A moist and sweet banana and blueberry bread recipe bursting with fresh blueberries and ripe bananas.
It's the perfect choice for an after-school snack, quick dessert, or bake sale.
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Have you ever found yourself with a bunch of over-ripe bananas that nobody wants to eat? Well, fear not, because this recipe is the perfect solution!
Even my picky kids, who won't touch a banana with even a hint of black on the skin, absolutely love this banana and blueberry loaf cake made with those very same bananas!
Served warm from the oven and spread with a little salted butter, this delicious cake is the ultimate after-school snack.
So, don't let those pesky over-ripe bananas go to waste - give this recipe a try and enjoy a sweet and satisfying treat that your whole family will love!
👩🍳 Have you seen my banana & peanut butter muffins? Another great recipe for using up over-ripe bananas!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- It's a great way of using up over-ripe bananas that might otherwise go to waste, reducing food waste and saving you money on shopping.
- The blueberry banana bread is incredibly easy to make and doesn't require a mixer or any fancy equipment, making it accessible to even the most novice of bakers.
- It's freezer-friendly, making it an ideal make-ahead option.
- The banana cake is versatile and can be enjoyed as a snack, packed into a lunchbox, or served as a delicious dessert.
- The addition of blueberries gives the cake a burst of colour and flavour, making it a more nutritious option than plain banana bread.
🥘 Ingredients
Bananas - Over-ripe bananas are used in this recipe, as they have a sweeter flavour and a softer texture, making them easier to mash and incorporate into the batter. The blacker the banana, the better!
Blueberries - Fresh blueberries can be used when they are in season, but frozen blueberries work well too. Blueberries add a tangy sweetness and burst of color to the cake.
Butter - Unsalted butter is used in this recipe, as it allows you to control the amount of salt in the cake. Softened butter is easier to cream with the sugars, making the batter smooth and fluffy.
Sugars - A combination of light brown sugar and caster sugar is used to give the cake a rich, caramel-like flavor. The brown sugar also helps to keep the cake moist. You can use either type of sugar on its own if you prefer.
Eggs - Large free-range eggs are used in this recipe. It's important to have them at room temperature before starting the recipe, as cold eggs can cause the butter to solidify and result in a lumpy batter.
Vanilla Extract - A good quality vanilla extract is used to add depth and complexity to the cake's flavour. It's important not to use vanilla essence, as it can give the cake an artificial taste.
Flour - White self-raising flour is used in this recipe, as it gives the cake a light and fluffy texture. However, you could substitute it for wholemeal self-raising flour if you prefer a denser, more nutritious cake.
🔪 How to make banana blueberry cake
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 180°c (160°fan/ Gas 4) and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper. Dust the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake and set aside.
Two: Cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy.
Three: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Four: Fold in the flour.
Five: Stir in the mashed bananas, fresh blueberries and mix gently until combined.
Six: Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes - 1 hour until golden brown (test with a skewer). Leave to cool in the tin before turning the cake out onto a cooling rack.
Top Tips
- Use overripe black-skinned bananas as they produce sweeter, moister bread. There are tricks to speed up ripening, such as microwaving them, but nothing beats the taste of a good old overripe banana that got to that state naturally!
- Store over-ripe bananas in your freezer (skin on) until ready to bake. Allow them to defrost for a few hours before using them in the recipe.
- If you're using frozen blueberries, dust them in a little flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake tin.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to test for doneness. A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done. Be careful not to mistake a blueberry for uncooked batter when testing.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before removing and slicing. This will help it to firm up and prevent it from falling apart when you slice it.
🍴 Serving suggestions
- This cake is delicious enough to be enjoyed on its own as a sweet treat, perfect for a snack or dessert.
- Toasting the cake slices adds a delicious crunch to the exterior and enhances the flavours. Spread with butter, peanut butter, or cream cheese for an extra indulgent treat.
- If you want to dress up the cake a little, try topping it with a dollop of whipped cream (or clotted cream) and some fresh berries, such as strawberries or raspberries.
- For a truly decadent dessert, try serving the warm cake with a scoop of your favourite ice cream. Vanilla or honeycomb ice cream would be nice.
📖 Variations
- Add fresh lemon or orange zest for an extra fruity flavour!
- Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter for a warm, spiced flavour.
- Use whatever berries are in season. Raspberries work well in this loaf cake, as do blackberries and pitted cherries.
- Use frozen berries if you can't get hold of fresh berries.
- Add a handful of chopped pecan nuts to the cake batter for added crunch and texture.
- Add 100g of white chocolate chips to make a blueberry, banana, and white chocolate chip loaf cake.
- Push a few extra blueberries into the top of the batter before baking the banana bread in the oven. It makes it look really pretty!
- Make a simple drizzle icing with water and icing sugar to spoon over the top.
🥡 Storage
Store - The baked banana and blueberry bread can be stored in an airtight container or cake tin for 3-4 days.
Freeze - The banana bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Double wrap in foil or cling film, and place the cake in the freezer once cooled. Defrost at room temperature and make sure it is fully thawed before serving. You can also freeze individual slices of the blueberry banana bread to pull out for lunchboxes and snacks.
❓ FAQS
Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
Nuts such as pecan or walnuts
Dried fruit such as cranberries, apricots, or raisins
Lemon or orange zest
Use over-ripe bananas to guarantee a moist sweet cake. Take care to fold the flour into the wet batter, and gently mix in the banana and blueberries. Overmixing will cause the cake to become tough.
No! The blacker and more squishy the better! Make sure they haven't turned mouldy though. Remember you can store overripe bananas in your freezer until you have enough for your recipe!
Yes, you can definitely add a streusel topping to the cake for added texture and flavour. Simply mix together some butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the top of the batter before baking.
Absolutely, you can put blueberries in banana bread! Adding blueberries to banana bread is a fantastic way to infuse additional flavour and texture into the loaf. The natural sweetness and slight tartness of blueberries complement the rich, sweet taste of ripe bananas beautifully.
😋Related recipes
- Blueberry & White Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Lemon & Blueberry Polenta Cake
- Lemon Curd Loaf Cake
- Blackberry Loaf Cake
- Golden Syrup Loaf Cake
- Air Fryer Banana Bread
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Recipe
Easy Banana and Blueberry Bread
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Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 175 g Butter softened
- 100 g Caster Sugar
- 75 g Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Eggs large
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 200 g Self Raising Flour
- 2 Bananas over-ripe and mashed
- 150 g Blueberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 °fan/ Gas 4/ 350°F) and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper. Dust the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugars with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.175 g Butter, 100 g Caster Sugar, 75 g Light Brown Sugar
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.3 Eggs, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- Fold in the flour.200 g Self Raising Flour
- Stir in the mashed bananas, fresh blueberries and mix gently until combined.2 Bananas, 150 g Blueberries
- Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour. Leave to cool in the tin before turning the cake out onto a cooling rack. Because ovens vary, start checking the cake after 50 minutes (use a skewer and see if it comes out clean).
Notes
- Use overripe black-skinned bananas as they produce sweeter, moister bread. There are tricks to speed up ripening, such as microwaving them, but nothing beats the taste of a good old overripe banana that got to that state naturally!
- Store over-ripe bananas in your freezer (skin on) until ready to bake. Allow them to defrost for a few hours before using them in the recipe.
- If using frozen blueberries, dust them in a little flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake tin. I find fresh blueberries don't need the flour so much, but I generally still do dust them in flour just to make sure.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to test for doneness. A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done. Be careful not to mistake a blueberry for uncooked batter when testing.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before removing and slicing. This will help it to firm up and prevent it from falling apart when you slice it.
- Add fresh lemon or orange zest for an extra fruity flavour!
- Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter for a warm, cosy flavour.
- Use whatever berries are in season. Raspberries work really well in this loaf cake, as do blackberries and pitted cherries.
- Use frozen berries if you can't get hold of fresh berries.
- Add a handful of chopped pecan nuts to the cake batter for added crunch and texture.
- Add 100g of white chocolate chips to make a blueberry, banana, and white chocolate chip loaf cake!
- Push a few extra blueberries into the top of the batter before baking the banana bread in the oven. It makes it look really pretty!
- Make a simple drizzle icing with water and icing sugar to spoon over the top.
Beth says
This is such a delicious banana bread. I love the pop of the fresh blueberries. I'll be making this one again for sure!
Jenn says
I love blueberry muffins but I've never seen blueberries and banana together before! It was amazing! I made it as soon as I saw the recipe. So moist it's my new fav!
Offa says
This is a great recipe, I made a really nice banana and blueberry loaf with it. It's also really handy how you include the measurements of the ingredients in the steps of the recipe rather than only at the beginning. Thank you🙏😊
Jessica Formicola says
Blueberry and banana is one of my favorite flavor combos! This bread looks incredible and I can't wait to try it!
Anjali says
Love this twist on traditional banana bread! It turned out to be moist and delicious - the perfect afternoon snack with my coffee!
Kasia says
Delicious and easy to make!
Priya Srinivasan says
Blueberry banana bread looks inviting! Love that gorgeous color fresh berries give the moist bread!!! Delicious bake!
Rideout says
There’s no baking powder or baking soda in this recipe!!
Is that right?
Beth Sachs says
Hi. I use self-raising flour which already has baking powder added (I'm in the UK).