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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Got a freezer full of overripe bananas but feeling a little tired of banana bread? This loaf is the perfect solution! It combines the moist, dense texture you love from banana bread with the warm, spiced flavors of classic gingerbread. Trust me, this loaf won’t last long!
If you don’t have any ripe bananas on hand, you can always bake up some Old Fashioned Gingerbread or my Pumpkin Gingerbread instead! Both are full of cozy spices that make delicious treats for fall and holiday baking.
Reader Review
This Ginger Banana bread is a definite Keeper. It was just to use up bananas that were too brown to eat, but now I find myself buying extra bananas just so they go dark and are available to bake this DELICIOUS, perfect bread. THANK YOU.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is easy to make for bakers of any skill level!
- Total Time: You’ll have this treat on the table in about 70 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: Why not top this delicious loaf with a batch of The BEST Cream Cheese Icing or some sweet Maple Frosting? It’s also wonderful served with a dollop of my Perfect Whipped Cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or chopped Old Fashioned Candied Pecans on top!
- Tools Needed: You will need two loaf pans, a hand mixer, a large bowl or a stand-mixer, a whisk, a medium bowl, and a cooling rack.
What You’ll Need For Ingredients
Bananas: This recipe is perfect if you have a stash of bananas in the back of your freezer, like I often do! Any bananas will work, but very ripe, spotted bananas give your loaf the most moisture and natural sweetness.
Sugar: This recipe calls for brown sugar because it pairs beautifully with the molasses and adds a warm, caramel-like taste. Karlynn’s Tip: You can try half brown sugar and half white sugar, or swap it entirely with white sugar if you prefer an even sweeter loaf!
Molasses: Molasses gives this loaf its deep color, rich flavor, and classic gingerbread taste. Karlynn’s Tip: For a lighter, sweeter taste, use fancy molasses. For a deeper, more robust flavor, choose regular cooking molasses!
All-Purpose-Flour: Flour is the base of your loaf, providing structure and working with your baking powder and baking soda to create a soft, tender crumb.
Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are the classic warm spice blend that makes gingerbread so comforting. Karlynn’s Tip: Feel free to adjust the amounts to taste. Use less for a milder flavor or add a little more if you love bold spices!
How To Make A Banana Gingerbread Loaf
This is a brief overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, then grease and flour two loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then beat in the eggs.
- Mix in the mashed bananas and the molasses.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add them to the wet mixture and mix until well-combined.
- Divide the batter between the loaf pans, and bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Remove the loaves from the oven, let them cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to cool.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Banana Gingerbread Loaf
- Tone Down the Banana Flavor: If you or your family aren’t big fans of a strong banana taste, try using cooking molasses instead of fancy molasses. It has a deeper, bolder flavor that becomes the dominant taste in the loaf! You can also increase the spices slightly to bring out more of those classic gingerbread notes.
- Customize the Add-Ins: This loaf is easy to dress up with your favorite mix-ins! Stir chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds into the batter for a little crunch, or add dark chocolate chips or chunks for extra richness. Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, or finely chopped candied ginger also add lovely bursts of flavor. Feel free to experiment and make this loaf your own!
Storage Instructions
Bake it once and enjoy it for days! This loaf stores beautifully, making it perfect for breakfasts, snacks, or a cozy treat later in the week.
Refrigerator: Let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It will keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: This freezes very well! Once cooled, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months, following USDA food safety guidelines. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying again!
More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes
If you love a good slice of homemade loaf, here are a few more cozy Quick Bread Recipes to try next:
- Use up any berries tucked away in your freezer with this bright and flavorful Lemon Saskatoon Loaf!
- My Pumpkin Bread / Loaf Recipe is sweet, moist, and always pleases the crowd.
- Quick bread is just as tasty when it’s savory! This Cheesy Onion Bread is the perfect side for your favourite soup or stew!
And just like that, you’ve got a cozy banana loaf ready to enjoy! With the natural sweetness of ripe bananas and the warm, spiced flavor of classic gingerbread, this loaf is perfect for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or as a cold-weather treat.
Give this recipe a try, make it your own, and don’t forget to share your results in the comments below! You know that I love hearing about your kitchen adventures.
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Banana Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar white if you want a sweeter loaf
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups of mashed bananas around 6-7 medium banana’s
- 1 cup of molasses, cooking molasses for deep dark flavour, fancy molasses for a lighter flavour
- 3 cups of flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour two loaf pans.
- Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs until combined.
- Mix in the banana and molasses until completely combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until completely mixed in.
- Divide the batter between the loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.
- Remove and cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the pans onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Store wrapped up and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Linda says
This was so delicious! What a wonderful change from ordinary banana bread. So yummy!! I will be making this over and over again.
Elisabeth says
Has anyone tried making this gluten free? I’m trying to decide whether to use 1:1 gluten free blend or if I can use sun flower meal for a nicer texture. (Fine Sunflower meal pretty much acts the same as almond flour in my experience)
This looks amazing and I’m looking forward to making it, trying it, and sharing it!
Vivienne says
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I haven’t had gingerbread in a long time and I was going to make a banana bread bundt cake with raisins and chopped pecans. Has anyone made this recipe in a bundt cake? If so, does the bake time change? I appreciate feedback.
Evelyn Dwyer says
I followed instructions to the letter. I also put in some raisins. The two loaves were still not very good. Maybe I should have also added some white sugar. The ginger was kinda flat tasting. There was a bitter flavor occasionally? The cloves were whole so I mostly ground them into powder for the 1/2 tsp.
Zoe says
So obsessed with this banana gingerbread loaf! Stays moist days and days after being baked/cut, with a wonderful molasses and spice flavour. The recipe is very forgiving if you tend to do your own thing and not measure super well, I’ve always eyeballed spices and adjusted for what I have on hand, and this has always come out tasty.
Anju Agarwal says
Can I bake the banana ginger bread without eggs. If yes what should be the substitute for egg.
Molly says
You can use flax egg. Per egg: 1.5 Tbsp ground flax mixed with 2.5 Tbsp of water (so 3 Tbsp flax and 5 Tbsp water for this recipe). Let it sit a few minutes to let it gel before adding to the recipe. You can also use chia seed in the same ratios.
Molly says
Oops I mean one egg is 1 Tbsp Ground flax to 2.5 Tbsp water – so 2 Tbsp flax and 5 Tbsp water for this recipe. Same for the chia!
Renee Titus says
Perfect! Thank you.
B.houser says
First I should confess up front that I love molasses. That being said, this bread is amazing. My daughter just had a C-section and I have been looking for ways to add iron to her diet. This bread has the potassium and iron plus dense, moist, decadence. With the added plus of ginger, this is health food, but don’t tell my five year old picky eater to the nth degree grandaughter because once she got past the dark color, (I used blackstrap molasses) she loved it. So happy I found this recipe.
Alina says
Has anyone tried to use this recipe for cupcakes? I want to try it out this weekend but I’m not sure how to adjust baking temp and time.
AggieBee says
Flavor was good but mine definitely needed more bake time than recommended. I baked mine for 65mins and it still came out slightly under done (cake tester was clean but there was a small strip of under baked bread along the bottom) and sank during cooling. Next time I will bake 45mins uncovered and 25-30mins covered (edges were a little too crispy at 65mins).
Michelle says
This a delicious! I used 1/c butter and 1/4 c fat free greek yogurt just to reduce the fat..I bakedninn3 small loaves to make sharing easier. It was delicious. I will make this again.
Kathleen says
My family found the molasses flavor was way too overpowering. Next time, I will reduce the molasses and add more ginger. Super moist!
Becky D says
Delish!! Has more of a banana flavor as it cools. Making another batch right away (lots of frozen bananas!). Cool, slice, package individually to freeze for breakfast. Amazing that 7 bananas was EXACTLY 3 cups! Used everything just as listed. Came out great. I used fresh ginger but will use a little more. Love that ginger flavor. This is definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing!!
Yany says
That did not taste very good. I was expecting more with the five stars posted. The only thing I have changed is the white sugar, I used coconut sugar instead. I have sifted all the dry ingredients too.
yany says
My apologies, I understand why I find it metallic tasting. I have food intolerances. I forgot molasses is one of the thing I cannot eat. My friend finds it delicious. My apologies again.
Abby says
My mum made this the other day and sent me the recipe, telling me I urgently need to try this.
I will LITERALLY never make regular banana bread again. Holy crap this is SO good!!!!!!!
Karlynn Johnston says
That’s awesome to hear!!! This is one of my favorite recipes ever!
Donna Hunt says
This is just what I was searching for this morning and I can’t wait to try it! Problem is I only have a couple of bananas on hand. If I half the recipe, do you think adding unsweetened applesauce to make up the difference would work well?
Fran Weekes says
Made the Gingerbread Banana loaf for the annual family camping trip as my contribution to the community breakfast. It was so good that even the ones who claim they do not like banana bread were taking seconds! and asking for the leftovers (my Mother). Added walnuts because I like them. Also made the Calico Beans with turkey kielbasa subbed for the ground beef to include the niece does not eat beef/pork. The beans were delish and the hardcore meat eaters did not know it was turkey! And Mom asked for leftovers!
Decadence says
Was super delicious! I just added a cup of raisins and replaced the molasses with treacle and was really yum! Thank you!!
Margo Haynes says
This sounds delicious the only molasses I’ve found here in the U.S. is Grandma’s Molasses really dark molasses with the sulfur in it or the lighter one by her, would that be what you refer to as “baking” molasses?
Karlynn says
Yes fancy is like baking molasses. As long as it’s lighter and sweeter!
Cheryl says
I made this banana gingerbread with 4 super over ripe bananas. It is hands down my new favorite dessert! Better than chocolate!
Chris says
I made this banana ginger bread tonight & it is Deeeeelish! I added 3/4 cup of soaked crystallized ginger chopped into bite sized bits & 1/2 cup of dark chocolate bits. I also did half butter & half coconut oil (healthier fat) & added about 3 table spoons of olive oil. The end result produced a lovely moist cake/bread. Next time I make it I’ll add about a teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger as I think it could have been more gingery & dried powdered ginger is never quite gingery enough for me. I like a ginger that packs a bit of a punch. It would also be great with a little rum drizzled over, stored for a week so all those flavors mingle & served warm with ice cream.
TracyMB says
I’m wondering the same thing… 4×8 or 5×9?
TracyMB says
Oooh, definitely a 9×5.. that’s a whole lotta batter. Delicious. 🙂
gk says
This looks sooo good, are the 2 pans 9 by 5 or 8 by 4? thanks 🙂
Janelle says
This ginger loaf works well with whole wheat flour and even half banana half zucchini ( which I needed to use because they got way to huge in my garden. I imagine it could be a zucchini ginger loaf.
Either way it was super yummy!!!!
Karlynn Johnston says
I’m totally going to try all zucchini! You are brilliant!
Margaret Kufuor-Boakye says
Sent this to all my friends.
Chrystal Gramiak-Martin says
Do we use white or brown sugar? The ingredients say brown the instructions say white.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Brown for less sweet; white for sweeter. I’ll
edit that in!
Carla Armstrong says
Just made this tonight. This is good!
The Kitchen Magpie says
So glad that you liked it!
BethanySylvester says
I bought molasses especially for this recipe, so excited to try it and deviate from my normal banana bread recipe. AND that glass pyrex loaf pan?!? I’m swooning! Making this bread tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
buddiegirl says
Oh, oh, oh, two of my favourites, bananas and gingerbread in one simple recipe. I can’t wait to try this, it looks so yummy!
thekitchenmagpie says
buddiegirl It’s VERY good! We are hooked!
Heather Dawn says
2 questions…1) Is there supposed to be a leavening agent in the recipe? 2) Does the recipe use brown or white sugar?
Guys Cook Too says
Yep! Also looking for an answer on the sugar thing..recipe calls for brown but instructions talk about white…thanks.
Marina says
@ Heather Dawn, asking about leavening agent:
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
listed below spices at the bottom
Marla Childs says
Just pulled these out of the oven and my kitchen smells great! And I used up a good chunk of my banana stash. \U0001f60a Thanks for the recipe!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Hope you love them!!