Bake simple banana bread with adult supervision, measure ingredients, mash bananas, mix batter, and learn safe oven use while observing how ingredients change.



Step-by-step guide to make banana bread at home
Step 1
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Step 2
Ask an adult to preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
Step 3
Grease the loaf pan with a little butter or oil using a paper towel or brush.
Step 4
Measure 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl.
Step 5
Measure 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a small bowl.
Step 6
Stir the sugar baking soda and salt into the flour until they are evenly mixed.
Step 7
Peel the 3 ripe bananas and mash them in a separate bowl with a fork until mostly smooth.
Step 8
Measure 1/3 cup softened butter or oil into a small bowl.
Step 9
Crack 1 egg and add it plus 1 teaspoon vanilla to the butter or oil then beat them together until combined.
Step 10
Add the mashed bananas to the wet egg mixture and stir until mixed.
Step 11
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined into a batter.
Step 12
Spoon the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Step 13
Ask an adult to put the pan in the preheated oven and set a timer for about 50 minutes.
Step 14
When the loaf is cool enough to touch, look closely to notice how its color texture and smell changed from the batter.
Step 15
Share your finished banana bread on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!


Help!?
What can we use instead of a loaf pan, all-purpose flour, or an egg if we don't have them?
If you don't have a loaf pan (step 3) bake the greased batter in a muffin tin at 175°C (350°F) for about 20–25 minutes, swap the all-purpose flour in step 4 for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or whole-wheat flour (expect a firmer texture), and replace the egg in step 7 with 1/4 cup applesauce or a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water).
Why did my banana bread come out dense or undercooked and how can I fix it?
If the loaf is dense you probably overmixed after pouring wet into dry in step 11 so stir gently until just combined, and if it's undercooked in the center after the 50 minutes in step 13 put it back in the preheated oven and bake in 5–10 minute increments checking with a toothpick while confirming the oven was preheated to 175°C (350°F) in step 2.
How can we adapt the recipe for different age groups?
For younger kids let them wash hands (step 1), mash bananas in step 6, and spoon batter into the pan in step 11 with close supervision, for elementary-age children give them measuring tasks in steps 4–7 and cracking the egg in step 7, and for teens let them handle mixing and setting the timer in step 13 with an adult placing the pan in the oven.
How can we make the banana bread more interesting or personal?
Personalize the loaf by folding in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts at step 11, stirring 1 tsp cinnamon into the dry mix in step 5, sprinkling a streusel or oats on top before smoothing in step 12, or dividing the batter into mini loaves to photograph and share on DIY.org as in step 15.
Watch videos on how to make banana bread at home
Facts about baking for kids
🧂 Baking soda and baking powder both make baked goods rise, but baking soda needs an acidic ingredient (like mashed banana or yogurt) to activate.
🕰️ Banana bread recipes rose in popularity in the early 20th century as home ovens and quick leavening agents made baking easier.
🍌 Bananas are botanically berries — so your banana bread starts with a berry!
🔥 Most banana bread bakes around 175–180°C (350°F) — always use adult supervision and oven mitts when handling hot pans.
🔬 The Maillard reaction is the food-chemistry browning that gives banana bread its golden crust and toasty flavor.


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