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Bourbon Banana Walnut Bread

Bourbon banana walnut bread with a rich amber crumb—whiskey-like warmth comes from bourbon folded into mashed bananas. This loaf bakes up deeply golden with toasted walnuts for a hearty, tender slice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana loaf base
  • 3 ripe bananas Mashed until smooth.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar Pack for best caramel notes.
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp bourbon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Walnuts
  • 1 cup walnuts Toasted and roughly chopped.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, so the batter can go in right after mixing.
  2. Toast the walnuts on a sheet pan until fragrant, about 8–10 minutes, then roughly chop them while the oven heats.
Mix the batter
  1. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, bourbon, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until smooth.
  2. Fold in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until just combined, with no visible dry streaks.
  3. Fold in the toasted walnuts, then pour the batter into the greased pan.
  4. Scatter a few extra walnut pieces on top so you get toasted pops throughout the loaf.
Bake and rest
  1. Bake at 350°F for 60–70 minutes until deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  2. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out, so the bourbon flavor deepens as the bread rests.

Notes

For the best texture, use very ripe bananas (freckled and soft) and mix the batter only until the flour disappears to avoid a tough crumb. Store the loaf covered in the fridge up to 4 days. Freeze sliced portions up to 2 months. For a non-alcohol option, replace the bourbon with an equal amount of apple juice plus 1/2 tsp vanilla for a similar warm sweetness.