Dominique Ansel Banana Bread Recipe — Signature Bakery Version

Dominique Ansel’s banana bread is rich, deeply flavorful, and has a tender, perfect crumb. If you take banana bread seriously, this is the loaf to try.

When my friend Amber first urged me to try this recipe I was skeptical—there’s a lot of butter. A lot. Still, I can tell you it’s worth every calorie: this is one of the best quick breads I’ve ever made. My husband is obsessed and has asked for it multiple times in a short span.

I usually top it with a crackly cinnamon-sugar crust (highly recommended), which makes it even harder to resist. I’ve also used this as a base for variations—cranberry banana bread, brown butter banana bread, banana nut bread—but I always return to the original. It’s simply that good.

Who is Dominique Ansel?

Dominique Ansel is the pastry chef who invented the Cronut, a croissant-dough donut that made his bakery famous in New York City. Recipes from chefs of his caliber tend to be exceptional, and this banana bread lives up to that reputation.

Amber isn’t typically a banana-bread fanatic, so when she told me she and her boys couldn’t stop making this one, I knew it had to be special.

What makes this banana bread special?

The difference is in the richness. This version uses more butter and an extra egg, plus an additional banana compared to many standard recipes, producing a denser, moister loaf with a fuller banana flavor. A touch of nutmeg enhances the banana without overpowering it.

Because of its texture and flavor, this bread holds up well to creative serving ideas: grilled slices, topped with ice cream, or transformed into banana-bread French toast.

How to make Dominique Ansel’s banana bread

This loaf is richer than typical banana bread, but it’s just as easy to make.

Ingredients

Yield: one 10×5-inch loaf

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus more for greasing pan)

Yes, there’s a lot of butter—please trust the recipe and use the full amount for the intended texture and flavor. The extra banana and the nutmeg are key to the loaf’s character.

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10″ x 5″ x 3½″ loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and combine with the mashed bananas. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until just combined. Add the melted butter and stir until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool for about 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Optional cinnamon-sugar topping

For a crackly, sweet top, mix 3 parts granulated sugar with 1 part ground cinnamon and sprinkle generously over the batter before baking. Two to three tablespoons is a good amount if you like a noticeable crust.

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