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Ina Garten-Style Banana Bread with Walnuts and Sour Cream

Ina Garten banana bread with sour cream produces a tender, bakery-quality crumb and a perfectly caramelized golden crust. Whole walnut halves pressed on top make it look like a classic banana loaf from a bakery.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bananas
  • 3 ripe bananas Mashed.
Butter and sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter Room temperature.
  • 0.75 cup sugar
Eggs and flavorings
  • 2 large eggs Room temperature.
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
Walnuts
  • 0.5 cup walnuts Toasted and roughly chopped, plus whole halves for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, then dust with flour so the loaf releases cleanly.
Mix the batter
  1. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes, until the mixture looks paler and aerated.
  2. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each until fully incorporated, then keep the batter smooth.
  3. Mix in vanilla and sour cream until combined, and look for a thick, creamy batter texture.
  4. Stir in mashed bananas until combined, scraping the bowl so there are no dry banana pockets.
Combine and season
  1. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt until just combined, stopping as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
  2. Fold in the chopped walnuts so they are evenly distributed through the batter.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, keeping the top level for even baking.
  2. Press whole walnut halves down the center of the loaf, creating a decorative stripe on top.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 65–70 minutes until deep golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  4. Cool for 15 minutes before turning out so the crust sets and the loaf slices neatly.

Notes

For best flavor and moisture, use very ripe bananas (yellow with brown spots). Store tightly wrapped in the fridge up to 4 days; warm slices in a toaster oven for a fresh-baked feel. Freezing is yes—wrap the cooled loaf or individual slices and freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for more fiber while keeping the loaf tender.