Banana Nut Bread

Sweet banana flavor, crunchy walnuts for texture, and a few other staple ingredients combine to make this incredibly moist banana nut bread! Just wait until the aroma fills the room as it bakes in the oven.

Why this recipe works

The perfect banana bread should be moist and tender with a soft crumb. With a few quick tips, ripe bananas, and some chopped walnuts for nutty flavor and crunchy texture, you’ll have an irresistible loaf of banana nut bread at your fingertips! It may be hard to have just one slice.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BANANAS – Your bananas can be black, brown, or yellow with brown spots – so long as the banana is nice and ripe your bread will come out tasty. When the banana peel has developed freckles, they are ready for making banana bread. The riper the banana, the stronger the banana flavor in your finished bread. Dark/black bananas are perfectly okay to use.

BATTER – The most important tip when it comes to making moist banana nut bread is to accurately measure your flour. Too much flour will result in dry, crumbly, and stiff bread – the exact opposite of what you want your banana bread to be! Do not scoop your flour straight from the bag. Instead, mix the flour in the bag with a spoon to aerate it (so you’re not scooping packed in flour), then use the spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup. Level it off with the flat end of a butter knife but do NOT pack the flour into the cup or tap it on the counter. Lastly, use room temperature eggs. If you are using cold ingredients in your batter, it can cause it to stiffen up. The batter is already heavy, you don’t want to make it even more so.

NUTS – We used 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts. You can leave out the walnuts if desired, or substitute them with another nut.

How to Make Banana Nut Bread

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line an 8×4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Place 4 ripe bananas into the bowl of an electric mixer and mash well with the paddle attachment.
4. Add vegetable oil, sugars, egg, and vanilla to the mixer bowl, and mix on the lowest setting for about 2 minutes.
5. Add in the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined.
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold the chopped walnuts into the batter.
7. Pour into your prepared 8×4 loaf pan. If garnishing with a banana, carefully slice it in half and place it on top.
8. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the highest point in the center, but with some moist bits.
9. Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for about 30 minutes before removing.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Yes, you can use a 9.5×5 loaf pan in place of an 8×4 inch pan – the only difference is that it will be longer and won’t be as tall. It will taste delicious either way! If you swap your pan size, be sure you keep an eye on the bread in the oven. Use the toothpick method to check for doneness.

To freeze, wrap the fully cooled banana bread in plastic wrap, place it in a large ziptop bag, press it down to remove air, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual slices by wrapping each slice in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and placing it in a sealed ziptop bag. Thaw uncovered at room temperature for about an hour to an hour and a half and enjoy!

Wrap the (fully cooled) loaf in plastic wrap followed by a large ziptop bag (remove as much air as possible) and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store the bread in an air-tight container.

If your banana bread is overly dense or even gummy in texture, you likely overmixed the batter. Be sure you mix the ingredients on the lowest setting. When you add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, only mix to combine – there is no need to mix extra thoroughly when it comes to banana bread.

Serving Suggestions

I love a nice thick slice of banana nut bread with my morning coffee, but the nice part about banana bread is that it can be enjoyed as either breakfast, dessert, or a snack. Some people like to warm their banana bread and slather it with a pat of butter, others enjoy it as is.

More Banana Recipes

• Banana Fritters
• Banana Cookies
• Easy Banana Cake
• Banana Cream Pie
• Banana Pudding Poke Cake
• Homemade Banana Pudding
• Banana Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

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