I made Jamie Oliver’s banana bread recipe - but Mary Berry’s was tastier (2024)

I made Jamie Oliver’s banana bread recipe - but Mary Berry’s was tastier (Image: Sophie Harris)

Both Jamie Oliver and Mary Berry have had extensive careers in the food industry, sharing both sweet and savoury recipes online, including several banana breads.

While baking a loaf may seem simple, it can be tricky to get the consistency right so I put the chef’s recipes head-to-head to see which I preferred.

Mary’s recipe was taken from BBC Good Food while Jamie’s was from his website.

Jamie’s recipe uses no sugar, which I was sceptical to try because bananas still need sweetness when baked.

His recipe also serves 12 people, taking anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to bake.

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Jamie's recipe recommended mixing the ingredients by hand (Image: Sophie Harris)

I lined the loaf tin with greaseproof paper to stop it sticking (Image: Sophie Harris)

The recipe then said to crack in the eggs and beat them with the butter, before peeling three of the bananas and mashing them into the mix.

I then stirred in the honey and apple juice, using a spatula to fold in the flour and cinnamon, taking care not to over-mix.

Next, I spooned all of the mixture into the loaf tin, peeling and slicing the remaining banana and poking it into the top.

The cake took around 40 minutes to bake, but it can take up to 50 minutes. If it still isn’t baked after 50 minutes, make sure to cover it with some foil.

The banana bread turned out nice and golden (Image: Sophie Harris)

The final banana loaf looked incredible but I found the texture slightly stodgy, unlike Mary’s recipe which was light and fluffy.

Although the loaf was slightly sweet from the bananas and honey, it still had a tang to it which wasn’t my favourite.

Mary’s banana bread turned out perfectly with a slightly crunchy top and a delicate spongey middle.

Both banana breads lasted for five days in a cake tin, but they can also both be frozen if there is any left for a tasty treat whenever you want.

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