The Easiest Banana Bread with Self-Rising Flour

Looking for a quick banana bread recipe? This easy banana bread with self-rising flour uses simple ingredients and optional mini chocolate chips.

Banana bread is one of those recipes you can dress up or dress down. You can add cream cheese, mayonnaise, walnuts, fruit, a ribbon of filling, or a buttery streusel topping. I’ve made—and loved—banana bread in nearly every possible form!

But sometimes you don’t need fancy. Sometimes you just need to rescue three overripe bananas and get a loaf into the oven without a lot of measuring or fuss.

When You Need a Quick Banana Bread. . .

That was certainly the case on the day I made this bread. I was heading out with the family to take the grands back-to-school shopping, but I had three bananas on the counter that needed to be used immediately. I also had an abundance of self-rising flour on hand—the same flour I use to make my two-ingredient biscuits.

So, I pulled together this incredibly easy banana bread and added mini chocolate chips to make it extra kid-friendly.

This isn’t the fanciest banana bread I make. It may, however, be the easiest!

What to Expect from This Banana Bread

This is a simple, tender banana bread with plenty of moisture and flavor from three overripe bananas. Brown sugar gives the loaf a warm, caramel-like sweetness, while softened butter creates a rich, soft crumb.

Because self-rising flour already contains the ingredients needed to help the bread rise, you won’t have to measure baking soda, baking powder, or salt separately.

The mini chocolate chips are optional, but they make the bread particularly appealing to children. They also spread little pockets of chocolate throughout the loaf without overpowering the banana flavor.

Ingredients for Easy Self-Rising Flour Banana Bread

You won’t need many ingredients to make this simple loaf. Here’s what I used:

• Salted butter: Make sure it is softened to room temperature so that it creams easily with the brown sugar.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and a slight caramel flavor.
• Large egg: The egg binds the ingredients and gives the bread structure.
• Vanilla extract: A little vanilla rounds out the banana and brown sugar flavors.
• Overripe bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be.
• Self-rising flour: This replaces the all-purpose flour, leavening agents, and added salt found in many traditional banana bread recipes.
• Mini chocolate chips: These are optional, but they make the bread especially kid-friendly.

Note: You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make the Easiest Banana Bread

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F.

Prepare a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray. You can also grease and flour the pan if you prefer.

Place the softened butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat them together until the mixture is well combined and creamy.

Add the large egg, vanilla extract, and three peeled overripe bananas. Beat only until the ingredients come together. Small pieces of banana in the batter are perfectly fine. Your batter will be broken at this point but don't fret over that.

Add the self-rising flour and mix just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the batter once the flour has been added.

Fold in the mini chocolate chips by hand.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for approximately 40–55 minutes, checking the loaf at the 40-minute mark. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to mistake melted chocolate for uncooked batter.

If the top begins to brown before the middle is completely baked, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil and continue baking.

Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the bread to cool before removing it from the pan. For the neatest slices, let the loaf cool completely before cutting it.

Tips for the Best Banana Bread

Use Very Ripe Bananas

The bananas should be heavily spotted or even mostly brown. Very ripe bananas are sweeter, softer, and easier to incorporate into the batter.

Don’t Overmix the Flour

Once you add the self-rising flour, mix only until no obvious streaks of dry flour remain. Overmixing can make a quick bread dense or tough.

Check the Center Carefully

The edges of a banana bread loaf may look completely baked while the center is still wet. Insert a toothpick deeply into the center of the loaf to check it.

Let It Cool Before Slicing

Warm banana bread is delicious, but it can crumble if sliced too soon. Giving it time to cool allows the crumb to set.

How to Store Banana Bread

Allow the bread to cool completely before storing it.

Wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It can be kept at room temperature for about three days.

For slightly longer storage, refrigerate it in an airtight container. Keep in mind that refrigeration can make bread feel a little firmer, so allow a slice to come to room temperature or warm it briefly before serving.

Can You Freeze Banana Bread?

Yes! Banana bread freezes beautifully.

You can freeze the entire cooled loaf or cut it into individual slices first. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap, then place it inside a freezer-safe bag or container.

Freeze for up to three months. Thaw the loaf or individual slices at room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks for Stopping By!

If you make this simple recipe and love it, please leave a comment or review. And before you go, why not pin some photos to your Pinterest boards?

About the Baker

I’m Janice, the baker behind Out of the Box Baking. I’m an author, baker, blogger, mom, and grandmother who loves creating recipes that real families can make and enjoy.

Some days call for an impressive dessert with all the bells and whistles. Other days call for rescuing three bananas before heading out with the grandchildren. This easy loaf was made for one of those days—and those simple, practical recipes are often the ones families return to again and again.