This Cherry Banana Bread is a fresh cherry spin on the classic. It's soft, moist, and so delicious! It's really easy to make without any special equipment, and you can make it during meal prep, freeze it, or take it to a potluck or on a road trip!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Cherry Banana Bread
A new flavor, perfect for cherry season - I'd guess that most of us are used to the old classic - a banana bread that's either plain or has chocolate chips in it. Rarely do you see banana bread with berries or cherries, but it's such a good combo, I'm surprised it's not more popular! If you get your hands on some fresh cherries while they're in season, you've got to give this recipe a try!
Easy to make and freezer-friendly - The batter comes together in a few easy steps, and all you need is a large bowl and a whisk; no electric mixer needed! The loaf is also perfect for meal prep, picnics, or potlucks because it keeps and travels well, plus you can easily freeze it! Once defrosted and reheated in the oven, it tastes just as good as fresh!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - I use gluten-free flour for this banana bread (Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour is my go-to), but you can use regular all-purpose flour as well.
- Bananas - You want to use extra ripe bananas that are sweeter and very easy to mash. They don't have to be completely black, but they should be soft enough to mash easily with a fork. I usually use the ones with lots of black spots.
- Cherries - I recommend using fresh cherries here, as frozen ones might make the batter too wet. If you need to use frozen ones, I recommend defrosting them first and patting them dry to get rid of some of the water they release.
- Sugar - This recipe calls for plain cane sugar. I often use brown sugar or maple syrup, but I didn't want to overpower the flavor of the cherries in this recipe, and cane sugar is very neutral in flavor. White sugar works as well.
- Cooking oil - My go-to is always pure avocado oil. It's neutral in taste, and it's great for baking, roasting, and cooking. Oil will make the loaf more cake-like. Melted butter might make it too dense.
- Greek yogurt - Creamy full-fat Greek yogurt adds moisture, and the tanginess and protein help the loaf rise. It makes it extra moist and soft.
- Eggs - Always use large eggs for the best results. They bind everything together and add moisture. I haven't tested the recipe with any vegan substitutes, so I can't guarantee results.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different fruit - You could make this bread with berries like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or even raspberries. Check out my Blackberry Banana Bread!
- Different sugar or sugar-free - You can try a sugar-free substitute that can be used in place of regular sugar in a 1:1 ratio. I don't recommend brown sugar, dark brown sugar, or any liquid sweeteners because they might make the batter too wet. Light brown sugar or white sugar should work here if you don't have cane sugar.
- Chocolate - Add some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for a chocolate cherry banana bread. The two go amazingly together!
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, whisk eggs, cane sugar, avocado oil, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and fine sea salt until well combined.
- Add mashed banana and Greek yogurt and whisk well again.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and whisk gently until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter; it's okay if there are a few lumps.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
- In a separate small bowl, toss together the chopped cherries and tapioca starch. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf. If you're saving some extra cherries to put on top of the loaf, you don't have to toss those with the starch.
- Fold the cherries into the batter. Be careful not to overmix it too much.
- Grease your loaf pan with a knob of butter and dust it with flour, tilting the pan to cover all sides. Turn it upside down over the sink and tap the sides to get any excess out.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and garnish with your reserved extra cherries and sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling wire rack. Wait for at least an hour before slicing to give the bread time to set, so it doesn’t fall apart while slicing, and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Toss the cherries in tapioca or corn starch - Tossing the cherries in tapioca starch (or arrowroot starch or corn starch) prevents them from sinking to the bottom while baking. If you don't have any starch, regular all-purpose flour should work as well.
- Add coarse sugar on top - Sprinkling some turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar on top of the bread creates a delicious golden crust, similar to coffee shop baked goods.
Storing and Reheating
Fridge: If you plan on eating the whole loaf within 24 hours, you don't have to keep it in the fridge, but otherwise, I recommend refrigerating it. Wait for it to cool down completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze the sliced loaf in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for 2-4 months. I recommend placing small pieces of parchment paper between your slices to avoid them sticking together.
Reheating: If the loaf is refrigerated, reheat it in a preheated oven at 300°F for about 8-10 minutes on a small baking sheet. If it's frozen, you can either reheat it at the same temperature for longer (15-25 minutes) or defrost it in the fridge or on the counter first.
FAQs
Technically, yes, but I don't recommend it. Maraschino cherries would change the flavor of the bread a lot. If you use dried cherries, I recommend soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes first to soften them but they still won't give you the best flavor. Fresh cherries are the best option here.
You can use vegan yogurt like a good, thick coconut yogurt for the batter, and grease your pan with vegan butter. I always use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour so all my baking recipes are made to work as gluten-free. I don't recommend skipping the eggs.
More Banana Bread and Cherry Recipes
Whether you have too many ripe bananas or too many fresh cherries, you should check out the four recipes below! The first two are some of my all-time favorite banana bread recipes, and the other two are great for the summer when there's an abundance of cherries! Head over to Breads and Muffins to see all the latest recipes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you tried this Cherry Banana Bread? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my Newsletter for a free recipe e-book and new weekly recipes straight to your inbox. Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram to always stay in the loop!
Print📖 Recipe
Cherry Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 65 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Baked Goods
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Cherry Banana Bread is gluten-free, and it's made with fresh cherries for the best flavor! It's soft, moist, and not overly sweet. It's also really easy to make and very freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (2-3 bananas)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (I use full-fat Greek yogurt)
- 1 cup pitted and chopped cherries (approx. 15 cherries, plus more for garnish if desired)
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch (or arrowroot starch or cornstarch)
- Knob of butter and ½ tablespoon flour (for greasing the pan)
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
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, whisk eggs, cane sugar, avocado oil, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and fine sea salt until well combined.
- Add mashed banana and Greek yogurt and whisk well again.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches and whisk gently until just combined; don’t overmix.
- In a separate small bowl, toss together the chopped cherries and tapioca starch.
- Fold the cherries into the banana bread batter.
- Grease your loaf pan with a knob of butter and dust with flour, tilting the pan to cover all sides. Turn it upside down over the sink and tap the sides to get any excess out.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and garnish with extra cherries and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Wait for at least an hour before slicing to give the bread time to set, so it doesn’t fall apart while slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing: I recommend storing the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Because of the cherries and banana, I don’t recommend storing the loaf at room temperature for more than 1 day. You can also freeze it in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for 3-5 months. Place a piece of parchment paper between your slices to avoid them freezing together.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Veronika Sykorova says
This is my new favorite flavor combo and I'm surpsired it's not more popular! If you try it, I'd love to hear what you thought here in the comments!