Banana cornbread is a sweet and savory cornbread recipe made with overripe bananas, cornmeal, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and more. This is a delicious banana bread recipe with a cornbread twist. Serve as breakfast or opt to serve as a side dish for dinner.
This is an amazing flavor and the banana and cornmeal work great together. Also, this is a great way to use up some of your bunch of bananas you have sitting on the counter. This is a great recipe with a nice hint of banana flavor and a twist of corn bread.
If you want more cornbread recipes, try my old-fashioned cornbread cake, or this air fryer cornbread muffins recipe.
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Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. You can find the full list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- cornmeal
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- butter
- salt
- baking powder
- bananas
- buttermilk
- vanilla extract
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the instructions to make this recipe. You can find the full steps in the recipe card.
Add your cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Mix the flour mixture to mix it up. Then set aside.
Next in another bowl mash up your bananas, to break up all the banana pieces.
Mix in the buttermilk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix it up until well combined.
Then you will work in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.
Grease your pan, and then pour the cornbread batter into the pan and bake as directed.
Once the cornbread is done, place it on wire racks for cooling. Then slice and serve warm or let fully cool before you slice and serve.
Hint: Make sure the banana mixture is fully broken up before you mix in the other ingredients. That way you get the proper consistency of the cornbread.
Variations
Looking for some new ways to change up this cornbread recipe, see some variations below.
- Maple Banana Cornbread: Instead of granulated sugar swap with real maple syrup to mix in the batter. It will give it a richer flavor.
- Banana Corn Muffins: Use a muffin pan and make corn muffins for a sweet cornbread muffin recipe.
- Berry Banana Cornbread: Add some fresh or frozen berries with the mashed bananas. It will give a sweet burst of flavor to the bread, or make banana cornbread muffins.
- Coconut: Mix in some shredded coconut to the batter for a wonderful addition for a tropical twist.
- Savory Cornbread: Add some less sugar and then mix in some shredded cheese or some green onions for a mix of flavors.
See this bread machine cheese bread recipe for you to try out for another recipe.
Equipment
Reach for an 8×8 baking pan for this recipe. I did line the pan with parchment paper to help prevent it from sticking along with cooking spray. You will want a large mixing bowl with a whisk or spatula.
Now you can use a hand mixer but you want to make sure to not overmix the batter.
Storage
Store the banana cornbread in a sealed container on the counter for 2-3 days, at room temperature. Or you can refrigerate the bread and it will last 4-5 days.
The other option is to freeze the cornbread by placing it in an airtight container that is freezer-friendly. Freeze for 2-3 months. Then thaw on the counter when you are ready to eat.
Wendy’s Test Kitchen Tips
- Make sure you use ripe bananas, that are speckled with brown spots on the skin. This is going to help give you that sweet banana flavor to the bread.
- If you overmix the batter it will cause a dense and tough bread that you will slice into.
- If you don’t want the recipe to be too sweet, then use less sugar. You will find the riper the medium bananas will offer a sweeter flavor.
- Use a toothpick to stick in the center of the cornbread. If it comes out clean of no wet batter the cornbread is fully baked through.
- Use wet batter and dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and then use a large bowl for mixing them together after you mash bananas.
FAQs
If you want to make a gluten-free bread, just use a gluten-free flour mix instead of traditional flour. Then use the rest of the ingredients that are certified gluten-free.
Yes, go right ahead and double the recipe if you would like. Reach for a 9×13 size pan instead of 8×8 pan.
Yes, you can use any type of fruit you would like. Slice up apples, fresh berries, peaches, etc. Then just mix it in at the end of the assemble of the cornbread.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with the Banana Cornbread recipe:
I hope you’ll like this recipe, and please, if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #mamasonabudget— I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
Banana Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until the wet ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay. Overmixing can result in dense cornbread.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Once the cornbread is baked through, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cornbread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
- Slice the banana cornbread into squares and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy it on its own, with butter, or as a side dish to your favorite savory meals.
I used this recipe with small modification and it turned very delicious. I used ripe 5 bananas (they had to go), 1.5 cup of polenta instead or cornmeal, no flour and 0.5 cup milk, leaving the rest of the recipe same. Thank you for sharing!
Ira Z
Hi Ira! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this reciipe, and I’m glad it turned out well for you with those swaps. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rate my recipe!