This is the best banana nut bread recipe you'll ever find. It's so fluffy and moist and light, you won't believe your taste buds. Don't believe me? Make my recipe and see what you think. Then go ahead, search the internet and see if you can find one that tastes better. Just make sure to bookmark this page first...because you'll be back.
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If you love sweet cake-y breads as much as I do, make sure to check out our lemon blackberry bread and chocolate zucchini bread. Or, if traditional breads are more your thing, we've got you covered there too, with no knead Dutch oven bread, Irish soda bread, and even naan bread!
I admit it. Every time I go to the supermarket, I buy a bunch of bananas with all the best intentions to eat a healthy banana each morning. But the next morning, I don't feel like it, and the morning after that I'm not hungry. And so on and so on. Until five days later, when the bananas have turned brown (bordering on black) and don't look very appetizing.
Sometimes those overripe bananas will go into one of my smoothies. Sometimes they'll go straight into the compost bin (hey, they'll provide lots of nutrients for the garden this summer!). And sometimes, just sometimes, I'll treat myself to my best banana nut bread recipe.
Another admission: The first time I made this recipe, neither Erich or I could believe how fluffy and moist this bread is! It actually rivaled my chocolate zucchini bread! How could a banana nut bread actually taste light? But it does. It's the best banana nut bread. So let's get started...
π§Ύ Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Salted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Overripe bananas
- Chopped walnuts (optional)
- Vegetable shortening (for greasing pan)
- Confectioners sugar (optional)
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Notes
- While many recipes for banana nut bread use ΒΌ cup of brown sugar (or even more), this recipe has only a touch of brown sugar (2 tablespoons), so the natural sweetness of the bananas stands out.
- Regarding baking time, my banana nut bread was done after 60 minutes. Every oven is slightly different however, so I would recommend to start checking at 55 minutes, and every 5 minutes thereafter, to make sure you get the lightest, fluffiest, moistest bread ever.
π₯£ Making the bread batter
Preheat oven to 350Β°F.
Mash bananas in a small bowl using a fork until they're pretty smooth.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Just stir it all together with a spoon until everything is well mixed. Next, using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, mix butter, sugars, and vanilla.
With mixer still turning, add eggs one at a time, then add bananas. Again, with mixer turning, add dry ingredients to wet, and mix just until everything is moist. Do not overmix the batter. We want to keep it light and fluffy.
β²οΈ Baking
Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. As soon as a toothpick is mostly clean, take it out of the oven immediately. If overbaked, it can quickly become dense and heavy. Flip the bread out of the loaf pan onto a cooling rack and let cool slightly before serving.
π Variations
Once the bread has finished baking, sprinkle the top with a little confectioners sugar.
Not a fan of walnuts? Leave them out, or use almonds or cashews or whatever you like!
Have a sweet tooth? Swap out the nuts for chocolate chips.
π§Ί Storage and freezing
Once bread has cooled, place it in an airtight container and it will stay good on the counter for about 4 days.
If storing in the fridge, wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and it will stay good for about a week. It may lose some of the crunchy crust that it had fresh out of the oven and the cool dry environment of the fridge may dry it out a bit , but the flavor will still be delicious. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil for storage in the freezer and it can last up to 3 months!
Once you're ready to thaw the banana nut bread, just leave it on the counter to warm up at room temperature for several hours. Once it's thawed, cut a slice and pop it in the microwave or toaster oven for a deliciously warm treat. While you're at it, slather a little butter on top......sooo yummy!
β FAQ
Absolutely! Still bake at 350Β°F, but decrease the baking time to about 20 minutes or so, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Love delicious treats like this? Check out a few more of our recipes now!
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Cider Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
- How to Make Croissants (and Pain au Chocolat!)
- Bacon-Apple-Pecan Stuffed French Toast
- Crispy, Buttery Hash Browns
- Single Serve Baked Oatmeal
- Tiramisu Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Gougeres Gruyere
- Easy Zesty Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Waffles with Nutella
Did you make this Banana Nut Bread recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
The Best Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ΒΌ teaspoon salt*
- Β½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
- β cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups overripe bananas, smashed (about 4 bananas)
- Β½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- Vegetable shortening (for greasing pan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350Β°F.
- Mash bananas in a small bowl using a fork until theyβre pretty smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Just stir it all together with a spoon until everything is well mixed.
- Next, using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, mix butter, sugars, and vanilla.
- With mixer still turning, add eggs one at a time, then add bananas.
- Again, with mixer turning, add dry ingredients to wet, and mix just until everything is moist. DoΒ notΒ overmix the batter. We want to keep it light and fluffy.
- Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. As soon as a toothpick is mostly clean, take it out of the ovenΒ immediately. If overbaked, it can quickly become dense and heavy.Β
- Flip the bread out of the loaf pan onto a cooling rack and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Salted vs unsalted butter: * If using unsalted butter, increase salt to Β½ teaspoon.
- Brown sugar: While many recipes for banana nut bread use ΒΌ cup of brown sugar (or even more), this recipe has only a touch of brown sugar (2 tablespoons), so the natural sweetness of the bananas stands out.
- Do not overmix the batter: We want to keep it light and fluffy.
- Baking time: Regarding baking time, my banana nut bread was done after 60 minutes. Every oven is slightly different however, so I would recommend to start checking at 55 minutes, and every 5 minutes thereafter, to make sure you get the lightest, fluffiest, moistest bread ever.
- Muffins: To make muffins instead, still bake at 350Β°F, but decrease the baking time to about 20 minutes or so, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container and it will stay good on the counter for about 4 days. If storing in the fridge, wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and it will stay good for about a week. To freeze, wrap tightly in aluminum foil for storage in the freezer and it can last up to 3 months!
- Thawing: Once you're ready to thaw the banana nut bread, just leave it on the counter to warm up at room temperature for several hours.
- Additional options: Once the bread has finished baking, sprinkle the top with a little confectioners sugar. Not a fan of walnuts? Leave them out, or use almonds or cashews or whatever you like! Have a sweet tooth? Swap out the nuts for chocolate chips.
- Suggestion: If you enjoyed this, you're gonna love my chocolate zucchini bread!
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Zim
I love banana bread! I imagine that the walnuts add an extra zing to the bread.
maplewoodroad
Thanks! Enjoy! π
Lexi
Looks delicious! Will have to try it next time I'm around an oven
maplewoodroad
Enjoy! π
Linda J
I make banana bread for my family, but I have not been a fan of it until now. This recipe is exactly what it says; it is a light bread with a mild flavor. It's a great dessert or for breakfast.
maplewoodroad
Thanks so much Linda! π