Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Preheating is essential to ensure your bread bakes evenly and rises properly from the start.

Use butter or cooking spray to lightly coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan, helping prevent the bread from sticking. You can add parchment paper to the pan as an extra step to ensure the bread comes out easily. This helps avoid any sticky situations!

In a large bowl, mash the overripe bananas with a fork or potato masher. Aim for a smooth consistency with some small lumps for texture. These ripe bananas add natural sweetness and moisture to your bread, giving it that perfect soft, tender crumb.

Cream the butter and granulated sugar in another bowl until smooth and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes. The key here is to incorporate air into the mixture, which will give your banana bread that perfect, light texture.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each to fully incorporate. Stir in the vanilla extract—this adds a subtle sweetness and depth that complements the banana flavor beautifully.

Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a separate bowl. Cinnamon brings that iconic snickerdoodle taste to the bread. Combining the dry ingredients in a separate bowl helps distribute them evenly throughout the batter.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in batches, mixing gently until everything is just mixed. Avoid overmixing, as it can result in a heavy, dense loaf. The batter should be thick, but with a few lumps left—this is the perfect consistency!

If you’re adding walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips, gently fold them into the batter now. These add-ins give the bread an extra layer of flavor and texture, but they’re completely optional.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and use a spatula to smooth the top for an even bake. This step ensures a beautifully shaped loaf once it’s out of the oven.

In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Evenly sprinkle the mixture over the batter to form a sweet, crunchy topping as it bakes. This will create a sweet, slightly crispy topping that adds extra flavor and visual appeal.

Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 60-65 minutes. Begin checking at 55 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center—if it comes out mostly clean, it’s fully baked. A clean toothpick or one with a few crumbs means your loaf is perfectly baked. If not, give it a few more minutes.

When it’s done baking, allow the bread to cool in the pan for around 10 minutes before handling. Place the loaf on a wire rack to finish cooling before slicing. This helps the loaf set and makes slicing much easier.