Ricotta Banana Bread

Piece of banana bread on a wire rack next to a knife.

5 from 1 vote

This easy recipe makes the best Ricotta Banana Bread. It’s super tender and moist, and full of sweet banana flavor. You’ll love it for breakfast with coffee or as a delicious afternoon snack!

Prep Time30

Cook Time55

Total Time1 25

Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 291kcal

Author: Natalie

Equipment

Ingredients

Ricotta Banana Bread

½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese room temperature, drained
1¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
2¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium overripe bananas about 1 cup mashed
1¾ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ 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

US Customary - Metric

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 50-60 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

Ricotta cheese: Use full fat, room temperature ricotta cheese. If your ricotta has liquid in the container, it's best to scoop out the ricotta and allow excess liquid to drain before using it. Too much liquid can affect the taste and texture of the bread.

Mixing: Avoid overmixing. Overmixing causes banana bread to have a tough texture. Stir dry ingredients in with a spatula until dry ingredients are mixed in.

Bananas: Use very overripe bananas for banana bread. They are extra soft and sweet. Your bananas should have brown spots on them or the peels can even be black.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 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.

Add ins: For extra crunch and flavor, add up to 3/4 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans. Dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries are also delicious in this banana bread!

Nutrition