Festive Christmas Banana Bread (Perfect for Brunch)
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There’s something about the smell of ripe bananas, cinnamon, and brown sugar baking on a cold morning that feels like a warm hug from the oven. This Christmas Banana Bread is a cozy twist on the classic banana bread recipe — soft, moist, and with a drizzle of icing to make it feel special for the holidays.
It’s perfect for Christmas morning, gifting to neighbors, or using up those bananas sitting on the counter. Simple ingredients, one loaf pan, and a few minutes of prep time are all you need for this festive favorite.
Table of Contents
How to Make Christmas Banana Bread
This easy recipe comes together in one bowl and makes the whole house smell amazing. Just mash the bananas, whisk the wet ingredients, fold in the dry ingredients, and bake until golden brown. You’ll be slicing into soft, fragrant bread in about an hour.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup butter, melted (or coconut oil)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2–3 medium)
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- ½ cup chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried cranberries (optional)
Optional glaze:
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons milk or cream
- Dash of vanilla or rum extract
Instructions
Prepare the loaf pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, and cinnamon. This step helps evenly distribute the leavening and spices throughout the loaf.
Mash the bananas: In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas until mostly smooth with a few small lumps.
Combine the wet ingredients: Add melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream to the mashed bananas. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Add the dry ingredients: Gently stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture just until combined — no overmixing! The key to soft, moist banana bread is light flour blending, not heavy stirring.
Pour and bake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note, this recipe does make a tall loaf, so it may be helpful to tent it with aluminum foil. This keeps the top from getting too dark.
Cool before slicing: Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once the bread has cooled, mix together the glaze ingredients and drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread.
Tips for Success
- Use very ripe bananas: The darker the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful your loaf will be.
- Measure carefully: Too much flour can make banana bread dense. Spoon and level it, don’t pack it.
- Room temperature ingredients blend better and create a smoother batter. If you’re starting with frozen bananas, make sure to warm them up before adding them to the recipe.
- Don’t skip the parchment paper: It helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- For extra moisture: Add an extra tablespoon of sour cream or a drizzle of honey to the batter.
Variations
- Cranberry Walnut Christmas Banana Bread: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts and ½ cup dried cranberries for festive color and crunch.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Stir in ½ cup mini chocolate chips.
- Eggnog Banana Bread: Swap ¼ cup of sour cream for eggnog and sprinkle nutmeg over the top before baking.
- Mini Loaves: Divide batter among smaller pans for holiday gifts; bake 25–30 minutes.
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Serving Ideas
- Serve warm with butter or cream cheese for breakfast.
- Toast slices lightly and top with honey butter or cinnamon sugar.
- Pair with coffee or hot cocoa for an easy Christmas brunch.
Storage & Freezing
Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3–4 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months — thaw overnight and warm slightly before serving. For gifting, wrap the cooled loaf in parchment and twine for a rustic, homemade look.
FAQs
Yes! Bake a day or two ahead — the flavor actually improves as it rests. Warm briefly before serving.
Absolutely. Bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes. Fill muffins about two-thirds full, as the batter rises a bit during baking.
Use a fork, potato masher, or even a hand mixer for a smoother texture.
Use coconut oil and a non-dairy yogurt or sour cream substitute.
It may be slightly underbaked. Be sure to bake until the top is firm and a tester comes out clean.
Baking Up Memories
This Christmas Banana Bread is everything you want from a holiday bake — fragrant, moist, and perfect for sharing. Serve it warm on Christmas morning with coffee, or slice it and wrap it for thoughtful, homemade gifts.
Baking has always been a part of our holiday season. Mom loved baking, and would prep for days (even weeks) in advance. Thanksgiving and Christmas always featured plenty of homemade goodies.
Things are a little scaled back now, but we still make up treats to share. These are some of our favorites:
Chocolate Coffee Cookies (Reindeer Print Cookies)
Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies
PrintChristmas Banana Bread
This easy banana bread recipe gets dressed up for the holiday season with a drizzle of icing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: quickbread
Ingredients
-
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup butter, melted (or coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 medium)
- 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried cranberries (optional)
Optional glaze:
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 teaspoons milk or cream
- Dash of vanilla or rum extract
- Crushed nuts or dried fruit bits for decoration, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar until blended. Add eggs, vanilla, bananas, and sour cream; mix until smooth.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to wet, stirring gently until just combined — do not overmix.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in nuts, cranberries, or chocolate chips if using.
- Bake: Pour into prepared pan and bake 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let rest 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Optional glaze: Whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled loaf. Sprinkle with crushed nuts or dried fruit for decoration.
This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie grew up in the kitchen, learning baking and home cooking from her momma. At age 15, she and her mom and two sisters created Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering. This was her summer job through most of high school and college.