When I'm looking for a quick bread is that's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert, I make this Olive Oil Banana Bread. Bananas and blueberries give it a natural sweetness. The olive oil and poppy seeds add delicious rich flavor to make it irresistible.

"I crave for blueberry muffin last night and stumble to your recipe. And I made one today. I posted it on my Facebook account saying "I hope it tastes as good as it looks". And my number one food critic (hubby of course) says its PERFECT!!!" ~Lea

Recipe review

sliced olive oil banana bread with blueberries and butter.

A quick look at this recipe

Recipe Name: Olive Oil Banana Bread
Ready In: 15 minutes prep, 60 minutes cook time, 75 minutes total time
Serves: 8
Calories: 350 per serving
Main Ingredients: Flour, sugar, bananas, blueberries, olive oil, eggs
Difficulty: Easy, one bowl recipe

I'm a sucker for homemade baked goods. My Mom always had a pound cake or apple pie slices for snacking on the kitchen counter. I think it's in my DNA to have a Pumpkin Spice Cookie, Coffee Cake Muffin or Fudgy Brownie always on hand. This Olive Oil Banana Bread is my latest baking obsession.

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What's to Love About Banana Bread with Olive Oil

This is one of those easy quick bread recipes that is a welcome sight whenever it's served. It's delicious anytime of the day. You'll love this for so many reasons.

Easy to make ~ The recipe uses only a couple bowls and a spatula to mix the batter. It's so easy to mix up the batter by hand. No special equipment is needed for this banana bread recipe.
Exploding with flavor ~ The easy recipe has intense flavor. Bananas always add lots of flavor to quick breads. Blueberries sprinkled throughout the bread to add a burst of fresh flavor. The poppy seeds add a nutty crunch while the olive oil imparts a savory richness.
Serve in many ways ~ This fresh banana bread is delicious toasted and smeared with butter, nut butter or cream cheese. Crumble a slice of the bread over yogurt for a tasty breakfast or snack. Try it in your favorite French toast recipe too. This is the BEST banana bread recipe.

Ingredients for Olive Oil Banana Bread

Pantry ingredients along with a handful of fresh ingredients are included in this banana bread loaf recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.

Flour, ripe bananas, eggs, brown sugar, blueberries, olive oil, spices.

Salted butter
All purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Kosher salt
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Poppy seeds
Blueberries
Light brown sugar
Olive oil
Large eggs
Bananas
Vanilla extract
Turbinado or sanding sugar

Substitutions

Salted butter: Unsalted butter is also an option.
All purpose flour: Try white whole wheat flour too.
Blueberries: Fresh berries are my first choice for this quick bread recipe. Frozen ones work too. Substitute raspberries too.
Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar is an alternative.
Olive oil: A mild olive is my recommendation for for this recipe. Avocado oil, canola oil or melted coconut oil.

Recipe Hint

The riper the bananas are the better! Grab those black bananas in your fridge or freezer. They have loads of intense banana flavor and add extra moisture.

How to Make Banana Bread with Oil

Quick breads like this olive oil banana bread are some of my favorites to bake. They use only a couple bowls and utensils and most times they can be mixed by hand. Scroll to the recipe card for the full directions of this simple banana bread recipe.

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl and combine all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and poppy seeds. Toss in the blueberries. A little coating of flour keeps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients. In another bowl, combine the light brown sugar, olive oil, large eggs, mashed banana, and vanilla extract. Fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture.

Olive oil banana bread batter in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Transfer the batter to a pan. Butter a metal loaf pan and line it lengthwise with parchment paper. The bread will be so easy to unmold. Pour the banana bread batter in the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with sanding sugar, some poppy seeds and a few more blueberries.

Step 4: Bake the bread. Bake for about an hour. For the best results, let the bread cool in the pan about 15 minutes before unmolding it.

Recipe Tips Olive Oil in Banana Bread

Use a metal loaf pan for baking this banana bread. It conducts the heat quickly and more evenly than a glass baking pan.
Use an instant read digital thermometer to check the doneness of the banana bread. It should have an internal temperature of about 200 to 205 degrees F when baked to perfection.
To ensure that the moist banana bread holds it shape, let the bread cool before unmolding. About 15 minutes is all that's needed.

Variations for Banana Blueberry Bread

There so many fun add-ins to make this banana bread one of your favorites. Here are some new variations to try.

Add nuts ~ Stir in ½ cup of your nut of choice. Try chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts. For even for flavor, toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium low heat for 4-6 minutes.
Add chocolate ~ Skip the blueberries and add ½ cup dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips.
Add fruit ~ Instead of blueberries mix in 1 cup of fresh raspberries, dried cranberries or raisins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use frozen bananas in banana bread?

Most definitely! Frozen bananas are my first choice for a delicious banana bread as they have the most intense banana flavor. I always toss overripe bananas into a resealable bag and store it in the freezer. Thaw the bananas either in the refrigerator, at room temperature, or in the microwave before mashing and adding to the recipe.

How does olive affect banana bread?

When olive oil is used in a baking banana bread, it makes the bread incredibly moist. Also, the oil also helps the bread stay moist for 4-5 days.

What is the best pan for baking banana bread?

I recommend a light colored metal bread pan or loaf pan for quick breads. The bread will bake and brown more evenly in a metal pan as compared to a glass or ceramic one.