This simple recipe is sure to brighten up any drizzly, gray morning with its bright citrus and sweet banana flavor combination. Use those overripe bananas to create this family friendly quick bread in minutes.
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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Full of banana flavor with a pleasant hint of orange
- A nostalgic taste of home cooking takes you back to mom's kitchen
- Easy recipe can be baked in a loaf tin or made into muffins
This simple orange banana bread is a great recipe to get rid of those overripe bananas taking up space on your kitchen counter. If it's your first time trying banana bread with orange glaze, you are in for a real treat—and, I can promise you it won't be your last time, either!
🥫 Storage
This recipe makes delicious leftovers. I love it as a decadent dessert after dinner, and then usually finish up the last slice (or two!) on my mid-morning coffee break!
However, always let the orange banana bread cool to room temperature on a wire rack before storing it. Otherwise, it'll get soggy.
Cover the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or place it into an airtight container. It'll last for about two days at room temperature, or you can make leftovers last for up to one week by refrigerating them.
This orange banana bread recipe is great for freezing, too! It'll last for up to three months as long as it's tightly sealed in a freezer-safe storage bag.
If you adapt the original recipe to make banana quick bread muffins instead of a loaf, they'll store and freeze just as well.
📖 Variations
- Dairy-free? You can substitute the same amount of vegetable oil, olive oil, or coconut oil in place of the melted butter. They're listed from most neutral to least neutral in flavor, so, if you're picky, choose carefully!
- Stir in white chocolate or dark chocolate chips for an extra sweet treat.
- If you really like a fruity flavor, try adding some dried cranberries or raisins to the banana mixture before baking.
- You can omit the walnuts if you're not a fan, or experiment with a different kind of nut.
- Stir a tablespoon or two of maple syrup into the glaze for a delicious orange-maple combination! (You might want to increase the powdered sugar a little bit to maintain the right consistency.)
- Add a little bit of vanilla extract to the glaze if you'd prefer it a little less citrusy—though, we think it's perfect as-is!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: When zesting citrus fruits, use a fine microplane grater. The super-tiny, sharp gratings remove only the orange zest, not the bitter white pith that's hiding underneath!
- Wash your oranges with water and produce cleaner before zesting them to get rid of any germs they might've picked up along the way!
- Fresh oranges will provide more fragrant, flavorful zest than old ones.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice is always tasty, but not necessary! Feel free to use store-bought to save time and effort.
- If you use frozen orange juice concentrate, make sure to thaw and dilute it according to the directions on the package.
- Help bananas ripen more quickly by placing them in a brown paper bag. Bonus points if you have other produce, like avocados or apples, to place in the bag, too. The fruits release gases that speed up ripening!
- Line the loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal and no clean-up! This easy banana bread recipe just became even easier!
- Most banana bread recipes teach the toothpick test for doneness: stick a toothpick in the center when you think it's done baking. If the toothpick comes out with batter, it needs a few more minutes. If only a few, moist crumbs show up on the toothpick, it's finished!
- However, you can also push an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf. The bread is finished when it reads 200F to 205F.
- Muffins won't take as long to cook, so start checking for doneness around 25 minutes if you put the banana bread batter in a cupcake tin.
- Garnish with candied orange slices for a festive decoration!
👩🍳 FAQs
Once the banana peels are removed, and especially with over-ripe bananas, the flesh begins to oxidize and turn brown, just like a cut apple does! You can keep your favorite banana bread recipe lighter by adding a little citrus. However, this orange banana bread recipe already includes citrus—the orange juice—so it'll stay nice and light!
You don't need a masher, but it's helpful if you already have one! However, you can generally get the same mashed banana results by using a fork or an electric mixer with beaters.
Sure thing! The best banana bread is made with bananas that have brown peels. However, if the inside of your banana is brown, slimy, or moldy, it's no longer safe to use.
📚 Related recipes
- Win the "coolest-mom" award with delicious Oreo Banana Bread—it's a unique, fun twist that both kids and adults love!
- Grandma's Buttermilk Banana Bread has chocolate chips and pecans for a classic banana bread flavor you just cannot get enough of!
- This classic Cranberry Quick Bread is topped with a sweet orange glaze, making it the perfect holiday-tasting treat all year-round!
🍽️ Serve with...
📞 The last word
This simple quick bread is extra moist and delicious with lots of banana flavor! The tangy orange glaze makes it even better! Make a loaf to keep and a loaf to give away to a neighbor or friend.
If you've got more over-ripe bananas to use up check out these recipes -
- Easy Banana Bread with Oreos
- Buttermilk Banana
- Banana Peanut Butter
- Banana Cake with Gooey Walnut Filling
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Orange Banana Bread
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
Bread
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 3 bananas, very ripe - mashed (1 ¼ cups approximately)
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Glaze
- 1 cup Confectioner's sugar, powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Banana Bread
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Melt butter and let it cool so that it's comfortably warm to the touch.
- Combine the sugar, melted butter, and eggs and mix well.
- Stir in bananas and orange juice.
- Combine the dry ingredients and add to banana mixture - mix gently just until moistened.
- Stir in walnuts.
- Pour into two greased 8x4-in. loaf pans.
- Bake at 325 for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in pan then remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- Mix glaze ingredients together until spreadable and then spread on warm bread.
Notes
- To tell if the bread is done stick a toothpick in the center of the banana bread and when it is done there will only be a few, moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick.
- You can also push an insta-read thermometer into the center - the bread is done when it is 200F to 205F.
- Since banana bread molds very quickly at room temperature it's not a good candidate for mailing.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published February 20, 2019. Last updated December 20, 2022 for editorial improvements and readability.
Paula says
Made it. Very simple recipe. About to mix up the glaze. My bread was done in about 35 min. My mini muffins were done in less than 30. Just keep checking. Thanks for this. It made 2 mini loaves and 6 regular muffins and about 8 mini muffins.
Wanda Zeller says
Made this with blood orange. It was divine. The glaze really adds alot of flavor. The bread part was moist and delicious. I enjoyed making it. Uncomplicated. My friends and family loved it.
MMB says
Delicious. I added almonds instead since I had them, and I lightened the amount of sugar since OJ is sweet. I skipped the glaze. The bread texture was perfect, and the flavor was great.
Irina says
This banana bread with orange glaze is the best! I've just made it and now, it's my favorite recipe for a banana bread. For an orange glaze, I replaced white sugar with brown sugar and it worked just great as well! Thank you!
Ellie Cowan says
Just made it and it looks delicious. Next time I am adding chocolate chips! It was easy. Thanks for the great recipe!
Marye says
you're welcome!
Sandra says
Would it still work if I decreased the sugar to 1/2 c?
Marye says
Yes it should be fine.
Rose Martine says
Looks really good. Probably lots of flavor pop. Must try! ????
Alisha Ross says
My daughter helps me cook just about everything but meat! Her favorite is anything that is baked ?
Marye says
that's wonderful!