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Banana bread with a streusel topping is the perfect mix of soft, moist banana goodness and a crunchy, cinnamon-sugar streusel to seal the deal. It brings comfort to every bite, with the sweetness of the bananas and the spice of the streusel making it extra special!
For traditional banana bread recipes, make my banana bread with pecans and one bowl chocolate chip banana bread!
Banana bread with a streusel topping is the perfect recipe for anyone loves a moist treat with a sweet, crunchy finish.
I love a crumbly streusel and try to incorporate them into my recipes whenever I can. (just check out my bread pudding recipe and sweet potato bread) And honestly, there’s a lot of banana bread recipes on my blog, but because of that crunchy streusel, this one is has officially become my favorite banana bread recipe.
This go-to recipe uses ripe bananas, ensuring rich, banana-packed flavor that makes each bite melt in your mouth. It’s the best banana bread recipe for any occasion, whether you’re enjoying it as a breakfast treat or serving it as a dessert for guests.
What makes this banana bread special is how easy it is to make yet delivers a bakery-worthy result.
This perfect recipe combines the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with the buttery, cinnamon-spiced streusel that bakes to a golden perfection.
Table of Contents
Banana Bread Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Mashed Bananas in banana bread provide natural sweetness and the best flavor while adding moisture. This creates a soft and tender texture. Additionally, ripe bananas act as a binder, helping to hold the batter together for a soft, tender loaf.
- Spices – ground cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg add depth to this recipe without overpowering the banana flavor.
- Vegetable oil adds moisture to banana bread, ensuring a soft and tender texture. It also helps keep the bread fresh longer by retaining its moistness.
- Sour cream adds richness and tangy flavor to banana bread while enhancing its moist texture. Its acidity tenderizes the gluten, resulting in a softer crumb.
- Baking soda acts as a leavening agent in banana bread, helping it rise by reacting with acidic ingredients like bananas or sour cream to produce carbon dioxide.
- All Purpose Flour provides structure to banana bread by forming the base of the batter and helping it hold together during baking. It also helps absorb the moisture from the bananas and other liquids, contributing to the texture of the final loaf.
- Sugar adds sweetness to banana bread, enhancing the flavor of the bananas while helping to create a tender crumb. Light brown sugar contributes moisture and a subtle caramel-like flavor due to the molasses content, resulting in a softer texture and richer taste.
Variations
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Fold in semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for a rich, gooey twist.
- Tropical Banana Bread: Mix in shredded coconut and drained crushed pineapple for a tropical vibe.
- Dairy free Option: use vegan sour cream and vegan butter.
- Gluten Free Banana Bread: use your favorite gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour.
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly
To ripen bananas quickly, place them in a brown paper bag. This traps ethylene gas that the bananas omit, which accelerates ripening. For even faster results, add an apple or avocado to the bag, as they also release ethylene.
If you’re in a real rush, place bananas on a baking sheet and bake them at 300°F (150°C) for about 15-20 minutes until the skins turn black.
How to make Banana Bread with Streusel Topping
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave about 1-inch of parchment paper above the sides of the loaf pan so that the parchment will catch the streusel as it rises.
Step 2: In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, kosher salt, flour, and chopped pecans. Then add butter and mix until crumbles begin to form. Place the bowl into the refrigerator until the banana bread batter is assembled.
Step 3: In a large bowl, add overripe bananas, brown sugar, sugar, oil, melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer and mix everything together until smooth.
Step 4: Add in all of the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the wet ingredients. Mix together until just combined, then use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped pecans.
Step 5: Pour banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and remove the streusel topping from the refrigerator. Sprinkle the streusel on top of the batter.
Step 6: Bake for 1 hour and 10-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and place onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Pro Baking Tips for the BEST Banana Bread
- Use Overripe Bananas: once the bananas have lots of brown spots – this is ideal! Wait until they get like this for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Measure Accurately: Weigh with a kitchen scale or carefully spoon and level ingredients to avoid dense or dry bread.
- Don’t Overmix: Gently mix the batter until just combined to prevent a tough texture.
- Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick in the center—it should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cool Properly: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to avoid sogginess.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen bananas. Ensure they are fully thawed and excess liquid is drained before incorporating them into the batter to maintain the correct consistency.
Ripe bananas, oil, butter, and sour cream contribute to a super moist banana bread recipe.
Yes, allow the bread to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.
Apply the streusel topping to the banana bread batter before baking. This allows the topping to bake into a crunchy layer as the bread cooks.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf; it should come out with a few moist crumbs attached but not wet batter, indicating the bread is properly baked.
More Quick Bread Recipes
Desserts
Sweet Potato Bread
Breakfast
Chocolate Loaf Cake Recipe
Breakfast
Strawberry Bread
Breakfast
Chocolate Banana Bread
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Banana Bread with Streusel Topping
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
Streusel Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (55 g) Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) Sugar
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp (0.75 g) Kosher Salt
- 3/4 cup (94 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Pecans, (chopped, optional)
- 5 tbsps (70 g) Unsalted Butter, (melted)
Banana Bread
- 1 1/2 cups (338 g) Mashed Bananas, very ripe, (mashed, about 3-4 bananas depending on the size)
- 3/4 cup (165 g) Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) Sugar
- 2 tbsp (28 g) Oil
- 6 tbsp (84 g) Unsalted Butter, (melted)
- 1/2 cup (115 g) Sour Cream, (room temperature)
- 2 large Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 tsp (4 g) Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups (250 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp (4 g) Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) Nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (50 g) Pecans, (chopped, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave about 1-inch of parchment paper above the sides of the loaf pan so that the parchment will catch the streusel as it rises.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, kosher salt, flour, and chopped pecans. Then add butter and mix until crumbles begin to form. Place the bowl into the refrigerator until the banana bread batter is assembled.
- In a large bowl, add very ripe bananas, brown sugar, sugar, oil, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer and mix everything together until smooth.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together until just combined, then use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped pecans.
- Pour banana bread batter into the loaf pan and remove the streusel topping from the refrigerator. Sprinkle the streusel on top of the batter.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10-20 minutes.
Notes
- Use Overripe Bananas: once the bananas have lots of brown spots – this is ideal! Wait until they get like this for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Measure Accurately: Weigh with a kitchen scale or carefully spoon and level ingredients to avoid dense or dry bread.
- Don’t Overmix: Gently mix the batter until just combined to prevent a tough texture.
- Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick in the center—it should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cool Properly: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to avoid sogginess.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Baking the bread now and can’t wait to taste! Smells so good. Noticed that the instructions don’t say when to add the eggs in. Also, the instructions for the streusel say to add pecans in the topping, but pecans aren’t shown in the topping measurements.
Hi Carly! Thanks for pointing that out! I just updated the recipe to account for when the 2 eggs and pecans are added into the streusel. I hope that you loved this recipe!
We love banana bread, and with streusel topping? Yum! On the picture/photo with all the ingredients near the top of the page, you show eggs, but I don’t find them anywhere on the actual recipe card – help clear this up please so we can enjoy this recipe – thanks!
Hi Barb! Sorry about that, it’s two eggs!