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.
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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.
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😎
DO NOT MAKE THIS!!! Because everyone will want you to make it again and again and it will become a tedious chore! (I loved it!)
Thank you for sharing a very delicious 😋 recipe caused I loved banana bread.
Hello , can I use banana extract instead of vanilla extract in this recipe?
Hi Erica! Sure, but we really enjoy the natural flavor of banana and the vanilla just helps bring it up a notch.
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Super moist, and a crowd pleaser. Substituted raisins for chocolate chips, will be my go to recipe for banana bread
That’s wonderful to hear, Allie!
I made it following the recipe. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Ash! Thanks for trying my recipe. I hope you loved it!
I used craisins, didn’t have any raisins… think it will be good?
Yes, it works with other dried fruits too!
Could I sub one frozen banana for one fresh?
Hi Pat! Yes, you can use frozen bananas too. Just thaw them.
turned out very delicious and moist. I also added 1/2 Tsp cinnamon, 1/4 Tsp nutmeg and 1/4 Tsp all spice. Banana and cinnamon goes well together. thanks a lot . I am heading to make the ginger man cookie batch !
That sounds great! Thank you for the feedback. I hope you love the cookies too!
This is the only recipe I usecand my friends love it. Thank you Merry Christmas
That’s wonderful, Renee! So glad you love this recipe.
I simply love all your recipes, thank you for sharing. My life is a little easier with feeding the family because I follow your instructions and I get many compliments.
I made this without the nuts or raisins. Delicious and so easy.
Can I use candied walnuts? And can I substitute brown sugar for the white sugar?
Hi Teresa, I think you could use candied walnuts but you will end up with a sweeter banana bread. I have had some people report good results using brown sugar instead of white sugar or using half brown sugar and half granulated sugar.
I omitted the raisins and added coconut and blended pecans with my walnuts and it was exquisite !!!
Best Banana bread recipe, hands-down!
If I am making banana bread, it’s going to be this recipe
So glad you love this recipe!
We haven’t tried yet. But do you have to put in the raisins and nuts? I like neither of them
We love our banana bread with raisins and nuts but you can omit them too!
I like to use chocolate chips for a contrast in texture and flavor instead of nuts! Give it a try 🙂
How long is the baking time if using mini loaf pans and would the temperature remain the same?
Hi Shawnie! I haven’t tested it myself but here is what one of my viewers said, “I made this bread today, and it turned out great. Very delicious! I had good luck making 3 mini loaves instead of the single large loaf. (Same recipe, same oven temp, just bake approximately 30 minutes).”
I hope that helps.
That helps a lot. Thank you so much.
Happy Holidays from Hawaii. 🌺
Would replacing raisins with chopped dates in your moist banana bread recipe be a good choice. I have a lot of dried dates left over. Thanks
Hi Rose-Anna, That should work! One of our readers shared this “I doubled the recipe. Used less sugar and added some light brown sugar. I had leftover dates from my Italian fig cookies, so I chopped them and threw in as well as raisins and craisins and the toasted walnuts. I made two loaf pans and half dozen muffins. So good! The only recipe I will use for banana bread!” I hope that helps.
The Banana Bread recipe is really good… I have added 1 cup raisons by mistake, 1/2 cup of sultanas, 1 cup of walnuts, 1/2 cup of almonds… 1/2 cup of sugar and it still is great. I just what a simpler way to make 3 , 4 at a time. End up with bowls all over the place as we have a very small counter space. Any ideas? Thanks, Merry Christmas and all the best in the new year.
Dear Natasha,
Hopefully you get this as I use Google.
I wanted to say thank you for the many wonderful recipes you have put on line for everyone.
We have tried several and have not ever disappointed!!
We tried the banana bread yesterday,unfortunately there’s no picture as we ate it all