The Best Strawberry Banana Bread

Name: The Best Strawberry Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 large egg; 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted; 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons buttermilk; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 3 very ripe bananas; 1 1/2 cups (270g) strawberries, hulled and diced; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; whipped strawberry butter, for serving

Mar 8, 2023 by Asha · This post may contain affiliate links · 44 Comments

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This strawberry banana bread is the most moist, tender, and delicious banana bread you could dream of, and it is studded throughout with fresh, juicy strawberries. This bread is quick and easy to make with no special equipment.

A sliced loaf of strawberry banana bread on a cutting board.

It is great for making ahead of time, which makes it perfect for breakfast or a quick snack. You can even toast it and serve it with a scoop of ice cream for dessert. And the smell coming out of your oven while you bake it is simply heavenly.

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Ingredients
Variations
Instructions
Equipment
How to serve it
Storage
Tips for success
FAQ
📖 Recipe

This strawberry banana bread is a variation of my buttermilk banana bread recipe, which is studded with walnuts and coated in a glaze similar to old fashioned donuts. It's so hard to decide which version I like best! However, this one is served with my scrumptious whipped strawberry butter, tipping the scales in its favour.

A slice of strawberry banana bread topped with whipped strawberry butter.

Ingredients

All purpose flour
Baking soda - Baking soda requires acidity to activate it. When combined with buttermilk (an acidic ingredient), it will release carbon dioxide gas resulting in a light and fluffy bread. Baking soda also neutralizes the sour taste of the buttermilk.
Salt
Large egg
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Buttermilk - Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient that tenderizes the gluten in bread, giving it a more tender texture. It also adds body and a pleasant tang to the banana bread, while adding minimal fat.
Pure vanilla extract
Bananas (very ripe) - The riper the better. This gives an intense flavour time to develop. The perfectly ripe banana for banana bread has a black peel or one that is at least streaked with brown/black. But if the banana has surpassed ripe and is beginning to decay, you should not use it. Signs of this will be a fermented smell and the inside turning brown/black.
Strawberries - Nice, red and ripe berries are best. Avoid berries with white or green flesh near the tops as these berries are underripe.
For serving: Whipped strawberry butter

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Variations

Chocolate chips - This is a great addition that pairs wonderfully with the strawberries. Add in a ⅓ cup (50g) chocolate chips at the same time as you fold in the strawberry pieces. Semi-sweet or white chocolate works well.

Nuts - You can add your favourite nuts to this banana bread. Walnuts are a nice choice.

Berries - Other kinds of berries, such as blueberries or raspberries, could be used instead of strawberries. Mixed berries are delicious, as well.

Classic - Maybe you would prefer this classic buttermilk banana bread with walnuts and a delightful sweet buttermilk glaze.

Note: This lemon zucchini bread is another delicious snacking bread and its drizzled with a wonderful sweet lemon glaze.

Instructions

Grease a loaf pan and preheating the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Melt the butter then let it cool a bit (you don't want it to be hot enough to cook the egg when you mix them together). And mash the bananas.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for now.

A wooden spoon mixing wet ingredients in a mixing bowl.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, melted butter, and egg.

Large crumbles beginning for form in the batter.

Stir the dry ingredients into the bowl with the butter mixture. It will start to form large crumbles. Be very careful to not overmix or the bread will not turn out tender.

Add in the buttermilk, vanilla, and bananas. Stir until everything is just fully incorporated, still being careful to not over-mix.

In a small bowl, toss the diced strawberry pieces with 1 tablespoon of flour. This helps them to stay suspended in the batter and not sink to the bottom of the loaf pan while baking.

A mixing bowl full of banana bread batter studded with died strawberries.

Carefully fold the floured strawberry pieces into the batter until they seem evenly distributed throughout.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake it for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean (not coated in batter, not dry, but with a few moist crumbs).

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.

A strawberry banana bread loaf cooling in the pan.

Whipped Strawberry Butter

It is the perfect time to make some whipped strawberry butter while the strawberry banana bread is cooling. This addition is totally optional, however, I highly recommend it. Fresh strawberries are reduced down to be an intense pop of strawberry flavour in the fluffiest of butters. I can eat this stuff right off of a spoon. And the combination with this bread is absolutely heavenly.

Equipment

To make this recipe you will need:

Loaf pan - I used a 9x5 inch pan.
Measuring cup set or kitchen scale
Mixing bowls
Cooling rack
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon

loaf pan

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mixing bowls

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How to serve it

This banana bread is delicious when served warmed, toasted, or room temperature.
My favourite way to enjoy it is warmed and slathered with homemade, whipped strawberry butter for a flavour combination that is to dream of. Other toppings are nice as well, such as a pat of plain butter or cream cheese.
I like to have individually frozen slices in the freezer for a delicious grab-and-go snack anytime.
To serve this as a dessert, you can toast the slices and serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

A sliced loaf of strawberry banana bread on a cutting board surrounded by pink and white roses.

Storage

Once the strawberry banana bread has completely cooled, you can store it at room temperature for up to 4 days by wrapping it securely in plastic wrap. Do not store it in the refrigerator as this will cause it to dry out prematurely.

To freeze, wrap the completely cooled loaf in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped loaf inside of a freezer bag and remove extra air before sealing. Freeze for up to 4 months.

Tip: You can wrap and freeze individual slices for a quick and easy grab snack to go. These will thaw faster as well.

To thaw, place the frozen loaf on a countertop to come to room temperature. This can take a few hours, so it's a good idea to leave it out overnight.

Tips for success

Cool the butter - If the melted butter is too hot when you mix it with the other ingredients it will cook the egg. Give it time to cool until it is not hot to the touch.
Weigh to be sure - You should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar to get the best results. However, if you have to use a measuring cup rather than a kitchen scale, stir the ingredient to create air pockets then gently spoon it into the cup and level off the top. Do not scoop or you will get too much.
Use fresh baking soda - This loaf relies on the baking soda reacting properly with the buttermilk. Make sure to replace your baking soda regularly.
Don't overmix - As soon as you mix flour into any batter or dough it is so important to not overmix. If you do, you will lose the soft and delicate texture and make something that is dense and tough. Only mix until the flour has just been blended into the other ingredients.
Use small strawberry pieces - Small pieces of strawberry work best, so make sure to cut them into a small dice. Large pieces could result in large pockets of moisture and a more difficult to slice loaf.
Toss strawberries in flour - Don't skip this step. It prevents your berries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking.
Use very ripe bananas - This will give you the best flavour as the natural sugars and flavours have had time to develop in the fruit..
Don't overbake - Make sure to check on your banana bread while it is baking. Loaf pans and oven actual temperatures can vary so much. Use a toothpick to check for doneness at the centre of the loaf. You want it to come out mostly clean: not coated in batter, not dry, but with a few moist crumbs. The loaf will finish the last bit of baking while resting in the pan.
Try other delicious strawberry recipes. Fresh strawberry cookies, strawberry custard tart, Japanese candied strawberries...

FAQ

Can I make this recipe in advance?

Yes, because this strawberry banana bread keeps for up to 4 days it is great for making ahead of time.

Can I use frozen strawberries?

I really recommend that you use fresh strawberries in this loaf as frozen berries will release a lot of liquid. If you must use frozen, thaw them first and you can try to compensate for the moisture by adding 1-2 tablespoons more flour. Again, use fresh if you can.

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

The riper the better. This gives an intense flavour time to develop. The perfectly ripe banana for banana bread has a black peel or one that is at least streaked with brown/black. But if the banana has surpassed ripe and is beginning to decay, you should not use it. Signs of this will be a fermented smell and the inside turning brown/black.

📖 Recipe

The Best Strawberry Banana Bread

5 from 22 reviews

Author: Asha
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Category: Bread
Cuisine: American

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Description

This strawberry banana bread is the most moist, tender, and delicious banana bread you could dream of, studded with fresh, juicy strawberries.