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Banana Nut Bread

Banana nut bread with a deeply golden crust and an incredibly moist, dense crumb, made by folding mashed bananas into a butter-sugar-egg base and baking until a center toothpick tests clean. Chunky chopped walnuts are mixed into the batter and pressed along the top so every slice shows visible nut pieces.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana nut bread loaf
  • 3 bananas Use ripe bananas with heavy freckling; mash until smooth or mostly smooth.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted and slightly cooled so it blends without cooking the eggs.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Granulated sugar gives a caramelized top crust.
  • 2 eggs Large eggs, room temperature for better mixing.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract Adds warmth to the banana flavor.
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour Spoon and level for consistent loaf structure.
  • 1 tsp baking soda Helps the loaf rise and stay tender.
  • 0.5 tsp salt Balances sweetness and boosts flavor.
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon Optional-warm spice for classic old-fashioned banana bread flavor.
  • 1 cup walnuts Roughly chopped, divided: most into the batter, remainder scattered on top.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep the pan and oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Set the loaf pan on a sheet pan so it bakes evenly and catches any overflow.
Mix the batter
  1. Whisk the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until well combined.
  2. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined.
  3. Fold in 3/4 cup of the walnuts, leaving streaks of batter so you don’t overmix.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining walnuts across the top.
  2. Bake for 60–70 minutes until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Notes

Pro tip: use very ripe bananas and mix just until flour disappears for a moist, tender crumb—overmixing can make the loaf dense. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; wrap and freeze up to 3 months. This loaf freezes well because it keeps its moisture; for a lower-sugar option, use half sugar and replace the rest with an equal amount of a granulated sugar substitute that bakes like sugar.