Blueberry Banana Bread
Blueberry banana bread is ultra moist, packed with juicy blueberries and ripe bananas, and easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.
I don’t know what it is about homemade banana bread but somehow it disappears faster than any other sweet treat in my kitchen. This blueberry banana bread recipe combines sweet overripe bananas with juicy fresh blueberries
If you’ve got brown bananas sitting on the counter and a pint of blueberries in the fridge, this is the perfect excuse to bake. Enjoy it with a hot cup of coffee in the morning or sneak a slice as a snack. It may just become your favorite banana bread recipe.
Looking for more way to use up ripe bananas? You might also like this traditional banana bread recipe or whip of a batch of chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream.
Recipe at a glance
- Made with simple ingredients you probably already have
- Extra moist thanks to sour cream and mashed banana
- Works with fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries
- Perfect for mini loaves, muffins, or a whole loaf
- Easy enough for beginner bakers
- One of the best quick bread recipes for using up black bananas
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Ingredients you will need
This delicious banana bread is everything a classic banana bread recipe should be — soft, flavorful, moist, and loaded with blueberries in every bite. To make this recipe, you will need:
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Overripe bananas – The secret to the best blueberry banana bread is using overripe bananas with lots of brown spots or even fully black bananas. As bananas ripen, their natural sugars develop, giving the bread a sweeter flavor, softer texture, and extra moisture. Mushy bananas are exactly what you want here.
- Fresh blueberries – Add bright flavor and bursts of juicy sweetness throughout the loaf. Tossing the berries with a little flour helps keep them suspended in the batter so they don’t all sink to the center of the loaf while baking.
- Sour cream – Sour cream creates an ultra moist bread with a soft, tender crumb. It also adds a subtle richness that balances the sweetness of the bananas and blueberries beautifully.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar gives this blueberry banana bread recipe a deeper, warmer flavor compared to white sugar alone. The added molasses helps keep the bread soft and moist for days.
- Cinnamon – Just a small amount of cinnamon adds warmth and makes the banana flavor taste even richer without overpowering the blueberries.
- Turbinado sugar – Sprinkling raw sugar over the top before baking gives the bread a lightly crisp, sparkling crust that feels straight from a bakery display case.
Substitutions and variations
- Frozen blueberries: Frozen blueberries can also be used straight from the freezer without thawing.
- Berry swaps: Replace the blueberries with raspberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries, or even chocolate chips.
- Whole wheat flour: Substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier texture often found in healthy banana breads.
- Sour cream substitute: Plain Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, buttermilk, or coconut yogurt all work well in place of sour cream.
- Sweetener options: Swap the brown sugar or white sugar with maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar for a different flavor profile.
- Butter alternatives: Use vegetable oil or olive oil instead of melted butter for an even softer, more moist bread.
- Streusel topping: Add a streusel topping made from brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, melted butter, and raw sugar for a bakery-style finish.
- Extra flavor: Mix in lemon zest, nutmeg, extra cinnamon, chopped pecans, or walnuts for added warmth and texture.
- Peanut butter twist: Swirl peanut butter into the batter for a peanut butter banana bread variation.
How to make blueberry banana bread
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard bread pan or line it with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 3: In a separate bowl or large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, mashed banana, and sour cream. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined.
Step 4: Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Don’t overmix. A little flour streaking is perfectly fine and helps create a tender crumb.
Step 5: In a small bowl, toss the juicy blueberries with a little flour. This keeps them from sinking to the center of the loaf while baking.
Step 6: Fold the blueberries gently into the batter and pour everything into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the raw sugar over the top.
Step 7: Bake for 55–65 minutes. The center of the loaf should spring back lightly when touched. A cake tester or digital thermometer inserted into the center should come out clean or read around 200 degrees. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or cooling rack.
Tips for the best blueberry banana bread
Don’t overmix. Overmixing develops too much gluten and can make the bread dense instead of soft and moist.
Room temperature ingredients matter. Using room temperature eggs and sour cream helps the batter mix together smoothly for even baking.
Serving suggestions
- Drizzle slices with homemade strawberry blueberry sauce for extra sweetness and a bakery-style touch.
- Turn slices into a decadent dessert by serving them warm with vanilla or strawberry ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or rum sauce.
- Use leftover blueberry banana bread to make homemade bread pudding for an easy sweet treat.
- Serve alongside pepper jack, bacon, and asparagus quiche and warm curried fruit salad for a balanced brunch spread.
Storage and freezing instructions
Storage. Store leftover blueberry banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing. Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in a layer of plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Blueberry banana bread FAQ’s
Yes. Turn this batter into blueberry muffins by baking in muffin tins at 350 degrees F for 18–22 minutes.
Yes! Simply divide the batter evenly between greased mini loaf pans, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake the mini loaves at 350 degrees F for approximately 25–35 minutes, depending on the size of your pans. Since loaf pan sizes can vary, start checking for doneness around the 25-minute mark. Allow the mini loaves to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack or cooling rack to cool completely.
Usually this means the center of the loaf wasn’t fully baked. Check doneness carefully with a cake tester or digital thermometer.
Metal loaf pans typically bake more evenly, but glass pans and ceramic pan options work too. Just keep an eye on baking time.
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If you made blueberry banana bread, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Your ratings and reviews help others find the recipe and give me great feedback too.
More blueberry recipes
Blueberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon flour, for tossing blueberries
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and whisk until fully combined. Stir in vanilla, mashed bananas, and sour cream.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour, then fold gently into the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top, if using. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and moisture.
- Avoid overmixing once flour is added to keep the bread tender.
- If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding.
