This Blackberry Banana Bread is fluffy, moist, and so delicious! If you're looking for a summer twist on the classic banana bread, this recipe is for you! It's light, not overly sweet, and bursting with amazing blackberry flavor! You can use gluten-free flour, and it's so easy to make!

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Why You'll Love This Banana Bread
Different from the classic and so delicious - If you love making banana bread whenever your bananas on the counter become a little too ripe but usually stick to the same recipe, you've got to try this blackberry one! The combination of bananas and blackberries is unexpected, but so good. It's especially delicious with fresh berries in the summer when they have the most flavor!
Easy to store and freeze - If you want to meal prep an easy snack or breakfast, this banana bread is for you! It stores really well for a week in the fridge, and you can easily freeze it. It tastes just the same as fresh once you defrost and toast it! I actually prefer it from the freezer because it gets extra crispy in the oven. You'll love it!
Ingredients
- Flour - You can use either classic all-purpose flour or a gluten-free blend. I like using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour for everything because I always bake gluten-free, and it works great in this recipe.
- Eggs - Eggs help bind everything together and help raise the loaf. I haven't tried any vegan substitutes, so I can't guarantee results.
- Bananas - You want ripe bananas with lots of brown spots. They should be easy to mash, and they're sweeter.
- Blackberries - I recommend using fresh blackberries here. While both fresh and frozen blackberries will usually work, frozen blackberries might hold extra water that could make the loaf slightly more soggy, so fresh blackberries are your best bet. If you do use frozen, defrost them first and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Greek yogurt - Yogurt is what makes the loaf extra moist, and it helps it to rise. While I recommend full-fat Greek yogurt, even lower-fat content Greek yogurt or a good vegan yogurt should work here (I like Yoggu coconut yogurt). I don't recommend skipping it, the loaf would be too dry.
- Orange juice and zest - The recipe calls for both freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh orange zest for extra flavor. I recommend using organic oranges whenever possible when testing them.
- Avocado oil - I always cook and bake with pure avocado oil because it has a neutral flavor, has a high smoke point, and it's healthier, but any neutral cooking oil you'd normally bake with works.
- Butter - You'll only need unsalted butter to grease the loaf pan. I also dust the pan with flour. I choose butter because it sticks to the pan better than oil, and it helps the flour to stick to all sides evenly.
- Leavining agent - There is no baking powder in this recipe, only baking soda (I made a mistake in the photo below where you can see baking powder). Baking soda reacts with the yogurt and makes the bread extra fluffy.
- Turbinado sugar - This one is optional, but I often sprinkle coarse turbinado sugar on baked goods like this banana bread, baked oatmeal, or muffins to give them a crispy caramelized top layer. The sugar doesn't melt completely, which gives the loaf a nice crunch.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different berries - If you don't have enough blackberries or want to change things you, you can add some raspberries, blueberries, or even strawberries! I always recommend fresh fruit, not frozen.
- Don't have enough bananas - If you're low on ripe bananas, apple sauce will work great as well, though it does change the flavor.
- Dairy-free - If you need to omit dairy, use a good creamy vegan yogurt and grease your pan with vegan butter. I don't like greasing it with oil because it doesn't stick to the sides of the pan very well and pools on the bottom.
- Add chocolate chips - If you want to add more flavor and sweetness, add some dark chocolate chips to the batter! Chocolate and blackberries are delicious together!
- Add more spices - Instead of just cinnamon, add some ground ginger or ground cardamom for more flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add eggs, mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, cooking oil, orange zest, fresh orange juice, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt.
- Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches. Whisk until just combined, don’t overmix.
- In a small bowl or in a ziplock bag, toss together blackberries and tapioca starch.
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- Add the blackberries to the batter. Set a few aside to put on top of the loaf later if desired.
- Fold in the blackberries gently.
- Grease your loaf pan with a knob of butter and dust with flour until all sides are covered.
- Remove any excess flour by holding the pan upside down over the sink and tapping the sides.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and garnish with any remaining blackberries.
- Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick (or a cake tester) inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Take it out of the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully taking it out and transferring it to a wire rack.
- Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Add some coarse sugar on top - If you want that crispy, crunchy crust on top, sprinkle some turbinado sugar on the loaf before baking. Coarse sugar won't melt completely, so it adds a nice crunch, and it helps the batter caramelize on top beautifully!
Serving and Storing
I highly recommend serving this loaf warm from the oven. It makes it so much softer, and it creates a slightly more crunchy exterior, and it's just tastier!
Toast your slice (or slices) on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 300°F for about 5-10 minutes.
You can serve the loaf on its own or add a dollop of Greek yogurt or a drizzle of nut butter.
Refrigerator: I recommend storing the loaf in the fridge because of the blackberries. You could store it at room temperature for a day but it might mold if you keep it out of the fridge for longer. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze the bread in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for up to 3-5 months when stored properly. To avoid your slices sticking together, I recommend placing parchment paper in-between each slice or wrapping each individually in foil.
FAQs
More Recipes Using Ripe Bananas
If you have too many ripe bananas you need to use up, check out the five recipes below! They're all easy to make, and there's something to choose from for any time of the year! To see all the latest ones, head over to Breads and Muffins.
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Print📖 Recipe
Blackberry Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Baked Goods
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Blackberry Banana Bread is fluffy, moist, and so delicious! You can use gluten-free flour, it's so easy to make, simple, and freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (2-3 bananas)
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup neutral cooking oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (1 orange)
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 ½ teaspoon tapioca starch
- A knob of butter + 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add eggs, mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, cooking oil, orange zest, fresh orange juice, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt.
- Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches. Whisk until just combined, don’t overmix.
- In a small bowl or in a ziplock bag, toss together blackberries and tapioca starch.
- Add the blackberries to the batter. Set a few aside to put on top later if desired.
- Fold the blackberries in gently.
- Grease your loaf pan with a knob of butter and dust with flour until all sides are covered. Remove excess flour by holding the pan upside down over the sink and tapping the sides.
- Pour your batter into the loaf pan and garnish with any reserved blackberries.
- Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing: Store the loaf wrapped in a teatowel at room temperature for a day or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months. I recommend wrapping individual slices in foil first before storing them in a freezer bag to avoid them sticking together.
Reheating: You can warm up the bread in a preheated oven at 300°F. Refrigerated bread will take 5-8 minutes. 10-15 minutes if you’re reheating it from frozen.
Veronika Sykorova says
This is my new favorite banana bread for the summer! It may be an unusual combo but so good!