There’s something uniquely comforting about the aroma of banana bread baking in the oven. It fills the house with a sweet, nostalgic scent that promises a delicious treat is on its way. For years, my classic banana bread was a staple, but I always felt it could use a little something extra. This particular strawberry banana bread recipe was born from that desire for a fresh twist, adding a bright, juicy burst to the familiar, tender crumb. The combination of sweet, ripe bananas and slightly tart strawberries creates a wonderfully balanced fruit bread that feels both new and timeless.

What I adore about this loaf is how the pockets of warm, jammy strawberries stud the moist banana-infused cake. It’s a texture and flavour pairing that just makes sense. This was one of those recipes that came together on a whim, using up some sad-looking bananas and a punnet of strawberries on its last legs. The result was so much better than I anticipated. My husband, who’s usually picky about fruit in cakes, asked for a second slice before the first was even finished! It’s become our go-to for a special weekend breakfast bread or a lovely afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea.

We’re going to walk through how to create this beautiful loaf, ensuring it’s moist, flavourful, and holds together perfectly. It’s a straightforward bake, but we’ll cover a few key tips to handle the extra moisture from the strawberries, guaranteeing a fantastic result every time. This is the kind of recipe that makes you feel like a baking champion, and it’s brilliant for sharing with friends and family.

Recipe Overview

This strawberry banana bread recipe yields a wonderfully moist and tender loaf, packed with flavour. The natural sweetness from the overripe bananas is perfectly balanced by the bright, slightly sharp notes of fresh strawberries. Expect a soft crumb with delightful pockets of warm, juicy fruit throughout. During testing, I found that tossing the strawberries in a little flour before adding them to the batter is the key to preventing them from sinking to the bottom of the tin.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55-65 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Servings: 10 slices
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Banana Bread Recipe

• Genuine Flavour: The taste is authentic and fruit-forward. You get the deep, caramelised sweetness of baked banana, which is then cut through with the bright, summery zing of fresh strawberries. It’s not overly sugary; the fruit really shines.
• Ready in Under 90 Minutes: From gathering your ingredients to pulling a golden-brown loaf from the oven, the entire process takes less than an hour and a half, with only about 20 minutes of hands-on time.
• Flexible Recipe: This recipe is wonderfully adaptable. You could swap the strawberries for raspberries or blueberries, add a handful of chopped walnuts for crunch, or even stir in 75g of white chocolate chips for a more decadent treat.

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• Great for Weekend Mornings: It works beautifully for a relaxed weekend breakfast, a lunchbox snack, or as a simple dessert served slightly warm with a dollop of clotted cream. It’s also a fantastic way to use up fruit that’s just past its prime.
• Family Tested: This recipe always gets compliments in our house. Even my little one, who is suspicious of “bits” in his cake, happily devours a slice, hunting for the pink strawberry treasures inside.

Strawberry Banana Bread Recipe

⏱️ 20 min prep  •  🍳 60 min cook  •  👥 10 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this strawberry banana bread, using very ripe, almost black bananas is non-negotiable—they provide the best flavour and natural sweetness. I also prefer using unsalted butter to control the salt content precisely. I find that a good quality vanilla extract, like Nielsen-Massey, really enhances the overall flavour profile, making the fruit notes pop even more.

• 280g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp for dusting strawberries
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 115g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 150g light brown soft sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large, very ripe bananas (about 350g mashed)
• 150g fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped

Ashley’s Tip: If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, you can speed up the process. Place them on a baking tray (skin-on) and bake at 150°C (130°C fan) for about 15-20 minutes, or until the skins are blackened. Let them cool completely before mashing.

How to Make Strawberry Banana Bread

The process for this fruit bread is straightforward. We start by creaming the butter and sugar together to create a light, airy base, which is crucial for a tender crumb. Then we gradually incorporate the other ingredients, being careful not to overmix once the flour is added. Let’s get started.

1. Preheat and Prepare: First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line it with baking parchment, leaving a little overhang on the long sides to act as handles for easy removal later.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 280g of plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Set this aside for a moment.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy. This step incorporates air, which is key to a good texture. For more on this technique, BBC Good Food has a great guide on the creaming method.
4. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it might be curdling, just add a tablespoon of your flour mixture. Once the eggs are fully incorporated, mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Mash and Add Bananas: In a separate bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until they are mostly smooth but still have a few small lumps for texture. Gently fold the mashed banana into the butter and egg mixture.
6. Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. It’s important not to overmix here; a few floury streaks are perfectly fine. Overmixing develops the gluten and can lead to a tough loaf.
7. Prepare and Add Strawberries: In a small bowl, toss the chopped strawberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. This light coating helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the tin. Gently fold the floured strawberries into the batter. I find that using a large metal spoon for this final fold is best to avoid crushing the fruit.
8. Bake the Loaf: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake for 55-65 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a skewer or cocktail stick into the centre of the loaf. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter.
9. Cool Completely: Let the strawberry banana bread cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before using the parchment paper handles to lift it out. Place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This is the hardest part—the smell will be irresistible!

Tips From My Kitchen

• Room Temperature is Key: For the smoothest batter, ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This helps them emulsify properly, creating a uniform texture without any curdling. I usually take them out of the fridge about an hour before I start baking.
• The Secret to a Moist Crumb: Don’t overmix the batter once you’ve added the flour. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined. Overworking the batter develops gluten, which results in a dense, tough bread rather than a soft, tender one. I learned that the hard way in my early baking days!
• Make-Ahead Method: While the baked bread is best, you can prep the dry ingredients ahead of time. Whisk the flour, bicarb, and salt together and store in an airtight container for up to a month. It shaves a few minutes off the prep time when you’re ready to bake.
• Storage: This strawberry banana bread stores beautifully. Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I find it actually becomes a little moister and more flavourful on the second day. You can also freeze it, either whole or in slices, for up to 3 months. Just wrap it tightly in cling film and then a layer of foil.

Equipment You’ll Need

You don’t need a lot of fancy kit for this recipe, but a few items will make the process much smoother.

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• 900g (2lb) loaf tin
• Baking parchment
• Wire cooling rack
• Mixing bowls and a spatula

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using Under-ripe Bananas: The star of any good banana bread recipe is, of course, the banana. Using yellow or green-tinged bananas will result in a less flavourful and much less sweet loaf. Wait until they are heavily speckled with black spots; this is when their sugar content is at its peak. The history of banana bread is rooted in this very idea of not wasting overripe fruit!
• Incorrect Oven Temperature: If your oven runs too hot, the outside of the loaf will burn before the centre is cooked through. If it’s too cool, it won’t rise properly. An oven thermometer is a baker’s best friend to ensure accuracy. If you notice the top browning too quickly, loosely tent it with a piece of foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
• Slicing While Warm: I know it’s tempting to cut a slice straight away, but letting the bread cool completely is crucial. It allows the crumb to set properly. Slicing it while it’s still warm can cause it to be gummy and fall apart. Patience is a virtue here!

What to Serve With This Strawberry Banana Bread

This loaf is wonderful on its own, but you can certainly dress it up. Here are a few of my favourite ways to serve it:

• Toasted with Butter: A thick slice, lightly toasted and slathered with good quality salted butter, is simply divine. The heat warms the fruit and the butter melts into every nook.
• With a Dollop of Yoghurt: For a healthier breakfast, serve a slice with a spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche to balance the sweetness.
• A Perfect Brew: It pairs beautifully with a strong cup of tea or a lovely coffee. If you fancy something cool, my Instant Coffee Iced Coffee Recipe is a brilliant accompaniment on a warm day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Strawberry Banana Bread

A delicious and moist loaf cake that perfectly combines the classic sweetness of banana bread with the bright, fresh taste of juicy strawberries. A perfect treat for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 305

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 280 g plain flour plus 1 tbsp for dusting strawberries
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 115 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 150 g light brown soft sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large very ripe bananas (about 350g mashed)
• 150 g fresh strawberries hulled and roughly chopped

Method

 

1. Preheat and Prepare: First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line it with baking parchment, leaving a little overhang on the long sides to act as handles for easy removal later.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 280g of plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Set this aside for a moment.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy. This step incorporates air, which is key to a good texture. For more on this technique, BBC Good Food has a great guide on the creaming method.
4. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it might be curdling, just add a tablespoon of your flour mixture. Once the eggs are fully incorporated, mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Mash and Add Bananas: In a separate bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until they are mostly smooth but still have a few small lumps for texture. Gently fold the mashed banana into the butter and egg mixture.
6. Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. It’s important not to overmix here; a few floury streaks are perfectly fine. Overmixing develops the gluten and can lead to a tough loaf.
7. Prepare and Add Strawberries: In a small bowl, toss the chopped strawberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. This light coating helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the tin. Gently fold the floured strawberries into the batter. I find that using a large metal spoon for this final fold is best to avoid crushing the fruit.
8. Bake the Loaf: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake for 55-65 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a skewer or cocktail stick into the centre of the loaf. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter.
9. Cool Completely: Let the strawberry banana bread cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before using the parchment paper handles to lift it out. Place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This is the hardest part—the smell will be irresistible!

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results, allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

I truly hope you enjoy making this strawberry banana bread. It’s such a cheerful and satisfying bake, perfect for sharing a little bit of homemade happiness. If you give this recipe a try, I would love to hear how it turned out for you. Please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts! Happy baking! – Ashley