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Banana Nut Bread

Banana nut bread with a golden, deeply caramelized crust and incredibly moist, dense crumb. Mash-and-stir batter is baked until a center toothpick comes out clean, with chunky walnuts pressed throughout.
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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: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana nut bread loaf
  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until mostly smooth with a few small lumps for texture.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melt and cool slightly before mixing.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Use granulated sugar for the classic crust.
  • 2 large eggs Use room-temperature eggs if possible for smoother batter.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup walnuts Roughly chopped and divided, with some reserved for the top.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Set up your walnuts by roughly chopping them, then divide them so some go into the batter and the rest go on top.
Mix the batter
  1. Mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth, then keep them ready for mixing.
  2. Whisk the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until well combined.
  3. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined.
  4. Fold in 3/4 cup of the walnuts, distributing them through the batter without overmixing.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan, then scatter the remaining walnuts across the top and press them lightly so they stay put.
  2. Bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool the banana nut bread in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.

Notes

For the most moist crumb, mix just until the dry ingredients disappear and bake until the center tests clean—overbaking can dry out the loaf. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. To make it dairy-free, substitute melted coconut oil (measured cup-for-cup) for the butter.