9/26/21

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread

The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!

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I have tried dozens of banana bread recipes through the years looking for THE BEST one. To me, that means, tons of flavor, tender texture and above all else, it must be super moist.

I mean, so moist that you don’t have to slather it with butter and you don’t have to pop it in the microwave before it’s worth eating.

I will always enjoy warm banana bread and love butter on just about anything but truly great banana bread shouldn’t require either to be delicious.

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread! The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!

I’ve tried almost every recipe out there that calls itself “The Best!” or has “moist” in the name and some have come close but none have hit the mark I was after.

So I got to thinking… remember how my cornbread world got rocked earlier in the year when my buddy, Amanda used mayo in my recipe instead of sour cream??

Whoa, don’t freak out! Just stay with me… stay with me… I know it seems unorthodox, if not downright wrong, but y’all, I am telling you, this is it. This is the secret to SUPER MOIST banana bread. That stays moist.

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread! The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!

As I’m typing this, I’m eating a slice that’s 4 days old, that’s been stored in a NOT airtight cake stand, and it tastes, smells and feels exactly like it did the day I baked it. Not one crumb has fallen off.

I can’t tell you why mayonnaise is the miracle cure (seriously, it’s just eggs, oil and a nip of vinegar... maybe because the fat is emulsified??). All I can tell you is that THIS is the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten in my entire life and I will never make it any other way.

And that’s exactly how I feel about my new favorite cornbread recipe. It’s my old favorite cornbread recipe made with mayonnaise instead of sour cream. I will never make another cornbread recipe. EVER.

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread! The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!

I’ll be honest, until Amanda screwed around and put mayo in my cornbread recipe, I’d never wanted to try any baked goods made with mayonnaise. I’ve heard of chocolate mayonnaise cake my whole life but the idea of it conjures up thoughts of eggy pound cake or scrambled egg sandwiches or… I don’t know… some really fat lady stirring egg salad with curlers in her hair (I know, I’m weird… she also has a cigarette hanging out her mouth but I wasn’t going to mention that).

Just trust me.

TRUST ME.

You will love this recipe. The flavor is incredible (not even a hint of mayo taste) and like I said, it is so moist and it stays moist.

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread! The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!

NOTES ON MAKING SECRET INGREDIENT SUPER MOIST BANANA BREAD:

  • I only use Duke’s Mayonnaise but I’m sure any quality, traditional mayo will work (Hellmann’s, Kraft, Blue Plate, etc). Just don’t use Miracle Whip or anything sweet and tangy like it.
  • It’s an optional step but I highly recommend sifting your flour, baking soda and salt together. I’ve made banana bread one too many times that had little white nuggets in it from clumps of flour and/or baking soda. If you’re going to add nuts, don’t worry about it because any little white spots will just look like a chunk of pecan or walnut.
  • Speaking of, you can absolutely add chopped nuts to this! Add 1/2 cup or so when you mix in the flour. Husbands HATES nuts in anything sweet (yes, it is sad) so I don’t put them in mine, but I love pecans in banana bread.
Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread! The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!
  • I know warm banana bread, fresh from the oven, is the stuff of dreams but IF you can, try to resist getting into this until it’s completely cool – and let it cool in the pan. It will be EVEN MORE moist if you can let it cool in the pan. Remember, this banana bread doesn’t have to be warm to be moist and delicious – it’s going to be fresh-from-the-oven soft and tender for daaaaays.
  • Use 3 large or 4 small bananas. Just don’t use too many. Too much banana will yield dense bread and you’ll have a hard time getting it to cook through. I actually measured to see how much 3 large overripe bananas would yield and it was right at 1 1/2 cups. If you’re unsure, just mash them up and measure.
  • Don’t use a whisk to stir in the flour and only stir it long enough to combine it into the wet ingredients. Stirring develops the gluten in the flour which will create air pockets in quick breads like this and make it tough.
  • It’s also important to pour the batter into the pan as soon as it’s ready then bake it immediately. Overworking the batter will develop gluten and so will leaving it wet for too long before baking.

Recipe for Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread! The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!

I love this recipe so much I used it to make pumpkin bread and apple bread! Check out my recipes for Perfect Pumpkin Bread and Apple Pie Bread too!

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread

Secret Ingredient SUPER MOIST Banana Bread
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
The BEST banana bread recipe made incredibly moist by adding a secret ingredient! It may seem odd but once you’ve made it this way, you’ll never make it without it again!

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter, at room temp
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 large overripe bananas (1 1/2 cups mashed)
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan; set aside.
  2. Whisk butter, sugar, mayo, vanilla and eggs until well combined.
  3. Add bananas to a separate bowl then mash using the back of a fork (small lumps are OK but we’re looking for a pretty wet mash).
  4. Whisk mashed bananas into batter.
  5. OPTIONAL STEP: Sift flour, salt and baking soda together. Sometimes I get little white nuggets of flour and/or baking soda in the bread if I don’t sift it but it’s completely optional.
  6. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda until just combined (don't overmix).
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan then bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  8. Cool banana bread completely in the pan before turning out.

Notes

  • Any quality, traditional mayo will work (Duke’s, Hellmann’s, Kraft, Blue Plate, etc). Don’t use Miracle Whip or anything sweet and tangy like it.
  • You can add chopped pecans or walnuts to this if you’d like! Add 1/2 cup or so when you mix in the flour. 
  • Letting the banana bread cool in the pan helps it stay moist so try to be patient and let it cool before slicing into it.
  • Don’t use a whisk to stir in the flour and only stir it long enough to combine it into the wet ingredients. Stirring develops the gluten in the flour which will create air pockets in quick breads like this and make it tough.
  • Pour the batter into the pan as soon as it’s ready then bake it immediately. The longer the batter sits wet, the more gluten develops which will also make the bread tough.
banana bread, best, moist, mayo, mayonnaise, how much, how many, bananas, how to, super moist, secret ingredient, duke's, recipe
bread, dessert
american
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66 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipe Mandy. I love banana bread. Gotta try yours.

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    1. My Grandmother ways made all baked goods using Mayo - I am now 82 years old and baked with her for years. Then she poured simple syrup over the cakes if they seemed dry to her and boy were they moist. She flavored the simple syrup to match the cake flavor. So I think Mayo in cakes has been around awhile - during the war one of the most popular cakes was a chocolate mayo cake - eggs were hard to get so mayo was used. Delicious to say the least. Anyway just sayin keep going with the mayo.

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    2. This is such a great recipe! I’ve tried so many recipes in the past and thought I was loving the sour cream version but to anyone who is on the fence (because trust me, the Mayo freaked me out too at first), just try it!!! You will not regret it! This is truly the best most, moist recipe ever!! I brought a loaf to a friends last night and I’m currently tripling the recipe for three people less than 24 hours later it was such a hit! Thank you!

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  2. I would guess that you can use fine almond flour. What is your thought?

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    1. What about Truvia sugar. For diabetes

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  3. I made this recipe..I really loved it! Truly moist. I love the secret ingredient I will be making it again and I might even use zucchini instead.
    Great job.

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  4. My teenage son is obsessed with my banana bread (actually, all my breads, as I make many kinds). I was saying to him just yesterday that the batch I made only once (then lost the recipe) that he still talks about as the "best ever" actually contained mayo instead of sour cream. The look on my 13 year old’s mayo-hating face!!🤣 I saw your recipe pop up on Pinterest stating "secret ingredient," and I thought, maybe it's that long list recipe or a similar one. I'm glad it was, and now it's saved. Thanks for this!

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  5. If I wanted to bake these as muffins, instead of bread/loaf form, how long should I bake them? Muffins are easier for my kids to take take to school.

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  6. This was the absolute best banana bread I've ever made even after substitutions due to a depleted post-Christmas pantry. 1/4 cup brown sugar instead of white. Coconut oil instead of butter. Baking powder instead of baking soda. I also added cinnamon. Your recipes are no fail. Have loved everything I've made. Happy New Year!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much!! Happy New Year to you too!

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    2. You had mentioned that you added Cinnamon about how much ?

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  7. This is far best banana bread recipe I've tried! Thank you!

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  8. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I followed your recipe and OH MY WORD! This is my first time making banana bread and I killed it! My picky eating family members finished it all the first night! I don't know if the mayo did the trick, but people follow it and I promise you...you will not regret it! My mom has now challenged me to make zucchini bread this way too. :/

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  9. What if I only have 2 small bananas?

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    1. It will probably be OK but I can't say for certain because I developed the recipe for 1.5 cups mashed bananas.

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    2. This recipe is fantastic!! If I don't have enough bananas I use 2 large bananas and 1/2 c of unsweetened applesauce. Can't tell the difference.

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  10. Hi, thanks for the recipe. Would it be possible to substitute honey for sugar?

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  11. Hello Mandy, I wanted to thank you for the excellent and perfect banana cake recipe, I have been looking for a complete recipe for a long time and I have tried many recipes but this recipe was really great and I fell in love with it.I followed exactly the instructions and the only change I made was to pour half a glass of sugar. Thank you very much

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  12. This turned out amazing!!!!! Didn't even make it through the night.....husband says I need to make it once a week lol thank you for the recipe!

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  13. Mandy excellent recipe. The Mayo makes all the difference. Our secret ingredient Duke's. It's got Twang!! 😋 Thank you.

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  14. Interesting. I use full fat yogurt. I'm skeptical about the mayo but will have to try it.

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  15. I have been trying to discover what my cousin used to make absolutely the best banana bread I have ever tasted, so have tried using sour cream, as well as cream cheese, to no avail! I made your recipe with the "secret ingredient" yesterday and while it is different than I remember my cousin's tasting, it really is the BEST banana bread I have ever made! It is very moist and light. I made 3 "baby loaves" from the recipe (as written) and baked them 40-41 minutes. DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing!

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  16. I tried this recipe but the tops were flat. I think it needed baking powder. Was this left out accidentally or does it really have no baking powdwe?

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    1. Nope, there's no baking powder in this recipe. I've made this recipe dozens of times and, for reasons unknown to me, mine has come out flat twice. I don't know if it has something to do with the weather or maybe my bananas were bigger those days?? I'm not sure why but occasionally this happens to me too.

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    2. Could be that your baking soda was expired.

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  17. Will "light" mayo work in this recipe?

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure. Eggs and oil are the main ingredients in regular mayo and water is the main ingredient in light mayo sooo... I'm not sure. Let us know if you try it!

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    2. I have used light Mayo and it is VERY moist! Many compliment s!

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  18. I love this recipe, but I freeze my over ripe bananas in the skins, pull them out of freezer let them thaw,it's quick,cut the end off and squeeze the ripe banana out no clumps , done this for 50 years great way to not waste bananas.

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    Replies
    1. Me too 😊

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    2. Did you use 1 1/2 cup frozen bananas ?? I freeze mine too

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  19. I replaced Mayo with applesauce and my family loved it. I made two - one with chocolate chips and one without. Chocolate chips are always the win in this house. Great recipe.

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  20. I have been making banana bread for over 50 years and this is the best banana bread I have ever tasted. So moist and freezes wonderfully. Shared with my niece's softball team and the girl's were simply obsessed with it! Thanks for sharing....

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  21. Is there a way to make the dough or mix it in a bread machine but then bake in oven? For 4h they have to use bread machine for half (for that class) not all. May have to hold this one til next year but wonder

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  22. Do you think mayo made with olive oil would make any difference?

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  23. Hi, I’m just baking this banana bread, so yet to comment on the result. Although I would like to clarify one thing before I take the bread out since I’m totally confused how it will come.
    After adding the mayonnaise. the wet mix looked a lot curdled so I was panicked if I’m doing right since this is the first time I’m making a cake with mayo. Is that normal? I followed your recipe instructions correctly as given.

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    Replies
    1. You whisk the mayo and other wet ingredients "until well combined" so it should be pretty smooth before you add the bananas.

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  24. I’m constantly trying different banana bread recipes. As of today my search is over. This is the best recipe ever. Made one as recipe called for and the other with pecans. Both super delicious. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.

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  25. Can this bread be frozen? I want to make several for Christmas gifts and would make ahead and freeze for about a month.

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    Replies
    1. I have no idea about freezing baked goods but if others can be frozen, I imagine this one could be too.

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  26. Can you use coconut sugar or agave syrup instead of the regular sugar? Also can you use a whisk to stir in the flour?
    How does it taste with gluten free flour?

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  27. Thank you so much for posting recipe my family loves this banana bread,they say it's the best they have tasted

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  28. Can sour cream be sub in place of mayo?

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  29. Are you using salted or unsalted butter?

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  30. Hi Mandy, I'm kinda new on baking and just made this banana bread, it was a hit and super moist! Thank you!!. Do you think I can use this recipe but in an 8in mold to make a 3 layer cake and cover it with fondamt? Thanks!!

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  31. Can I use cake flour for the banana bread

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    Replies
    1. I really don't know because I've never tried it.

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  32. OMG! This was the best banana bread I have ever eaten!! 😋 Funny thing is, it was the 1st time I made banana bread! I hesitated at 1st to be honest because of the mayo haha but glad I made it. So yummy!!

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  33. I made this for the first time tonight and talk about AMAZING. It was SO good and SO moist. Best banana bread recipe I’ve found/made. Will definitely make it again!

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  34. I made this and although it was really good and most I think I wilp tweak it a little next time. I added a tsp of cinnamon but next time I will add a little more sugar. It wasn’t as sweet as I like. Maybe some brown sugar would make this perfect

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  35. My banana bread came out very good and also taste awesome. Made for my son and daughter when went to visit them. My son had ripe bananas and asked me can I make another one for him and his wife to keep in fridge. They just had a baby and needed lots of prep meals . He was so thankful for this banana bread

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  36. How long do I bake this in a air fryer?

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  37. Made this twice..absolutely delicious.

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  38. This is the best recipe ever. It’s my third time I make it following all the instructions they only thing I added is cinnamon and I switch regular flour for bleached flour.

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  39. This is exactly the recipe I’ve been looking for. The texture is perfect. And very moist!!!

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  40. You can achieve the same thing with 1/4 cup of vegatable oil.

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    Replies
    1. Did you read what she wrote? No veg oil is not as good as the mayo....not even close


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  41. Absolutely best banana bread I've ever made!! Thank you so much for the recipe.

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  42. Hands down THE best banana bread! I’ve made this about a dozen times and my grandchildren clammer for it! This banana bread is perfect. This is what I do every time: As soon as the banana bread has cooled completely I wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then foil and refrigerate it overnight. The next day I slice it and individually wrap each slice with plastic wrap then put the slices in a plastic container and freeze. They freeze beautifully! And they remain fresh and moist.
    The only way I can get my grandchildren to accept waiting til the next day for this banana bread is I tell them that the banana bread wants to have a sleepover in the fridge with the vegetables!🤣

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  43. Mandy, this is by far the best banana bread I've ever made. The only change I made was to decrease the sugar to half a cup and added a half cup each of chocolate chips and walnuts. My husband and I just started renting a lake cabin out as a short-term rental. I have made a loaf of this banana bread for each group of renters. The responses from them have been tremendous! When I make it for them, I do eliminate the walnuts. Thank you so much for sharing!!

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  44. Oh my. I have been baking for 50 years and I can’t believe I didn’t cream my sugar and butter!! I put all the wet ingredients in together. The butter is still in little pieces! There is nothing I can do except wait for it to come out to see if it incorporated into the bread or not. I could absolutely cry. I made 4 at once. Wasn’t paying attention. I will let you know the outcome. 🙃

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  45. I made this last night, following the recipe as written, but adding walnuts and blueberries! It took a little longer to bake and the edges got a little crispy because of the baking time, but it was so so delicious! Thank you!

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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy