An easy and moist Banana Bread Recipe that is loaded with bananas, tangy-sweet raisins, and toasted walnuts. This is one of our favorite overripe banana recipes with hundreds of 5-star reviews.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Banana Nut Bread Recipe:
This is my husband’s recipe which he has perfected over the years and he is known for his Banana Bread. He makes it frequently and it always disappears fast! It is simple to make and our favorite way to use up overripe bananas so they never go to waste. It’s super moist and makes a great breakfast on-the-go. We even created Banana Muffins from this recipe.
This loaf stays moist for days and also makes for a thoughtful and delicious gift idea for the holidays (I’ll take banana bread over fruit cake any day).
Banana Bread Video Tutorial:
Watch Natasha make this moist banana bread. You will be surprised at how easy it is. We will never stop loving this recipe. Now go forth and bake!
Ingredients for Banana Bread:
This is everything you need to make the best banana bread: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, softened butter, eggs and of course very ripe bananas. Adding walnuts and raisins is optional but adds great taste and texture, turning it into a banana nut bread.
Can I Omit Walnuts and Raisins?
YES! The recipe will still work if raisins and walnuts are omitted. We make it nut-free all the time due to a walnut allergy in the family. You will still have the softest, super moist and scrumptious loaf. You can also replace them with some chocolate to make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
How to Ripen Bananas:
- Quick Oven Method: If your bananas are a little green and you want them to ripen quicker, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 250˚F for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the initial ripeness of the bananas.
- 24 Hour Counter Method: If you are willing to wait 1 day, you can place the bunch of bananas (without separating them) in a paper bag, cover and leave at room temperature. Bananas emit ethylene which causes ripening. Adding an apple to the bag will speed up the process.
Can I Freeze Overripe Bananas?
If you have overripe bananas and aren’t ready to bake with them, DO NOT throw them away!
How to Freeze Bananas: place them un-peeled in a freezer-safe bag, remove any excess air and freeze up to 3 months. You can use thawed bananas for banana bread. You can also freeze them peeled and cut into pieces for easier use in smoothies. P.S. You can also freeze a whole banana bread with the same method!
How to Make Banana Bread:
This is the easiest banana bread recipe. We mix it in a stand mixer because it’s easy, but you can use an electric hand mixer and can even make it work with a hand whisk. There is no fancy equipment required. Watch the video tutorial below and you will be a pro in no time!
- In the mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
- Mix in mashed bananas and eggs.
- Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking soda and add to batter.
- Stir in vanilla, walnuts, and raisins, transfer to prepared loaf pan and bake.
Substitutions for a Healthy Banana Bread:
- My sister Anna made this into a honey banana bread; replacing sugar with honey.
- Use organic whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- Replace 1 Tbsp of flour with 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed.
- Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup when using very ripe bananas; they add plenty of sweetness
Love Sweet Breads? Try these Popular Bread Recipes:
We love sweetbreads because they are easy to make and are such a treat, especially when you top them with Honey Butter! Don’t miss these reader favorites:
- Apple Bread – a pull-apart moist apple bread
- Pumpkin Bread – so easy and we love it year-round
- Banana Chocolate Chip Bread always disappears fast
- Persimmon Bread – great way to use ripe persimmon
Moist Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas, (medium/large)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp) at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bread loaf pan (9.25 long x 5.25 wide x 2.75 deep). Lightly roast walnuts on a skillet, continuously stirring so they won’t burn. Coarsely chop and cool to room temperature.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together 8 Tbsp softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar (or honey if using honey).
- Mash bananas with a fork until the consistency of chunky applesauce and add them to the batter along with 2 eggs, mixing until blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together: 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of salt then add to batter.
- Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and mix in chopped walnuts and raisins. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350˚F for 55-60 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let banana bread rest for 10 min before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This banana bread recipe was first published in 2009; one of the very first recipes on our blog! It has been a reader and family favorite ever since.
Thank you so much for the banana bread and muffin. They are my keepsake. I enjoy all the that I made from ypu..
I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love this recipe it is delicious! I am a chef and we need to use up lots of overripe bananas so I make a huge batch with 30 or so bananas. I add chocolate chips and sunflower seeds and everyone loves them. This is my favorite recipe I have found for banana bread. Thank you!
This is my go to banana bread recipe! Super easy and versatile. I use 3 overripe bananas, not frozen. Butter and eggs at room temperature. I made it today with fresh cinnamon and nutmeg whisked in and substituted fresh cranberries over the raisins. Delicious!
What changes should I make for high altitude?
Hi Marlene! I have not tested making this in high altitute but this blog post on High Altitute Baking can be useful for you.
Look I made an account just to say, This is amazing. I love this recipe. I was looking for a recipe that didn’t use brown sugar because I am out and needed to have this maybe for work tomorrow.
It is 100% amazing. It is so soft and moist. The only thing I didn’t add was nuts because I didn’t have any and I personally like Banana bread with out nuts. It still came out amazing. It is like heaven in my mouth. Thank you so much for sharing this!
I love the availability to click on print then change the proportions. Looking at the butter I believe the measurement is not right for 1 cup of butter. Looked it up. carol
Hi Carol! Any notes next to the amount or in brackets (such as 8tbsp) won’t translate, unfortunately. It’s not a feature available right now. I hope that helps clarify any confusion and hopefully we can update all of our recipe cards to avoid this problem.
Amazing recipe Natasha. So good and taste from your kitchen to mine
The smell is to throw your face in the pan when its colder and eat it all at once
Added some cinnamon, my kids loved it and finished it in one sitting!
Natasha what if the only loaf pans I have are 8-1/4 by 4-1/2? I’m sorry that’s all I got. Could I make them into muffins? Thanks
Hi Julie! Yes, you can use my banana muffin recipe here.
It looks delicious, my question is can I use cake flour for this recipe?
Hi Patricia! I have not tested it myself but I would not make this substitution. It’s not equally exchanged in recipes and can affect the end result. It should only be used when a recipe calls for cake flour.
Hi Patricia,
I have not baked this bread by subbing in cake flour for all purpose flour and Natasha is correct in stating that they are not equally exchanged in recipes. That being said, the only difference between the two is that cake flour is sifted more times to yield a flour with a finer, lighter texture which measure for measure will weigh a tiny bit less than all purpose. All you do to substitute cake flour for all purpose flour is to add an extra 2 tablespoons of cake flour for every 1 cup of all purpose flour called for in the recipe. It is quite easy to do. The crumb of the baked banana bread may be a bit more fine but the recipe will still yield a delicious result. The substitution can be found on the side panel of a box of Swancs Down Cake Flour. I’ve used the brand for many years and made the substitution without issue. If you use White Lily all purpose or self rising flours, they too should be used in the same way as if you are using cake flour as they are also sifted more than other brands of flour. I highly recommend the brand; yields the lightest biscuits and most tender flakey pie crust short of using a specialty pastry flour.
This recipe is perfect! First time to bake banana bread and I followed this accurately, and the result is a deliciously moist banana bread. I added chocolate shreddings on top and it’s perfect! Since then, I’ve been checking all of your recipes. Thank you for sharing!!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Jean!
Made this last night! Subbed with GF Flour, used brown sugar, and baked in a cast iron skillet. I also added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice. The bread came out smelling amazing and tasted delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Catherine! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I used what I had on hand…used mini chocolate bits and pecans instead of raisins and walnuts.
It was so very good, easy to make, and most as the title indicated.
We had left over bananas from glamping…..a load is in the freezer for next week’s outing…. you must make this.
Easy to follow instructions. The recipe turned out into a tasty banana bread the family enjoyed. Thanks
Can salted butter be used in place of unsalted butter????
Yes, just omit the salt from the ingredients list.
I am dairy free, can I use vegetable oil instead of butter?
Hi Leandra, while I haven’t tried that substitute, here’s what one of my readers mentioned about a dairy free option: ” I’m dairy free so I subbed coconut oil for the butter and it came out delicious! Only baked for 45 mins as well.” I hope that helps.
I use Viola butter now in everything I bake. Plant based. Also use their cheese.
I made this recipe over 10 times and it’s always fantastic. Absolutely recommend to anybody who wants to try the best banana bread ever. Today I’m making 2 one with Walnut topping and the other with Craisins just adventurous today. Can’t wait to try it out!
This has become a popular recipe in our family since I baked it the first time 2 months ago. I used Whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular flour and used dark chocolate chips instead of raisins . Came out really delicious!
I have nostalgia for my mom’s banana bread, but I have made this recipe about 5 times and it always comes out perfectly. And secretly this is better than my mom makes. I took her some and she didn’t say it, but I could tell she agreed with me! I have made with or without raisins and both are great. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Can you help me with measurements for a 1 lb and a 2 lb please?
Hi Shyshy, I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!