 1 for 1.
• Vanilla Extract: If you do not have vanilla extract you can leave it out.
• Sour Cream: Substitute full-fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt. See note above.
• Flour: Cake flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour 1 for 1.
• Raisins: Black raisins or golden raisins will both work well.
• Cinnamon Sugar: Replace it with ¼ cup dark brown sugar, or leave it out altogether. You can also sprinkle additional cinnamon and sugar on the top of the loaf if desired.

When is Banana Raisin Bread Done

The best way to ensure a moist and delicious banana raisin bread is to not overbake it. Be sure to check the banana bread 5-10 minutes before the allotted baking time. A toothpick (or fork or knife) inserted into the middle should come out without any wet batter. Moist crumbs are okay. If you wait for the toothpick to be completely dry, you may end up overbaking the bread, causing it to be dried out.

If a toothpick does come out with wet batter towards the end of the baking time, check back every 3-5 minutes as the last bit usually bakes quickly. Keep in mind, though, that opening the oven too many times will decrease the overall temperature in the oven and prolong the total baking time.

Banana Raisin Bread FAQs

Looking for other sweet bread recipes? You may love these:

If you make this Banana Raisin Bread, I'd love to hear from you and learn how it went. Leave a rating and a comment down below and let me know how it turns out and if you have any other tips and tricks. Your feedback means a lot!