This ricotta banana bread recipe is full of warm, sweet banana flavor. It’s super moist and tender. It’s an easy recipe that’s perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack!
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One of the easiest and coziest fall treats is banana bread. This banana ricotta bread has a secret ingredient: ricotta cheese! Ricotta makes this banana bread extra soft and moist! The result is a rich, delicious banana bread that you won’t be able to stop eating.
Banana bread with ricotta makes a delicious breakfast, snack and dessert just like my cinnamon sugar banana bread and nutella and banana bread.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- You probably already have all or most of the ingredients to make banana bread with ricotta.
- It’s a delicious way to use up overripe bananas just like my sour cream banana bread.
- Banana bread with ricotta cheese stays moist for days like my ricotta blueberry cake.
- It’s lightly spiced with a mix of warm spices. Banana adds a warm, cozy flavor like this spiced banana cake!
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients in this banana and ricotta bread.
- Bananas-Use 3 overripe bananas. Overripe bananas have brownish peels or peels with brown spots. They are perfect for baking! Use a fork, potato masher, or mixer to mash the banana. If you have extra overripe bananas, try my pumpkin and banana muffins and banana bread donuts!
- Ricotta cheese-Whole milk ricotta works best here. Make sure the ricotta is at room temperature. Ricotta makes this cake rich and moist just like my pistachio and ricotta cake!
- Sugar–I use granulated sugar in the batter.
- Butter: Use unsalted, room temperature butter. The amount of salt in butter can vary by brand. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can make sure my bread isn’t too salty.
- 3 large eggs: Use 3 large, room temperature eggs. Eggs help give this banana bread its tender texture.
- Coarse sugar (optional): I like to sprinkle a mixture of warm spices and Turbinado sugar (or demerara sugar) just before baking. It adds a little crunch and extra sweetness.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of all granulated sugar, you can use a combination of light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Instead of whole milk ricotta, swap in part skim. Whole milk will give you the best taste and texture, but part skim will work.
Instructions
Step 1: (Picture 1 above)In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and ricotta cheese for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 2: (Picture 2 above) Reduce speed to low. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas.
Step 3: (Picture 3 above) Use a spatula to fold in the dry ingredients til just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 4: (Picture 4 above) Pour into the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon nutmeg sugar mixture evenly overtop. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the bread.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to mix the butter, sugar and ricotta til light and fluffy. This will take around 3 minutes of mixing.
- Use a fork, mixer or whisk to mash the banana.
- Your mashed bananas don’t need to be completely smooth. Lumps will bake into delicious little bits of bananas.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend whole milk ricotta for the best taste and texture. If part skim is all you have, you can use it but your bread won’t be as rich in flavor.
Yes! Thaw frozen bananas at room temperature for about 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain off the excess liquid before mashing the bananas.
Store leftover banana ricotta bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap individual slices of bread tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe airtight bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
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Ricotta Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Ricotta Banana Bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese room temperature
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 medium overripe bananas about 1 cup mashed
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Cinnamon Sugar Topping (optional)
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (also called demerara or raw sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or coat with baking spray. Line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang on two sides.
- In a small bowl, stir together the turbinado sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas using a fork, whisk or electric mixer until smooth (a few lumps are okay). Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, sugar and ricotta cheese with an electric mixer on medium high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Mix in the mashed banana.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula til just combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon nutmeg sugar mixture evenly overtop.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the bread. Remove bread from oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Jenny
Best banana bread recipe I have ever made.
Natalie
Thanks so much for making this recipe Jenny! So happy you loved it!