What's The Best Temperature To Bake Banana Bread At, Really?

Banana bread is one of the simplest, most soothing baked goods a person can make at home. With a few basic ingredients, it repurposes overripe fruit into full sensory comfort, as their caramelized perfume fills the air. And recipe after recipe points out just how easy it is to prepare. So why, then, does it seem like we're constantly trying to prevent common banana bread mistakes, including solving for the perfect temperature, adjusting by tens of degrees with each passing loaf? It doesn't help that recipes are all over the map about what oven temp is best, depending on the source. To finally get some answers, we talked to Hana Dreiling, founder and head baker of Holey Grail Donuts, which has locations in Los Angeles and Hawaii. Dreiling shared her go-to temperature exclusively with Chowhound, so we can all have more appealing banana bread once and for all. And it's a little cooler than you might be used to.

"The best temperature for baking banana bread is 325°F," Dreiling says. "This slightly lower temperature allows the loaf to bake evenly, ensuring the center cooks through without the edges becoming overly dark or dry. Banana bread is naturally dense, so a gentle, steady bake helps achieve that perfect soft, moist crumb. Slow food is the best food, so patience is key — don't be tempted to crank up the heat," she emphasizes.

Indeed, anyone baking banana bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit may be on the receiving end of frustrating results. The lower temp necessitates a longer bake; you should start checking for progress after about 50 minutes. All the more time to enjoy that sweet fragrance.

If your banana bread still isn't coming quite right, it's time to calibrate your oven to make sure that its supposed 325 degrees Fahrenheit is a true 325. This will, naturally, help you better control the temperature for persnickety cookies, cakes, pies, and literally everything you run through the oven. Being that an oven thermometer isn't among the most popular of household items, however, there are also some common sense measures you can take while you wait for it to arrive.

When you've still got goop lurking beneath an otherwise perfectly golden — or even browned — banana bread surface, Hana Dreiling notes that your oven might be running too hot. She suggests lowering it by 25 degrees. However, if the loaf is taking an inordinately long time to reach that desired hue, or still kind of wobbling in the pan, increase the temperature a little.

A food thermometer is the most obvious way to check for doneness. When properly finished, banana bread should reach an internal temperature hovering between 200 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. But analog methods also work. "Always check with a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center," Dreiling says. "It should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter."