Banana and blackberry bread is buttery and sweet, studded with juicy berries, and gluten-free if you want it to be! Each bite tastes like summer, but if you use frozen blackberries you can enjoy it all year round.
I love baking with bananas, and this blackberry banana bread is a favorite! My fam LOVES blackberries, and when August hits, we ravage the neighborhood blackberry bushes to pick as many as we can. When we've had our fill of gluten free blackberry muffins and gluten free blackberry cake, I tuck them into this sweetly fragrant quick bread for a little change. So fresh and delicious!
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Why I Love This Blackberry Loaf!
Ramp up basic banana bread and throw in a handful of berries for color and flavor. This super adaptable recipe is one of my favorites because it takes easily to whatever kind of flour you have on hand. So it's a forgiving bake, one that can be adapted to suit your tastes or needs, and, if you keep a stash of frozen blackberries in the fridge, made any time! Here are my tippy top reasons I turn to this recipe again and again:
- Sweet summer goodness. Blackberries always mean late summer to me; their natural, juicy sweetness bursts into my mouth and makes me think of lazy, sunlit August afternoons.
- Jam-packed with fruit. From the bananas to the blackberries, this loaf is just crammed with fruit goodness.
- Great way to use up bananas. Save those ripening bananas for this bread, or store them in the freezer for later (my tips lower below).
Ingredients Needed
You can use your choice of flour to make this quick loaf; I most often use gluten-free flour, but regular all-purpose flour is great, too, if don't need to keep gluten-free, Scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Flour - Your choice of flour - oat flour, brown rice flour, homemade gluten free flour blend, or all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Baking soda - Check to make sure it's fresh!
- Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt works fine.
- Bananas - You will need 1 cup of ripe, mashed bananas, equally about 3 bananas.
- Greek yogurt - Use plain or vanilla Greek yogurt, full or low-fat. Sub sour cream if needed.
- Butter - Softened, unsalted butter is best.
- Sugar - A mix of granulated sugar and light or dark brown sugar.
- Eggs - Large eggs at room temperature will easily blend into the batter.
- Blackberries - Fresh or frozen blackberries work fine! If using frozen berries, you may need to thaw the berries a bit first if they are clumped together.
Variation Ideas
- Add nuts - Fold in 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans along with the blackberries for some crunch.
- Another fruit! I love this base recipe and you can adapt it to include raspberries, blueberries, or a combination.
- Mix in some spice - A little ground ginger or cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon) or peeled and grated fresh ginger adds warmth.
- Chocolate - Try 1 cup of chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips along with the blackberries.
How to Make Blackberry and Banana Bread
Here's an overview in photos of how to make blackberry banana bread:
- Combine yogurt and bananas: First, whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the bananas and Greek yogurt.
- Cream butter: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars, then add the eggs.
- Combine: Beat in the flour mixture, then mix in the banana and yogurt mixture; mix until combined.
- Add blackberries: Very gently fold in the blackberries.
- Add to pan: Place the batter in a greased and lined loaf pan.
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake at 350℉ for 60-75 minutes, then cool in the pan.
Baking Tip: Freeze Your Ripe Bananas!
Here's how to save those extra ripe (the blacker the better) bananas: peel them and place them in a freezer-safe bag. The night before you want to bake, pop them in the fridge to thaw. When the bananas are thoroughly defrosted, drain off the water, then mash them and use them in your recipe.
Recipe Notes
- Separate the blackberries: If using frozen blackberries, thaw the berries slightly, enough so that you can gently separate them from each other. You want to be able to fold in the berries individually so that they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. If they are frozen in a big clump, this will be impossible!
- And fold them in gently: This goes for frozen and fresh blackberries, but if using frozen blackberries, be especially gentle when mixing them in so that they don't bleed into the batter.
- Make it dairy-free: Substitute non-dairy butter for the butter and non-dairy yogurt for the yogurt.
- Adjust the sweetness: Depending on how ripe your bananas are, you may wish to lower the amount of sugar by ¼ cup.
- Try oat flour: If you're a fan of oat flour, use 1 ¾ cups (210 grams) of oat flour for the flour portion.
- Serving options: Plain, warm, spread with butter, or cream cheese!
Proper Storage
- Counter - Wrap the bread in plastic or foil, or place it in a sealable bag, and keep it on the counter for up to 2 days. In warmer climates, you may want to pop it directly into the fridge.
- Fridge - Place the wrapped bread in the fridge or transfer it to an airtight container and store it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I like to eat the bread straight from the fridge, or I'll let it come to room temperature. Either way is delicious!
- Freezer - Wrap individual slices of bread in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe, sealable bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before serving.
Happy baking! If you make this banana and blackberry bread, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Banana and Blackberry Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten-free flour, all-purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup mashed bananas, about 3 bananas
- ½ cup Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla flavored
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup blackberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the bananas and Greek yogurt.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs; mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low until incorporated, then mix in the banana and yogurt mixture and mix on low until well combined, scraping down the bowl if needed. Gently fold in the blackberries.
- Grease a standard-size loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling, then pour in the batter. Let it rest for up to ½ hour if using gluten-free flour.
- Bake the loaf for 60-75 minutes, until set and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the loaf in the pan for 30 minutes, then gently place on a wire rack to cool completely. If you're using gf flour, the loaf will be soft but will set as it cools.
Notes
- Separate the blackberries: If using frozen blackberries, thaw the berries slightly, enough so that you can gently separate them from each other. You want to be able to fold in the berries individually so that they are evenly distributed throughout the batter-if they are frozen in a big clump this will be impossible!
- And fold them in gently: This goes for frozen and fresh blackberries, but if using frozen blackberries be especially gentle when mixing them in so that they don't bleed into the batter.
- Make it dairy-free: Substitute non-dairy butter for the butter and non-dairy yogurt for the yogurt.
- Adjust the sweetness: Depending on how ripe your bananas are, you may wish to lower the amount of sugar by ¼ cup.
- Try oat flour: If you're a fan of oat flour, use 1 ¾ cups (210 grams) of oat flour for the flour portion.
- Serving options: Plain, warm, spread with butter, or cream cheese!
I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a note.