This is my favorite blueberry banana bread recipe! A true bakery classic, my version is ultra-moist and tender, with overripe bananas and juicy blueberries (a mix of fresh and wild Maine berries for the best flavor), all topped with a crunchy crystal sugar topping.
The crunchy topping is probably one of my favorite bakery secrets ✨ for banana bread. The sparkling sugar doesn’t melt, so it stays crunchy and shiny even after baking, perfect if you love a crunchy banana bread top.
And the wild blueberries? If you still haven’t tried them yet, this is what I used in some of the best bakeries. They are literally packed with blueberry flavor!
I’ll buy the big three-pound bag at the store and use the extras to make blueberry muffins from scratch or blueberry scones with whatever I don’t use!
How to Make It
1
Make sure your wet mixture looks smooth, glossy, and fully combined. This is best achieved with room-temperature ingredients.
2
The finished blueberry banana bread batter should look kind of clumpy, with small chunks of banana and blueberries swirled in.
To avoid the colors from bleeding, you can toss the berries in some flour first.
3
For that bakery-style finish, always top the bread with a mix of fresh and wild blueberries. You can skip the sparkling sugar if you prefer a softer top.
Or, my recipe tester used Turbinado sugar, and got a semi-crunchy, more sugary top!
4
To test for doneness, I recommend using an instant thermometer. You’re looking for an internal temperature between 200° and 205°F. It will also look domed with a golden crust and a natural crack down the center.
This recipe also freezes well. In the bakery, I used to individually wrap slices and freeze them in bulk. They stayed fresh for about a month, and I pulled them out as needed to sell.
I’ve adopted this habit at home now, so I always have slices ready to be eaten. I even have multiple loaf pans, so I can do a batch of this plus a lemon blueberry loaf with lemon glaze.
Can’t wait for you to try it!
—Cambrea 🫶🏻
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Blueberry Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana, ~3 bananas
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons melted full-fat unsalted European butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, I like half fresh, half wild Maine blueberries
- 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan, then line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt, 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined.1 1/4 cups (300 g) mashed ripe banana, 2/3 cup (133 g) brown sugar, 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until smooth.2 (105 g) large eggs, 5 tablespoons (70 g) melted full-fat unsalted European butter, 1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream, 2 tablespoons (24 g) neutral oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- Add the dry ingredients and fold until almost fully incorporated, with a few streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in the blueberries. For the best texture and flavor, I use a mix of frozen wild blueberries and fresh blueberries.1 cup (110 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a butter knife or offset spatula to run a line down the center of the batter. This helps encourage a clean split as it bakes.
- Sprinkle the top with sparkling sugar and a few extra blueberries.2 tablespoons (30 g) sparkling sugar
- Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the center registers 200–205°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then lift it out and let it cool completely on the rack before slicing.
