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Brown Sugar Banana Nut Bread

Brown sugar banana nut bread with a deep amber, extra-moist crumb and a caramel undertone from packed brown sugar. Loaded with walnuts throughout, it bakes into a golden-brown crust with clean, toothpick-ready doneness.
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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: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Wet ingredients
  • 3 bananas Ripe bananas, mashed.
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted.
  • 1 cup brown sugar Packed.
  • 2 eggs Large.
  • 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
Nuts
  • 1 cup walnuts Roughly chopped.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until smooth.
  3. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until the mixture looks evenly blended.
  4. Stir in the mashed bananas until fully incorporated and no dry banana streaks remain.
  5. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until just combined, with a few small flour pockets still acceptable.
  6. Fold in the walnuts so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  7. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and tap once to settle the surface.
  8. Bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F until a deep golden brown crust forms and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, so the loaf firms up and the caramel-colored crumb sets.
  10. Turn out and slice once the loaf releases easily from the pan.

Notes

Pro tip: mash bananas until smooth for a consistent extra-moist texture, and avoid overmixing after the flour goes in. Store wrapped at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months (slice first for easier thawing). For a lighter option, use 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt in the wet mix to reduce total fat while keeping tenderness.