Here’s our favorite Banana Nut Bread recipe! This bread is moist and tender, packed with bananas, and sweetened with brown sugar. Add your favorite nuts (read below for ours) and don’t skip the decadent topping that makes this recipe the best!
Have you tried our 5-star rated Banana Nut Muffins and Easy Banana Bread? This recipe uses both of those recipes as inspiration for the best ever Banana Nut Bread! This recipe only requires about 20 minutes of hands on time; no mixer needed.
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Ingredients needed
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar (it should be fresh, moist, and soft)
- Eggs
- Mashed overripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas)
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Nuts (more on this below)
Recipe overview
This recipe comes together with a couple bowls, a whisk and spatula. Here’s how to make it:
- Combine melted butter and brown sugar. Tip: whisk until fully combined (at least 1 full minute).
- Add eggs, vanilla, and mashed banana.
- Stir in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt).
- Stir in chopped nuts.
- Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Top with brown sugar and nuts.
- Bake!
What makes this recipe the best
- Bananas – This banana bread is loaded with bananas – two whole cups! I use 3-4 overripe bananas to make this bread sweet, moist, and undeniably banana-flavored.
- Brown sugar – The only sugar used in these muffins is brown sugar. It is in the batter and it gets sprinkled on top before baking. The brown sugar gives the bread a deeper flavor and almost caramel-like sweetness. Plus, brown sugar and bananas are a fantastic flavor combo.
- Nutty brown sugar topping – The top of each muffin is adorned with a sprinkling of brown sugar and chopped nuts. This adds a nutty sweet and crunchy layer right on top of the loaf.
Recipe tips
The more ripe your bananas are, the sweeter they’ll be. Make sure your bananas are speckled with brown spots, as this ensures they will mash easily and lend lots of natural sweetness and banana flavor the muffins.
Your brown sugar should be moist and soft. Since this is a key ingredient (used in both the topping and the batter), make sure it is fresh.
Loosely tent the loaf with foil during the last half of bake time to keep it from getting too dark.
Be careful not to overbake. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no raw batter).
What type of nuts to use
Use your favorite unsalted nuts for this recipe. Walnuts are a classic for banana bread. Our favorite is a combination of chopped walnuts and chopped macadamia nuts. Pecans and hazelnuts would also be delicious.
Serving and storage
Serving: Serve slices of bread warm, toasted, or at room temperature. Top with salted butter, honey butter or maple butter.
Storage: Store at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months (double wrapped). Note: The topping will soften over time.
More banana recipes
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Recipe
Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed, make sure it is fresh and soft
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups mashed very ripe bananas, about 3-4 bananas
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup finely chopped unsalted nuts, see note
Topping:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted nuts
- pinch of salt, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven.
- In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and ⅔ cup brown sugar until well combined, about 1 full minute. Add eggs, mashed banana and vanilla, whisking until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, using a rubber spatula, lightly stir the batter until just a few streaks of flour remain. Add nuts and stir until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and add the batter to the pan. Smooth into an even layer. Combine all topping ingredients then sprinkle over the top of the loaf. Bake for 45-55 minutes. About halfway through bake time you can loosely tent the loaf with foil to keep the top from getting too dark. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are ok, just no raw batter). Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Nellie Tracy
One of the best banana bread recipes I’ve tried! Delicious!
Allison
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by.