The BEST Banana Nut Bread

4.78 from 77 votes

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This is the Best Banana Bread recipe in town, using only 1 bowl and simple pantry ingredients. You’re only an hour away from this lightly sweet, flavorful, and moist banana nut bread! If you have spotty bananas lying around, this recipe is for you. Similar to my Classic Banana Bread and family favorite Banana Bread Muffins, only loaded with walnuts for a buttery crunch.

Banana Nut Bread

A Family Favorite Recipe

Today, I’m so happy to be sharing the Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe because, truth be told, I prefer banana bread with nuts. Some people love banana bread in its classic form, and others prefer it with added chocolate chips, but I am in the nut category (though, if I’m being honest, I’ve never met a banana bread I didn’t like).

This is a delicious, adaptable, moist banana bread recipe that is nearly fail-proof. It’s the epitome of comfort and happiness, and by the end of the week, I always seem to have spotty bananas around.

Pro Tips For Banana Nut Bread Success

There are a few tips and tricks you should know about when making banana bread. Check them out!

Use Very Ripe Bananas

The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more delicious banana flavor you will get in your bread. You can even freeze ripe bananas and then thaw them when you’re ready to bake. 

Don’t Overmix the Batter

Overmixing can cause your bread to be tough and dense. Mix the ingredients until they’re just combined.

Use Room Temperature Ingredients

Room-temperature ingredients mix together more easily, resulting in more evenly baked banana bread. When ingredients such as butter, eggs, and milk are used at room temperature, they are easier to mix and blend together, resulting in better consistency. 

Room temperature ingredients also help the bread to rise more evenly and hold its shape better. Allowing ingredients to come to room temperature before baking can make a huge difference in the outcome of the recipe.

Keep Banana Bread Super Moist

I have created this recipe using specific ingredients to keep this loaf as moist as possible. Things like mashed bananas, oil, butter, and buttermilk all add moisture to banana bread, so when it’s baked, it’s still soft and tender.

Also, watch the clock when you’re baking this so you don’t overbake it! Overbaked, dark and dry banana bread is not delicious.

Use the Right Loaf Pan

I use this lightly colored loaf pan that doesn’t darken the sides too quickly. Since loaves usually take about an hour in the oven, you want to limit how brown the sides get. 

If you’re using a non-stick, darker metal pan, you’ll end up with really crispy edges. If you like crispy edges, then all the more power to you. I personally love a soft loaf the entire way around, and I find a lighter-colored loaf pan as a way to achieve that softer texture.

If you happen to pull your loaf out of the pan and it has a few crispy edges, wrap it in plastic wrap when it’s still lukewarm (not to be confused with warm) for an hour or two. This will help soften those edges right up.

Use Fresh Walnuts

Nuts have oils in them and if they have been sitting on your pantry shelf for a little too long, those oils will go rancid. This goes for any nut, not just walnuts! If you try a walnut out of the package, you should be able to tell if it has gone rancid. (It should have a stronger, unpleasant flavor.)

Since half of this recipe is bananas and the other half is basically nuts, you want to make sure you use the tastiest and freshest ones.

Add Cinnamon or Nutmeg

Adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to your banana bread batter can give it a warm and cozy flavor.

Bake at the Right Temperature

Bake your banana bread at 320°F for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let Your Loaf Cool Completely

This is just a rule of thumb for any sort of loaf recipe. If you want clean and beautiful slices, wait until it’s cooled completely. If you don’t really care, slice away! Warm banana bread is hard to beat, even if it isn’t completely picture-perfect.

How to Make Banana Nut Bread

My wonderful recipe for banana nut bread obviously calls for walnuts (classic), but be sure to check out my adaptations below. For full recipe details and ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.

Prepare Your Pan

Preheat the oven. Spray a light-colored loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Make the Batter

In a large bowl, stir oil, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and mashed banana together until mostly smooth.

Add in dry ingredients slowly with buttermilk until a uniform batter comes together. Stir in chopped walnuts by hand. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and top with more nuts.

Banana Nut Bread

Bake Your Loaf, Cool + Slice

Bake until completely cooked through and a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool for at least 15 minutes before transferring from the hot pan to a cooling rack and slicing once fully cooled.

Love bread as much as I do? Check out these quick bread recipes: Soft Zucchini Bread Recipe (super easy!)Lemon Poppy Seed BreadPumpkin Chocolate Chip BreadEASY Homemade Bread Recipe, and Seriously *the best* Cornbread Recipe.

Banana Nut Bread

Variations to Try

If walnuts aren’t your thing, here are a few common and delicious options!

  • Purist– simply omit nuts and bake plain banana bread.
  • Change the nuts – if you don’t like or don’t have walnuts on hand, chopped pecans, almonds, or cashews are a great option to add to this excellent recipe!
  • Chocolate chips – substitute the chopped walnuts for chocolate chips. 1/2 cup in the batter and 1/4 cup sprinkled on top. Delicious!
  • Dried fruit – introduce some fruity flavor to this classic banana bread recipe by adding some dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries.

Storing Banana Bread

Store any leftover banana bread in a zip bag or airtight container to retain the moisture and softness for as long as possible: usually for 4 days when kept on the counter. After then, it’s still fine to eat, you’ll just notice it’s drying out a little.

To freeze: Allow the loaf to cool completely. Wrap the loaf in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing it in a zip bag or freezer-safe container. Banana bread will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months.

Even More Banana Bread Recipes to Try!

The printable recipe card is below. Save/Print/Pin/bookmark this glorious Banana Bread! Well worth it to have this recipe in your arsenal. It’s worth every calorie for sure 🙂

Have a great day, friends!

Banana Nut Bread
PrintPrint Pin ItPin It
4.78 from 77 votes

The Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe

This easy banana nut bread with just the right amount of very ripe bananas comes out moist, sweet, and flavorful every time! If you have spotty bananas lying around, this great recipe is for you.
servings 12 slices
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a light-colored loaf pan (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4” high) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix oil, butter, and granulated sugar until well combined. Stir in other wet ingredients – eggs, pure vanilla extract, and mashed banana until smooth.
  • Gently stir in dry ingredients and buttermilk until a uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present. Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. Pour into a prepared pan and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped nuts.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the lower half of the oven or until completely baked. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 99mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana nut bread, banana nut bread recipe, best banana nut bread recipe

 

4.78 from 77 votes (9 ratings without comment)

Share a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




118 Responses
  1. Jocelyn

    5 stars
    I made this delicious recipe and it was so good, was my first time making this type of banana bread and turn out amazing. Thank you for this recipe.

    1. ALICE

      5 stars
      I have made this bread loaf 5 times now! All I can say is it’s SUPERB, A CUT ABOVE THE REST, DELICIOUS, MOIST, SUCCULENT!!!!!!!!
      THANKS THANKS THANKS!!!!!

  2. Brittney N.

    5 stars
    Thank you for such an easy to follow recipe. My first time making it and the banana bread loaf came out tasting so yummy. The bottom was a little denser than the rest of the loaf (my oven is acting up)….it was still so good. Not overly sweet. Never buying banana bread again now that I know I can make it. Now less intimidated with baking.

  3. Brenda

    5 stars
    Lauren,thank you for this excellent recipe.
    I’ve made it several times and love it more each time.
    Of course modifications are fun and because of your sage advice it just keeps getting better.

    Note, I’m creating a ” From Grammy’s Kitchen” cookbook for my grandson, this will definitely be in there twice!

  4. Amanda A.

    5 stars
    This recipe is phenomenal – way to go Lauren! I’m vegan, so I veganized it by using the almond milk + apple cider vinegar (I saw you responded to someone else suggesting they sub almond milk), two Ener-G egg substitutes, and vegan butter. SO GOOD.

  5. Rae

    5 stars
    Self -isolation and working from home has given me time to go back to baking from scratch. This is wonderful recipe, especially if you have kids at home because they can help out with measurements and mashing up bananas.
    I also had it toasted, and it was delicious

  6. NL

    5 stars
    Omg!!! Soooo good and moist. I’ve been looking to make banana bread with the left over bananas my 1 year old either half or barely eats. I normally Refrigerate them until I’m ready to mash them up and put them in her pancakes. However, I decided to make banana bread instead (don’t worry people, I cut the end off the ones she bit off of and the peels were still on them)I love banana bread but can’t stand for it to be dry. Your recipe was the only one with a moist looking thumbnail so I decided to try it. So glad I did! I added 3-4 bananas instead of 2 and they were really ripe, well at least 2 were really mushy. I also used light olive oil instead of canola. I used a square glass baking dish and cooked for 50 mins. Magnificent! Thanks again!

  7. Katie

    5 stars
    Hands down, both thumbs up!
    This is the best banana bread ever. Super moist and tastes so nice with hot tea. My entire family loved it. Glad i doubled the recipe and made two loafs. Will make this again in a few days. I will keep this recipe in my favorites cookbook. Thank you for the amazing banana bread.

    I substituted the following:

    -Coconut Oil instead of canola oil
    -Honey instead of sugar
    -Almond milk instead of buttermilk

  8. Caitlin

    5 stars
    I made this in a 8 by 8 glass cake pan and used yogurt instead of buttermilk and it turned out 20x better than I expected and I have gotten so many compliments on the bread. I also used pecans instead. Thank you for this wonder recipe, i will surely use it again in the future!

  9. Vicky

    5 stars
    This is definately the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten. Actually, I made it and gave it to my mom and my fiance and they both said, “This is the best banana bread I’ve ever had.” My fiance asked me to make it again tonight after saying, “I don’t even like banana bread, but this banana bread has changed my mind.”

  10. robbinsnest

    5 stars
    Wow! This truly is the best banana nut bread recipe I have tried. It’s flavorful, moist, and oh so delicious. Thank you so much! I will certainly try more of your recipes.

  11. Nancy Keel

    5 stars
    Hello,

    I just made this recipe and I added not only walnuts but cranberries and raisins. I love chewy muffins and bread and do my family. I just put it in the over and I think I will take a photo and upload it to Pinterest.com. Thanks for the recipe, dear.

    1. Lauren

      I would actually just make these banana muffins and add walnuts: https://laurenslatest.com/banana-bread-muffins/ . Both recipes are pretty similar; but all the directions for muffins can be found on this blog post.

  12. Wanh

    5 stars
    The best banana bread recipe! Super moist! Since I didn’t have a few things on hand I pretty much used what I had and it came out perfect! I didn’t have buttermilk so I used sour cream with milk. Vegetable oil instead of canola oil. 1 cup of flour and 1/2 pancake mix (Kruzster Brand) . Give it a try you will not be disappointed! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

  13. Mark

    5 stars
    great recipe and easy to make everyone loves it, in fact making 2 more today. one question though, has anyone used eggnog in the recipe?

  14. Jess

    5 stars
    Excellent! Made this banana bread today and added Raw sugar to the top! Had a nice crisp top! This will be my go to recipe, for sure…..thanks!

  15. Nikole Moore

    5 stars
    This is my first time making banana bread on my own. I followed your recipe but instead i mixed the dry and wet ingredients seperate then at the end i mixed them all together, when smooth i added the bananna. Came out deliscious. I doubbled my recipe tho cause i wasnt shure how many loafs i was going to get out of it.

  16. Deborah Garcia

    Can I substitute coconut oil for canola oil? I bought the coconut oil yesterday when I stocking up on baking supplies for the holidays but since I’ve never used it before I have no idea what to do with it.

  17. Alex

    5 stars
    I’m an avid baker, but have never made banana bread before. I decided on this one as it only called for 2 older bananas, while most recipes I found called for 3. I was slightly worried it wouldn’t have a strong enough banana flavor, but it turned out so delicious! Super easy to make too. I substituted slightly less than 1/2 tsp cream of tartar mixed into 1/4 milk for the buttermilk. Definitely going to save this one!

  18. Darwat

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! Just made this recipe with a few alterations. It is amazing.
    I decreased sugar to 1/2 cup and added 1 tsp of cinnamon. I also sifted flour before measuring.
    This loaf came out so moist and light and is plenty sweet with half the sugar..
    We couldn’t wait for it too cool. Am enjoying it hot with a cup of coffee.

  19. Larry Schmid

    5 stars
    Thanks Lauren. This is by far the best Banana Nut Bread on the Planet. This is my first time on your website when I googled for the best banana nut bread recipe. Very impressed!! Always looking for new recipes to try and I sense I’ll be coming back to your website again and again. Thanks again!!

  20. Lauren N Hicks

    5 stars
    Okay so it turned out pretty yummy. Try it with powdered sugar on top. Gives it extra little sweetness. Thanks Lauren. Out of all the recipes I had to choose from i chose yours. We have the same name. So I figured you can’t go wrong. LOL.

  21. Lauren Hicks

    4 stars
    It’s in the oven right now. The temp is 325 but it’s baking way to slow. Not sure if it’s because it’s a smaller gas oven. But, hoping it will have good results. I tasted the batter, which seems to taste as if I put too much flour. I did put right amount of flour however. So we’ll see. Hoping for good outcome anyways. Thanks. It was fun to to make it. First time.

  22. Cyndi Hernandez

    5 stars
    I’ve made this twice in the past two weeks and it was even better the second time! Thanks so much for this recipe – I now finally have a way to use those very ripe bananas.

  23. Kelli Cook

    I have this in the oven right now! I cannot wait for my family to try it. I doubled the recipe. So I made a pan of muffins, too

    1. Marykay Petez

      5 stars
      I too have this in the oven. I have six moffens, and two loaves of bread. I can’t wait to try out tomorrow. I went looking for the recipe because I couldn’t find my own that were my mother’s and really delicious! I can’t wait for morning and for my daughter to take it and eat it with her morning coffee.

  24. Dave

    Here’s a pro tip for you. Any serious baker weighs out his flour. Using volumetric measurements for flour, nuts, brown sugar, dried fruit etc. is far too imprecise. Ask ten people to measure out a cup of flour and you will get ten different quantities ranging from 130 g. to 200 g. Obviously, the success of the recipe depends to a large degree on the ratio of dry ingredients to wet. I could make your recipe and have a successful result, or not, but it would be pure luck.

    1. Danna

      Dave, I can appreciate your rationale but really? I think you’re just trying to make yourself sound way more fancy pants than you really are. Just sayin.

      1. Kathy

        I don”t think weighing flour especially is fanci-pants AT ALL. It’s smart.
        Flour settles an incredible amount upon sitting and different batches of flour can have different densities depending on growing conditions.
        I think a lot of negative comments about recipes can probably be attributed to inaccurate measuring of flour.
        I’m always pleased when I find a recipe using weights rather than volume.

    2. Nick Offenbacher

      Wow! Only a true sociopath can use a Banana Bread recipe as a means to let everyone know how superior they are. Everyone, Dave has a “Pro Tip” that he has so graciously shared with everyone. In case you thought about making the banana bread, STOP right there and listen to D-Bag Dave’! Thanks again Dave!!

      1. Peggy Ryan

        5 stars
        I have made this recipe a dozen times in the past few months. It is the most moist and tasty banana nut bread EVER, and has never failed, even when I substituted stevia and almond milk with a splash of vinegar for the buttermilk! Thank you for my new GO TO recipe!!

  25. Ultimate Banana Pudding Recipe | Lauren's Latest

    […] Check out these recipes that are simply B-A-N-A-N-A-S:Banana Cream Pie with Toasted Coconut, Banana Nut Bread Recipe, and Ultimate Banana Cake […]

  26. Cynthia M Redmond

    5 stars
    I’m making this tonight. I have all the ingredients, which thrills me no end. I believe it will be a keeper for me. I’m going to toast it for my breakfast, if I can wait that long!!

  27. annie picco

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing such great recipes, I want to try the carrot cake and the banana bread, my husband favorites.
    Annie Picco

    1. Robert

      2 stars
      Great recipe but baking soda needs to be added …I tried recipe with just using baking powder and it came out gummy ……but overall it was good bread!

        1. cyndy

          do you use baking powder and baking soda if so how much of each banana nut bread calls for 1tsp baking powder thank you cyndy

      1. Sara Gibbs

        I agree with the no baking soda question since buttermilk is in the recipe. I will add about 1/2 teaspoon and see what happens once I try it.

  28. Alicia

    5 stars
    this bread is the bomb-diggity! so, so good. It is dense and full of banana flavor. I am always looking for a good banana recipe and I think I found my favorite.. So glad I tried it!

  29. Candi

    Question for you. If you don’t have an answer it is okay. Worth a try. So, could we substitute avocado oil for canola oil. Use G/F flour that is equal to all purpose flour, and can not think of what to substitute for buttermilk. Allergic to soy and dairy products. We use coconut milk currently for drinking. I could buy the canned coconut, but would that be too thick? Just thought another opinion would help before I waste my ingredients to make this for my bestie ♡ Thanks in advance.

      1. CLEMIE JACKSON

        This BANNA NUT BREAD
        IS THE VERY BEST I HAVE EVER MADE!
        I WII MAKE IT MY OWN!!
        I HAVE BEEN BAKEING FOR OVER 50 YR

        AND TRUELY THE BEST , AND EASYEST
        I WISH I FOUND THIS RESAPIE BEFOR CHRISTMAS THERE IS EASTER.THANK YOU.!!!!

    1. Mattie

      5 stars
      Thank you!! For this recipe I have made Banana Nut bread before in the past and it was always extremely dry. This recipe is everything I followed it to the tee and my banana bread is amazing nice and moist so much so I made it last night and my husband has already eaten half the loaf and I just made another one. This will definitely be my go to recipe. Thank you again.

    2. Monica Horton

      I actually recommend finding something like a plain unsweetened coconut yogurt or a very fat rich canned coconut cream and add apple cider vinegar (DON’T use the low-fat varieties). Buttermilk is an acidifier and moisturizer. It’s fat heavy and you need to give it that hydration. You also need to find something to give that boost of acidity. I recommend that whatever dairy substitute you use, it has to be the same fat content and consistency. Use coconut cream mixed with apple cider vinegar instead. What i also reccomend is to first make the standard recipe without substitutionsr so you can get a feel for how the batter should feel when you add certain ingredients. If you can’t eat it, Give it away to someone who can. Everyone likes banana nut bread. When you go to make the substitutions, the batter should feel similar to the non substituted variety, if it’s thin, add a little Xanthan Gum, if it’s thin, add milk. This is a general rule for all gluten free / vegan baking. It’s not easy to get used to but it can be done.

“logos”