Banana Bread Lab708 recipes

Banana Bread Lab · Decision tree

Find your banana bread

Three questions sort all 708 recipes into 8 groups. Each question is about one of the ingredients recipes disagree on most, and splits the recipes in front of it at their own median, so each answer keeps about half of them. Every group ends with its median recipe in grams and the real recipes nearest it.

The questions

  1. Question 1

    More dairy than most, or less?

    Buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream add acid for the baking soda and a finer, moister crumb.

    All 708 recipes: median 15% of the flour weight, 37 g per 250 g of flour; middle half 0% to 43%; 45% use none.

  2. Question 2

    More leavening than most, or less?

    Baking soda reacts with the acid in banana and brown sugar and deepens browning; too much tastes soapy.

    All 708 recipes: median 3.5% of the flour weight, 9 g per 250 g of flour; middle half 2.5% to 4.7%.

    Asked within each answer to question 1, split at the median of the recipes that gave it.

  3. Question 3

    More banana than most, or less?

    The main liquid and much of the sweetness. More banana makes a denser, moister loaf that takes longer to bake through.

    All 708 recipes: median 148% of the flour weight, 370 g per 250 g of flour; middle half 120% to 189%.

    Asked within each answer to question 2, split at the median of the recipes that gave it.

The key

Read left to right: pick an answer to question 1, then one of the answers beside it for question 2, and so on to a group. Each cell gives the answer, its bound in grams per 100 g of flour, and how many recipes give it.

Decision key: 3 questions, one per column, leading to 8 groups of recipes
1. Dairy2. Leavening3. BananaGroup
Moreover 15%351More3.2% or more186Moreover 146%93A93
Less146% or less93B93
Lessunder 3.2%165Moreover 138%82C82
Less138% or less83D83
Little or none15% or less357More3.7% or more183Moreover 169%90E90
Less169% or less93F93
Lessunder 3.7%174More158% or more87G87
Lessunder 158%87H87

The 8 groups

Each median recipe is the median of every ingredient over the group's recipes, scaled to 250 g of flour, beside the typical loaf of all 708. Bold rows are the ingredients the questions asked about.

Group A · 93 recipes · 13% of all

More dairy, more leavening and more banana

Dairy over 15%, leavening 3.2% or more and banana over 146% of the flour weight.

Median recipe of group A at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup AAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana475 gabout 4 medium bananas370 g
Sugar200 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat115 gabout 1/2 cup115 g
Egg120 gabout 2 1/2 large eggs100 g
Dairy120 gabout 1/2 cup37 g
Leavening12 g9 g
Salt2 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 55 minutes, the medians of the 84 recipes here that state a temperature and the 87 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group A

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread · bakerbettie.comdairy 35% · leavening 4.2% · banana 200%
  2. Fudgy Chocolate Banana Bread · thereciperebel.comdairy 55% · leavening 5.4% · banana 208%
  3. Spicy Chocolate Banana Bread · bakerbettie.comdairy 41% · leavening 4.8% · banana 229%
  4. Griddled Banana Bread with Sorghum Syrup · countryliving.comdairy 33% · leavening 5% · banana 163%
  5. Buttermilk Banana Bread · tasteandtellblog.comdairy 28% · leavening 3.5% · banana 154%
Back to the key

Group B · 93 recipes · 13% of all

More dairy, more leavening and less banana

Dairy over 15%, leavening 3.2% or more and banana 146% or less of the flour weight.

Median recipe of group B at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup BAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana300 gabout 2 1/2 medium bananas370 g
Sugar195 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat85 gabout 1/3 cup115 g
Egg100 gabout 2 large eggs100 g
Dairy115 gabout 1/2 cup37 g
Leavening11 g9 g
Salt2.5 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 55 minutes, the medians of the 83 recipes here that state a temperature and the 90 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group B

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe (Whole Wheat) · yummytummyaarthi.comdairy 51% · leavening 4.4% · banana 94%
  2. Strawberry Banana Bread · africanbites.comdairy 31% · leavening 4.2% · banana 113%
  3. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread · africanbites.comdairy 25% · leavening 4.2% · banana 113%
  4. Instant Pot Banana Bread · shugarysweets.comdairy 23% · leavening 4.2% · banana 142%
  5. Best Easy Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Recipe · countryliving.comdairy 49% · leavening 4% · banana 90%
Back to the key

Group C · 82 recipes · 11% of all

More dairy, less leavening and more banana

Dairy over 15%, leavening under 3.2% and banana over 138% of the flour weight.

Median recipe of group C at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup CAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana405 gabout 3 1/2 medium bananas370 g
Sugar200 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat110 gabout 1/2 cup115 g
Egg100 gabout 2 large eggs100 g
Dairy80 gabout 1/3 cup37 g
Leavening6 g9 g
Salt2 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 58 minutes, the medians of the 73 recipes here that state a temperature and the 76 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group C

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Salted Caramel Cashew Banana Bread · twopeasandtheirpod.comdairy 29% · leavening 2.1% · banana 168%
  2. Pão de banana · receitasdecomida.com.brdairy 31% · leavening 2.1% · banana 166%
  3. Chocolate Banana Bread · bakingamoment.comdairy 27% · leavening 2.1% · banana 162%
  4. Salted Caramel Banana Bread · 12tomatoes.comdairy 31% · leavening 2.4% · banana 189%
  5. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread · lifeloveandsugar.comdairy 30% · leavening 2.9% · banana 173%
Back to the key

Group D · 83 recipes · 11% of all

More dairy, less leavening and less banana

Dairy over 15%, leavening under 3.2% and banana 138% or less of the flour weight.

Median recipe of group D at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup DAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana270 gabout 2 1/2 medium bananas370 g
Sugar190 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat110 gabout 1/2 cup115 g
Egg100 gabout 2 large eggs100 g
Dairy105 gabout 1/2 cup37 g
Leavening6 g9 g
Salt2.5 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 55 minutes, the medians of the 77 recipes here that state a temperature and the 78 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group D

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Maple Glaze · crazyforcrust.comdairy 43% · leavening 2.4% · banana 95%
  2. Banana Bread Recipe · crazyforcrust.comdairy 43% · leavening 2.4% · banana 95%
  3. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe · crazyforcrust.comdairy 43% · leavening 2.4% · banana 95%
  4. Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread · crazyforcrust.comdairy 43% · leavening 2.4% · banana 95%
  5. Banana Nut Bread Recipe · crazyforcrust.comdairy 43% · leavening 2.4% · banana 95%
Back to the key

Group E · 90 recipes · 12% of all

Little or no dairy, more leavening and more banana

Dairy 15% or less, leavening 3.7% or more and banana over 169% of the flour weight. 86 of the 90 use no dairy.

Median recipe of group E at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup EAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana530 gabout 4 1/2 medium bananas370 g
Sugar200 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat130 gabout 1/2 cup115 g
Egg115 gabout 2 1/2 large eggs100 g
Dairynone37 g
Leavening13 g9 g
Salt2 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 53 minutes, the medians of the 83 recipes here that state a temperature and the 85 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group E

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Double Chocolate Banana Bread · houseofnasheats.comdairy 0% · leavening 4.9% · banana 212%
  2. Double Chocolate Banana Bread · thefirstyearblog.comdairy 0% · leavening 5.1% · banana 188%
  3. Mom's Best Fluffy Banana Bread (179 Calories) · cafedelites.comdairy 0% · leavening 6.5% · banana 218%
  4. Moist Banana Bread (Rum Banana Bread) · rasamalaysia.comdairy 14% · leavening 5.9% · banana 227%
  5. Easy Banana Bread · bakerbettie.comdairy 0% · leavening 4.2% · banana 216%
Back to the key

Group F · 93 recipes · 13% of all

Little or no dairy, more leavening and less banana

Dairy 15% or less, leavening 3.7% or more and banana 169% or less of the flour weight. 79 of the 93 use no dairy.

Median recipe of group F at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup FAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana350 gabout 3 medium bananas370 g
Sugar180 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat115 gabout 1/2 cup115 g
Egg105 gabout 2 large eggs100 g
Dairynone37 g
Leavening12 g9 g
Salt3 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 55 minutes, the medians of the 81 recipes here that state a temperature and the 88 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group F

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Chocolate Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread · completelydelicious.comdairy 0% · leavening 5.3% · banana 130%
  2. Chocolate-Bourbon Banana Bread · leitesculinaria.comdairy 0% · leavening 5.5% · banana 135%
  3. Nutella Banana Bread Recipe · houseofnasheats.comdairy 0% · leavening 4.3% · banana 167%
  4. Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Bread Recipe · tasteandtellblog.comdairy 0% · leavening 4% · banana 135%
  5. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread · twopeasandtheirpod.comdairy 0% · leavening 4.5% · banana 103%
Back to the key

Group G · 87 recipes · 12% of all

Little or no dairy, less leavening and more banana

Dairy 15% or less, leavening under 3.7% and banana 158% or more of the flour weight. 81 of the 87 use no dairy.

Median recipe of group G at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup GAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana465 gabout 4 medium bananas370 g
Sugar190 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat115 gabout 1/2 cup115 g
Egg115 gabout 2 1/2 large eggs100 g
Dairynone37 g
Leavening7 g9 g
Salt3 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 55 minutes, the medians of the 81 recipes here that state a temperature and the 85 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group G

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Healthy Banana Bread · loveandlemons.comdairy 0% · leavening 2.7% · banana 204%
  2. Best Banana Bread Recipe · thesaltymarshmallow.comdairy 0% · leavening 2.4% · banana 163%
  3. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe · livewellbakeoften.comdairy 0% · leavening 3% · banana 192%
  4. Brown Butter Banana Bread · acouplecooks.comdairy 0% · leavening 2.9% · banana 161%
  5. Easy Banana Bread Recipe (One Bowl!) · acouplecooks.comdairy 0% · leavening 2.9% · banana 161%
Back to the key

Group H · 87 recipes · 12% of all

Little or no dairy, less leavening and less banana

Dairy 15% or less, leavening under 3.7% and banana under 158% of the flour weight. 74 of the 87 use no dairy.

Median recipe of group H at 250 g of flour, beside the typical recipe of all 708
At 250 g flourGroup HAll
Flour250 g250 g
Banana295 gabout 2 1/2 medium bananas370 g
Sugar190 gabout 1 cup195 g
Fat105 gabout 1/2 cup115 g
Egg100 gabout 2 large eggs100 g
Dairynone37 g
Leavening6 g9 g
Salt3 g2.5 g

Bake350°F (175°C) for about 55 minutes, the medians of the 79 recipes here that state a temperature and the 83 that state a time.

Nearest the middle of group H

Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.

  1. Banana Bread Recipe · spendwithpennies.comdairy 0% · leavening 2.4% · banana 120%
  2. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread · spendwithpennies.comdairy 0% · leavening 2.4% · banana 120%
  3. Blueberry Banana Bread · tasteofhome.comdairy 0% · leavening 2.4% · banana 94%
  4. Moist Whole Wheat Banana Bread · breadtopia.comdairy 0% · leavening 1.8% · banana 132%
  5. Pain aux bananes : la meilleure recette · marmiton.orgdairy 0% · leavening 2.1% · banana 142%
Back to the key

How the questions are chosen

Each ingredient is ranked by how much recipes disagree on it: the width of the middle half of recipes (25th to 75th percentile) divided by the median, less 4% for each place it sits down this lab's list of ingredients, so the ones that define the dish win near ties. For banana bread the order is dairy (2.92), leavening (0.64), banana (0.47), fat (0.49), sugar (0.47) and egg (0.39), and the first 3 are asked. Salt is never asked about: recipes differ on it mostly by brand and taste.

Every split is at the median of the recipes in front of it, rounded to the percentage shown. Recipes exactly at the median go to whichever side leaves the two halves more even. No answer may keep fewer than 5 recipes; a group that could not be split further says so.

The recipes listed under each group are the 5 nearest its median on every ingredient at once, each scaled by how much recipes vary on it. Every recipe page links to the original for the method.