BA's Best Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 177°C. Lightly coat an 8½x4½" loaf pan with Nonstick vegetable oil spray and line with parchment paper, leaving generous overhang on long sides. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, and Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat dark brown sugar, mascarpone, and unsalted butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 min. Add large eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition and scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Add large very ripe bananas and mix until just combined. Fold in chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and/or chopped raw walnuts if using with spatula. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; smooth top.

Bake bread until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 min. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let bread cool in pan 1 hr. Turn out bread onto rack and let cool completely (if you can resist) before slicing. Editor’s note: This recipe was first published in December 2021. Head this way for more of our best banana recipes →