⚡ Quick Answer
This banana bread costs £2.32 in total and makes 7 slices at just 33p each. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 60–75 minutes to bake at 160°C. You need three ripe bananas, basic baking cupboard staples, and one loaf tin. No mixer required.
| ⏱ Prep Time | 🔥 Cook Time | 🍰 Serves | 💰 Cost Per Slice | 💷 Total Cost |
| 10 minutes | 60–75 minutes | 7 slices | 33p | £2.32 |
33p. That is what a slice of this banana bread costs — and it tastes better than anything you will find in a supermarket at three times the price. The whole loaf comes to £2.32, takes about ten minutes to put together, and bakes itself in the oven while you get on with other things. If you have got three ripe bananas sitting on the counter going soft, this is exactly where they should end up.
This recipe is proper old-fashioned banana bread — moist, lightly sweet, with just a gentle banana flavour in the background rather than an overwhelming hit. It works plain, with a dusting of icing sugar, or with a little double cream on the side. And it keeps well for several days, which makes it excellent value for money across the week.
Full Cost Breakdown — Pence by Pence
Every penny in this recipe has been checked against current Tesco and Aldi pricing (April 2026). These are the amounts you actually use in the recipe — not the full pack price.
| Ingredient | Amount Used | Cost |
| Ripe bananas | 3 bananas | 56p |
| Brown sugar | 100g | 36p |
| White sugar | 100g | 12p |
| Eggs | 2 eggs | 28p |
| Butter | 90g | 71p |
| Plain flour | 225g | 12p |
| Baking powder | 1 tsp | 3p |
| Bicarbonate of soda | 1 tsp | 2p |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | 12p |
| Salt | Pinch | ~0p |
| TOTAL | 7 slices | £2.32 (33p per slice) |
⚠️ Prices checked at Tesco and Aldi, April 2026. Prices may vary by store and region. Own-brand products used throughout.
The biggest cost in this loaf is the butter at 71p. If you swap to a budget block margarine from Aldi (currently around 45p for 250g), you can shave another 15–20p off the total. The result is slightly different in texture — a little lighter — but still a very good bake. Worth knowing if you are on a particularly tight week.
Compare this to a shop-bought banana loaf from Tesco at around £1.50 for six thin slices — that is 25p per slice for something considerably less fresh. Homemade at 33p per slice, you are getting a bigger, softer, fresher slice and the satisfaction of having made it yourself.
Why This Recipe Works So Well
💡 Why This Works
The combination of melted butter (not creamed) and very ripe bananas gives this loaf its characteristic moist, dense crumb. Using both brown and white sugar adds a subtle depth of colour and flavour that all-white sugar does not achieve. The bicarb and baking powder together give it just enough lift without making it cakey or dry.
Baking low and slow at 160°C is the key. Higher temperatures brown the outside before the centre is cooked through — which is the main reason shop-bought versions often taste slightly gummy in the middle.
The ripeness of the bananas matters more than anything else in this recipe. Bananas that are yellow with a few brown spots are fine. Bananas that are almost entirely brown — the ones most people would throw away — are actually ideal. The more they have ripened, the sweeter and more intensely flavoured they are, which means the loaf tastes better and you need less added sugar to get a great result. Never bin an overripe banana again.
One more thing worth noting: this batter should not be overworked. Once the flour goes in, mix until just combined and stop. A few small lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten in the flour, which makes the finished loaf tough and chewy rather than soft and tender. Two minutes of gentle folding is all it needs.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas — the riper the better (brown-spotted ones are perfect)
- 100g brown sugar — adds colour and a mild caramel note
- 100g white sugar — can substitute all-white if preferred, but the mix is better
- 2 medium eggs
- 90g butter — melted; budget block margarine works too
- 225g plain flour — do not use self-raising, you are adding your own leavening
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
You will also need a standard 2lb loaf tin (approximately 23cm x 13cm), greaseproof paper, and a large mixing bowl. No electric mixer needed — a fork and a whisk are all you require.
Step-by-Step Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C (fan 140°C / Gas Mark 3) before you start. Everything else comes together so quickly that you want the oven already at temperature when the batter is ready.
Step 1 — Melt the butter. Chop the butter into pieces and melt it gently in a small saucepan on the hob over a low heat. Once fully melted, set it aside to cool slightly while you get on with the bananas.
Step 2 — Mash the bananas. Peel the three bananas into a large mixing bowl and mash them thoroughly with a sturdy fork. Keep going until you have a fairly smooth purée — small lumps are fine, but you want most of the large pieces broken down. This takes about two to three minutes of good mashing.
Step 3 — Add the sugars. Tip both the brown and white sugar into the bowl with the mashed banana. Mix well until fully combined. The mixture will look thick and slightly grainy at this stage — that is correct.
Step 4 — Add the eggs. Crack the two eggs into a separate small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Pour them into the banana and sugar mixture and whisk everything together until smooth.
Step 5 — Add the melted butter. Pour in the cooled (but still liquid) butter and mix again until fully incorporated. At this point your batter should look glossy and well combined.
Step 6 — Sift in the dry ingredients. Hold a sieve over the bowl and tip in the plain flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Sift them together into the wet mixture. This removes any lumps and makes sure the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
Step 7 — Fold and add vanilla. Gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients using a large spoon or spatula — do not use the whisk here. Once almost combined, add the teaspoon of vanilla extract and the pinch of salt. Give it a final few folds until no dry flour is visible. Stop there. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy, which is exactly right.
Step 8 — Prepare the tin and bake. Grease your loaf tin lightly and line the base and long sides with a strip of greaseproof paper, leaving a little overhang on each side so you can lift the loaf out cleanly once baked. Pour in the batter and level the top with the back of a spoon.
Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 60 to 75 minutes. At the one-hour mark, check the top — if it is browning too quickly, lay a loose piece of foil over it and continue baking. The loaf is done when a skewer or thin knife inserted into the centre comes out clean with no wet batter on it.
Step 9 — Cool and slice. Leave the loaf in the tin for ten minutes before using the greaseproof paper to lift it out. Allow it to cool for at least another twenty minutes on a wire rack before slicing. Cutting into it too early will give you a gummy, wet texture — patience here makes a real difference to the final result.
What If It Goes Wrong?
⚠️ Troubleshooting
Loaf is brown on top but raw in the middle
Oven was too hot, or you did not cover it with foil in time. Next time, drop to 150°C after 40 minutes and cover loosely. Always use a skewer to test — colour alone is not reliable.
Loaf is dense and gummy
Two possible causes: underbaked, or the batter was overmixed. Give it another five minutes in the oven if in doubt. And fold gently — stirring vigorously once the flour is added is the most common mistake.
Loaf did not rise much
The bicarb or baking powder may be old. Both lose their potency after six to twelve months. Test bicarb by dropping a teaspoon into hot water — it should bubble vigorously. If it does not, replace it.
Loaf stuck to the tin
Greaseproof paper is not optional here. Grease the tin and use a paper lining with overhang — it costs pennies and makes the whole thing effortless to remove.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using bananas that are not ripe enough is the most common reason this loaf turns out bland. Yellow bananas with no spots will not give you the sweetness or flavour you need — wait until they are properly speckled, or leave them on the counter for a day or two longer than you normally would.
Adding hot butter to the eggs is another easy mistake. If the melted butter is still very hot when you pour it in, it can partially scramble the eggs and leave you with streaks of cooked egg in the batter. Let it sit for a few minutes off the heat first.
Finally, cutting the loaf before it has cooled is something almost everyone does at least once — the smell straight from the oven is genuinely irresistible. But slicing it hot compresses the crumb and gives you a wet, sticky texture. Twenty minutes of cooling is the minimum. An hour is better.
Is This Worth Making?
Is This Worth Making?
Absolutely, yes — and not just because of the cost. At 33p a slice, this is already excellent value. But the bigger reason to make it is that it is genuinely better than anything you will find in a supermarket at any price. It comes out of the oven soft, moist, and properly flavoured in a way that pre-packaged banana bread simply is not.
The effort involved is minimal. Ten minutes of mixing, then the oven does the rest. The washing up is a saucepan, a bowl, a whisk, and a fork. There is no complicated technique here — if you can mash a banana, you can make this loaf.
The one honest caveat is the baking time. An hour to an hour and fifteen minutes is a real commitment on a weekday evening. This is a weekend bake, or something to put in the oven on a Saturday afternoon while you are doing other things around the house. Plan for it rather than rushing it.
If you have got overripe bananas and a free oven slot, there is no good reason not to make this. It costs very little, takes almost no skill, and the result is a loaf that will last you through the week for breakfast or an afternoon treat at a fraction of what you would otherwise spend.
Storage and Freezing
Once fully cooled, wrap the loaf tightly in cling film or store it in an airtight container. At room temperature it will keep well for three to four days — the moisture from the bananas actually helps it stay soft longer than a standard sponge cake.
For longer storage, this loaf freezes beautifully. Slice it first, then wrap individual slices in cling film and place them in a freezer bag. They keep for up to three months. Pull a slice out the night before and leave it on the counter to defrost, or toast it from frozen for a warm, slightly crisp version that is excellent with butter.
🌾 Allergen Information
This recipe contains gluten (plain flour), eggs, dairy (butter), and sulphites (vanilla extract may vary by brand). Always check individual product labels if cooking for someone with allergies. To make dairy-free, substitute the butter with a plant-based block margarine such as Vitalite.
If you enjoyed this bake, our Welsh Cakes recipe at just 7p each is another brilliant use of a few storecupboard staples. And if you are after a proper budget dessert, the Tinned Peach Cobbler at 40p per serving is well worth a go.
About the Author
Vinod Pandey researches and documents budget recipes from real UK home cooks. Every recipe on Baking on Budget is sourced from verified UK cooking sources, with ingredient costs checked against current Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl pricing. No guesswork — exact pence, every time.
Questions or corrections? Get in touch · LinkedIn
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use self-raising flour instead of plain?
You can, but reduce or omit the baking powder entirely — self-raising already contains a leavening agent and doubling up will make the loaf rise too quickly and then collapse. Use 225g self-raising flour and leave out the baking powder, keeping the bicarb.
What if I only have two bananas?
Two bananas will still work, but the flavour will be noticeably milder and the loaf will be slightly less moist. You can compensate a little by adding an extra tablespoon of sugar, but three bananas really is the sweet spot for this recipe.
Can I add anything to the batter?
Yes — a handful of chopped walnuts (around 50g) is a classic addition that adds texture and a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness well. Chocolate chips work too. Both add a small amount to the cost but not significantly. Fold them in at the very end after the flour is combined.
How do I know when the loaf is done?
The skewer test is the most reliable method. Push a thin skewer or cocktail stick into the centre of the loaf — if it comes out clean, the loaf is done. If there is wet batter on it, give it another five to ten minutes and test again. The top will be deep golden brown and the loaf will have shrunk slightly away from the sides of the tin.
Can I make this without vanilla extract?
Yes. Vanilla extract adds a pleasant background warmth but the loaf is perfectly good without it. If you do not have any, simply leave it out rather than substituting with vanilla flavouring — the artificial version has a noticeably chemical taste when baked.
Can I make this as muffins instead of a loaf?
Absolutely. Divide the batter between a 12-hole muffin tin lined with cases and bake at the same temperature — 160°C — for 20 to 25 minutes rather than an hour. Check with a skewer at the 20-minute mark. The cost per muffin works out at around 19p each, which is even better value than the loaf.
Final Thought
Next time you see those three blackening bananas on the counter and your instinct is to throw them away — do not. You are looking at the makings of a loaf that costs less than a bus fare, takes ten minutes to put together, and will give you seven generous slices across the week. Preheat the oven, get the fork out, and mash them up.
The next time you want something simple and budget-friendly from the oven, our Homemade Tiramisu at 58p per serving is worth a look — it is considerably easier than it sounds.
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