Banana Nut Bread
Light and fluffy and SUPER moist, this banana nut bread has the perfect texture and flavor. Not too sweet with a lovely nutty crunch, you will keep coming back for more. And you can, because the bananas and nuts make this basically a health food.
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How was your New Years?? Mine was good, but kinda sad. For the second year in a row, we had to cancel our trip to Seattle to see my best friend. This time, Southwest was to blame. And zero ways to rebook.
We did end up driving to see some friends for a couple days, which was really nice, but I’m still really sad that our original trip couldn’t happen. Again. We had so many fun things planned. And I really wanted to spend some time with two of my dearest friends.
After the year I’ve had, I kinda needed it. But now I’m sitting in my Christmas-free house and feeling a bit melancholy.
If that’s you—if your holidays weren’t what you’d hoped or if something else is making you feel less than joyful—know that you’re not alone.
Why this recipe works
One key part of this recipe is the combination of butter and oil. It stays moist because of the oil, but using half butter helps it stay fluffy, too. It ends up being a lighter, fluffier banana bread that’s still super moist and flavorful.
The bananas can be slightly brown, but I actually used perfectly yellow bananas and it worked fine. The key is making sure you have some solid bits of banana so that you get a better banana taste. Don’t try to mash them to a soupy consistency.
And the nuts! I’ve tried toasted and raw walnuts and both are good. I prefer toasted mostly because raw walnuts make my tongue itchy (you’d think I’d stop eating them, haha). I also love the taste of toasted walnuts. However, it’s entirely up to personal preference.
Key ingredients
Mashed banana. This helps keep the bread so, so moist for days. Plus, it has just the right amount of banana flavor.
Flour. Be sure to sift it and to measure carefully—spoon the flour into the measuring cup then level it off with the flat side of a knife (known as spoon-then-level).
Salt. Try to use sea salt, if possible, as it won’t create an overly salted taste and is actually better for you!
Baking powder. Not baking soda! Baking powder is more delicate and helps this rise without being dense.
Cinnamon. I like a lot of cinnamon! You can actually use a tiny bit more, if you’d like. I also suggest using high quality cinnamon, as the flavor is better.
Eggs. Be sure these are room temperature so they mix well with the other ingredients! If you forget to take them out ahead of time, you can put them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 15 minutes.
Oil. I suggest avocado or grapeseed oil, as these have a mild flavor but are healthier than vegetable or canola.
Vanilla. Use pure! Imitation will have a slightly different flavor and won’t give you the same pleasant flavor.
Butter. I suggest European style, as it has less water. Be sure to use unsalted, or omit the salt in the recipe. Be sure to melt it without letting it boil, as we don’t want browned butter.
Brown and granulated sugar. Brown sugar helps this stay moist while granulated helped it rise. Using both gives you the best of both worlds.
Walnuts. You can toast these if you want. You could also use a different kind of nut, but walnuts are pretty classic with banana bread.
How to make banana nut bread
1. Melt your butter. Set aside to cool while you mix everything else.
2. Sift and whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. Mash the bananas and mix with vanilla, eggs, and oil. Stream in the butter, whisking quickly.
4. Whisk in the sugars for 1 minute. This helps them dissolve somewhat before baking.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients. It’s okay for there to be some flour streaks.
6. Fold in chopped walnuts. Be sure you’ve chopped these before starting the mixture so you don’t have to stop mid-mixing.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Check early to make sure it doesn’t over bake. If it starts to darken too early, tent loosely with foil.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
How ripe should my bananas be?
I actually used bananas with no brown on them and it was fine. Bananas with too much green on them will be difficult to mash, but they will still work and will have a strong banana flavor. Brown bananas work fine, too, as long as they’re not too brow on the inside. Avoid using any parts that are so brown they’re turned to that rotted texture.
How do I know it’s baked through?
I always use a toothpick, but a small knife or kebab skewer will work, too. You want to catch the bread when it’s just barely stopped being raw, as it will cook a little more in the pan while it cools. So try to use a toothpick to check for moist crumbs but no raw batter.
Do I have to sift the flour?
Yes! Sifting is key in baking, particularly in anything cake-y. It helps it mix into the wet ingredients more easily, preventing clumps as well as circumventing the urge to over-stir and create a tough, rubbery texture.
Can I use another nut?
Absolutely! These would work with pecans or even peanuts. Just be sure to chop whatever nut you use so it’s not too large and will not cause the muffins to crumble.
Can I make this into muffins?
Yes! I shared this recipe as muffins here. You won’t bake it quite as long, and you can either use muffin liners or simply grease the muffin tins. What I like about muffins is that they retain their moisture longer. A loaf begins to dry out as soon as you cut into it, which is fine unless you won’t be eating it all within a few days. Thus, muffins are a great alternative.
My banana bread tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this banana bread. Affiliate links provided.
Whisk (or stand mixer or handheld mixer)
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY )
Try toasting your walnuts!
This is my preference, for a stronger crunch. However, I knew my daughter wouldn’t even try them with toasted walnuts, so I went the plain route. Toasting nuts not only adds a crunchier texture, it also adds that lovely roasted depth of flavor that is just so earthy and delicious.
Can I make this in a larger pan?
This also works in a 9x5 pan (or even 10” pan), but will be a little shorter. You can increase the recipe by 50% (or multiply each ingredient by 1.5) to get a full-to-the-top 9x5 loaf. That would equate to the following amounts :
2 ¼ cups (306g) all-purpose flour, spooned then leveled
2 ¼ teaspoons (9g) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (4g) salt
1 ½ tablespoons (12g) ground cinnamon
1 ½ cup (about 450g) mashed ripe bananas (3 large or 4 medium)
1 ½ tablespoons (19g) pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons (84g) avocado or vegetable oil
6 tablespoons (84g) melted butter
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
Banana Nut Bread
- prep time: 5-10 minutes
- bake time: 45-50 minutes
- total time: 1 hour
servings: 8-12
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (204g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 cup (about 300g) mashed banana (2 large or 3 medium very ripe bananas)
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56g) avocado or vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons (56g) melted butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
- 1 cup (120g) chopped walnuts (fresh or toasted)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350F/175C. Grease and flour an 8x4 loaf pan (see note above for making in a 9x5 pan). If it’s prone to sticking, you can line it with parchment as well.
- Melt the butter and set aside. Don’t let it cool enough to solidify, but do let it cool somewhat before using. This is also a great time to chop your walnuts (and toast them, if desired–at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes). Don’t wait until mixing to chop them, as the batter shouldn’t sit for that long.
- Using a large fine mesh sieve, sift then whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Mash the bananas (I used a potato masher) and measure out one cup. In a large bowl, whisk the banana together with the vanilla, eggs, and oil until well combined. Slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking quickly (this prevents scrambling the eggs).
- Add the sugar and brown sugar to the wet ingredients and whisk for about 1 minute. You can whisk it by hand or, if using a stand or hand mixer, mix on medium.
- Fold in the flour mixture gently until mostly combined, with some visibly dry flour in spots. Fold in the chopped walnuts until well-distributed. This step will cause the rest of the flour to mix in, but it should still have some lumps in it.
- Pour into your prepared pan. Top with some more chopped nuts.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes (longer if using a 9x5 pan), until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Check early so it doesn’t over bake. If it starts to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil. Let cool in pan at least 10 minutes. Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing, to prevent it drying out and turning tough.
Enjoy with your morning coffee!
Store leftovers in an airtight container.
