Pioneer Woman Banana Bread Recipe

Pioneer Woman Banana Bread is like the soft sweater of baking — warm, sweet, not too fancy, but just what you needed. It’s buttery, banana-rich, and super soft thanks to sour cream (yes, really). You can make it with stuff you’ve already got. Big plus? Makes your house smell like a bakery trying to win you back.

Ingredients Needed

• 2 sticks butter: room temp-ish. You know, soft but not melting into a puddle.
• 1½ cups + 2 Tbsp sugar: yeah, it’s a lot. That’s why it’s good.
• 3 whole eggs: add them one at a time or it gets weird and curdly.
• 1½ cups mashed ripe bananas: the browner, the better. Like, fruit-fly brown. Trust me.
• 4 cups + 2 Tbsp flour: it’s a big loaf. This isn’t dainty banana bread.
• 1 tsp baking soda: helps it rise just enough.
• 1½ tsp baking powder: because we like a little insurance policy on fluff.
• 1½ cups sour cream: I KNOW. But it makes it moist and rich and… yeah. It’s non-negotiable.

How To Make Pioneer Woman Banana Bread

Preheat + prep your pan:
Set your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan like your life depends on it — or you’ll never get it out clean. Don’t ask how I know.

Cream the butter and sugar:
Use a mixer. Beat them until fluffy-ish. Takes about 2–3 mins. Don’t rush this — it’s where the texture starts. Add eggs one at a time. Beat after each. Don’t just dump them in. It’ll break the batter. I’ve done that. It’s ugly.

Add the bananas:
Mash them first. I use a fork. Lumpy is fine. Mix them into the batter. It’ll smell like actual banana heaven at this point. Like banana pudding meets cake.

Mix the dry stuff separately:
Flour, baking soda, baking powder — all in a bowl. Stir with a spoon. Nothing wild.

Alternate dry + sour cream into the batter:
Start with flour. Then sour cream. Then flour again. Like a weird little waltz. Don’t overmix. It should be thick but scoopable. Kind of like cookie dough but smoother.

Pour + bake:
Dump it into the bundt pan. Smooth the top (or don’t — it kind of levels out). Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check it around 1:05. Toothpick test is your friend.

Cool + slice + butter it up:
Let it sit for like 10 minutes in the pan, then flip it onto a rack. If it breaks in half, that’s life. Still tastes amazing. Eat warm with soft butter — or cream cheese if you’re a monster (a delicious one).

Recipe Tips

• No sour cream? Sub with plain Greek yogurt. Still works, but sour cream hits different.
• Bundt pan issues? Grease it like you mean it. And flour it after. No skipping.
• Wanna go fancy? Toss in a handful of chocolate chips or walnuts. Or cinnamon. But then it’s not quite “Pioneer Woman” anymore.
• It freezes great. Wrap in foil, then in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight and toast slices like banana cake toast.

How to Store & Reheat

• Room Temperature: Cover with foil or plastic wrap. Stays good for 3 days.
• Fridge: Keeps well for about a week. Still soft if you warm it up.
• Freezer: Freeze slices individually. Reheat in toaster or low oven at 300°F for 10 mins.

Nutrition Facts (Approx. per slice, makes 12)

• Calories: 410
• Sodium: 240mg
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 21g
• Carbs: 52g
• Fibre: 2g
• Sugar: 26g

FAQs

Pioneer Woman Banana Bread Recipe

Recipe by Marry ThompsonCourse: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Calories

410

kcal

Rich, buttery banana bread made Pioneer Woman style — packed with ripe bananas, tangy sour cream, and baked to a golden, soft crumb in a bundt pan.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter

• 1½ cups + 2 Tbsp sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1½ cups mashed ripe bananas

• 4 cups + 2 Tbsp flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• 1½ cups sour cream

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease/flour a bundt pan.
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.
• Mix in mashed bananas.
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
• Add dry ingredients and sour cream alternately into banana mixture.
• Pour into pan, bake 1 hr 10 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

Notes

• Grease every crevice of the bundt pan or it will stick.
• Overmixing kills the texture — be gentle.
• Banana must be VERY ripe. Not kind-of ripe.
• Let cool slightly before slicing for clean pieces.