Single serve banana bread is a great easy recipe to use if you have just one ripe banana to use up. It's a great breakfast or snack recipe for one person, especially when it's topped with peanut butter.
[This single serve banana bread recipe was originally posted in April 2023. It has been updated with cooking instructions, storage tips and substitutions, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
Table of contents
My mom has a great banana bread recipe, she bakes it in a cake pan instead of a loaf pan, it's so tender and delicious. But I can never get through it, or remember to freeze the bread before it starts to mold.
It's time for a single serve banana bread recipe.
Throw it together while you dinner is in the oven, and bake it after for a delicious treat or snack for later. Double or triple it for a couple servings. This recipe is great for breakfast or a snack, especially with a slather of peanut butter on top.
I'm not always the first to want to use the oven for 1 serving something, but this single serve banana bread recipe is so easy and uses pantry ingredients, especially if the oven is already in use.
Plus prepping the batter takes about 5 minutes.
This recipe also uses 1 medium very ripe banana, so no need to figure out what to do with the second half. Depending on your hunger level, save some for later or top with peanut butter.
Either way, you'll love this single serve banana bread with 1 banana.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the single serve banana bread recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.
- Very Ripe Banana: Adds sweetness and tender texture to this single serve banana bread. Make sure to use a very ripe one, the texture of this bread and sweetness will be different with a less ripe banana.
- Butter: Adds to the tenderness of the recipe and helps it rise while adding a nice buttery flavor.
- Sugars: A mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar adds sweetness and holds onto moisture in this banana bread. Brown sugar adds a slight rich molasses flavor too.
- Flour: Regular all purpose flour is easy to find and makes for a tender cake. You can substitute part of it for whole wheat flour, if desired.
- Yogurt: Protein in Greek yogurt will help keep your single serve banana bread together aka: it helps with structure. The protein and fat in yogurt helps blend all the ingredients together (emulsify) and keep it tender vs chewy.
- Baking Soda: reacts with liquid, acid (yogurt), and heat to help the bread rise.
- Salt: A small amount of salt enhances the banana flavor and balances out this sweet bread.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
1. To start making your single serve banana bread, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in medium mixing bowl. I like to do this in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
2. Add very ripe banana to melted butter and mash with a fork until there are no chunks left. You can leave chunks, but the texture changes and the banana bread won't brown as evenly from my experience.
3. After mashing the banana into butter, add flour, brown and granulated sugar, yogurt, baking soda, salt. Whisk until combined. Don't overmix.
4. Spray small ramekin with cooking spray. Pour batter into ramekin. Spread top so it's even. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until center is cooked through. It's not jiggly/toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool completely. Enjoy your single serve banana bread with peanut butter, if desired.
Storage/Reheating Tips
Store leftover single serve banana bread in airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. You can store it for longer in the fridge, but it will dry out faster. You can also freeze it for longer. Wrap or put in airtight container.
Enjoy banana bread at room temperature, or heat up in the microwave or toaster until warmed.
Substitutions/Tips
- Use a very ripe banana in this recipe, it mashes up easier, is sweeter, and will mix into banana bread more easily. I see that you can bake a banana to create the same texture as a very ripe banana. Try these instructions.
- Placing bananas in a bag to ripen still takes days.
- Substitute granulated sugar for brown sugar or visa versa. You don't have to use both kinds.
- You can substitute an egg yolk for the yogurt in your single serve banana bread.
- If you like sweet banana bread, double both sugars.
- Other great add-ins: this single serve banana bread is great with ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, added chopped nuts, chocolate chips added to the batter, and definitely peanut (or other nut) butter on top.
FAQ
Regular and single serve banana bread would be great with scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit. I like to smear peanut butter on top, like frosting. And add chocolate chips too.
Yes, just let them thaw at room temperature before using, or they won't mash well and you'll have chunks of banana in your bread and less even baking.
This single serve banana bread recipe doesn't have vanilla in it, it's still delicious. Vanilla is an easy ingredient to add or not add, it will only change the flavor a bit.
Repurpose banana bread
- Use 1 inch-ish slice(s) of this single serve banana bread as bread in this French Toast recipe.
- Enjoy leftovers with different toppings. You can slather peanut (or other nut) butter over a slice, or top it with chocolate chips, or both.
What to do with leftover ingredients
When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
Did you make this single serve banana bread? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Single Serve Banana Bread
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- fork
- whisk
- rubber spatula
- 5-7 ounce ramekin or 2 smaller ones
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 medium banana very ripe
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar heaping
- 1 Tablespoon dark or regular brown sugar heaping
- 1 Tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add 1 Tablespoon butter to medium mixing bowl. Microwave for about 15-20 seconds, to melt butter.
- Once melted, add very ripe banana. Mash well with a fork.
- Add ⅓ cup all purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon plain Greek yogurt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk together until all incorporated, don't overmix.
- Spray 5-7 ounce ramekin with cooking spray. Pour batter into ramekin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Center will not be jiggly, and/or toothpick will come out clean.
- Cool and spread peanut butter over banana bread, if desired. Enjoy.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, or for about up to 7, in the fridge. Again, sniff the banana bread and look for mold. If it smells and looks fine it will be safe to eat.
Notes
- Use a very ripe medium sized banana in this recipe to get the right sweetness and tender texture in this banana bread. You can bake bananas to get them to soften up. Ripening them in a bag will probably still take a few days+.
- Substitute the butter for neutral oil if you don't have any.
- You can just use granulated or brown sugar in this recipe. Either works.
- If you like sweet banana bread, double both sugars in this recipe.
- Substitute ¼-1/2 of the flour with whole wheat, if desired.
- You can substitute the yogurt for an egg yolk.
- If desired, add any of the following ingredients to the batter: ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, chopped nuts, chocolate chips.
- Top with peanut butter, if desired.
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Carrie Robinson says
What a genius idea! Can't wait to make this for myself soon. 🙂
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
enjoy
Min Shien says
Great recipe for when you have that ONE old banana left hanging around and you don't want to make a whole loaf!
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
totally!
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this banana bread for breakfast this morning and it was perfect! Moist, delicious and easy!
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
great to hear!
Ned says
I made this on Friday night and it was absolutely delicious - I can't wait to make it again!
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
great to hear!
Liz says
I love banana bread so it was nice being able to make a single serving! I'll make this again, for sure!
Rebecca says
great to hear! enjoy