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.
Natasha
Is it possible for you to give the mashed bananas in weight (a measurement)? All bananas vary in size. Some of the bread recipes I have tried look beautiful in the pan when baked, when tester is inserted it comes out clean, but when cooled and cut the middle of the bread is raw. Your recipe looks delicious and many people have given it 5 stars, but I hesitate to put the time and expense into yet another banana bread recipe that is not baked in the middle. I have checked the temperature of the oven and use the bread loaf pans that are recommened in the recipes, but still have the problem — so I am thinking it might be the ratio of bananas and dry ingredients
Your help is very appreciated
Thanks,
Lynn
Hi Lynn, I didn’t measure it that way but this recipe but it is about 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas. I hope you love this banana bread rec
Delicious! I just made this tonight and it was perfect! Even my father in law, who isnt a bid sweet eater, had seconds. Thank you!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I’ve made this recipe 4 times now and each loaf has turned out perfectly. I do substitute the raisins with chocolate chips, due to preference and used slivered almonds when I was out of walnuts. This is my go to recipe now and is a very quick prep. It also doubles very nicely. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I just made banana bread with frozen bananas. I’m not happy with it though. It came out too dense and wet. Was I suppose to so something that I didn’t do?
Hi Joanne, if you are using frozen bananas, they can release a fair amount of liquid when they thaw – be sure to drain off any excess water before mashing and adding bananas to the mixer. Also, double check that your baking soda is fresh and still active. Hope that helps!
Yes thanks. I drained some liquid off but they were so mushy. I think I’ll stick with unfrozen bananas. Then the bread comes out wonderful.
It’s the best perfect banana bread I he made. It turned out so yummy n perfect. Thank you.
You’re so welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
I am making this recipe right now. I added nutmeg and used craisins and pecans. I can’t wait to eat it!
Your home must smell amazing!! Thank you for that great review!
Great recipe!
Substituted butter with coconut oil 1 to 1, added one more banana and used honey instead of sugar (1/2 cup instead of 2/3). My only mistake was probably using whole walnuts – they turned out moist. I should had broken them I guess?
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Yes, having the walnuts in smaller pieces should help that!
from marlene….happy holidays2019 i made the banana bread .i made chocolate bread ,,,,,very good in taste .with coffee it is heaven …i
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing that with us!
This looks like a great recipe. Will try today…do you recommend caster or granulated sugar?
Hi Sana, I recommend granulated sugar for our banana bread recipe. I hope you love it!
This recipe is EXCELLENT – recommended and will use again
I made 5 loaves (multiplied this recipe 5 times)
I used one VERY RIPE banana and another 14 ripe bananas
Pans I used were 8.5″x4.75″x2.5″
Used cooking spray
Used convection baking option
Oven was at 350 for 20 mins before I began cooking
Thank you for that great review!!
My banana bread rise nicely in the oven, but soon after I took out from the oven after it’s done, it’s kind of collapsed on itself, became dense, not fluffy anymore?
Any suggestions?
Hi Helen, I haven’t had that happen before but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. My first though is to make sure the baking soda is fresh and still active and also to make sure you are using the correct amount and not substituting it with anything else (like baking powder which has 1/4 the strength of baking soda). Any other substitutions might affect the rise or baking on a different mode such as convection without making the necessary temp or time modifications. I sure hope that helps!
Thank you! I use the double action baking powder 1tsp. Should I increase the amount roughly 4 fold then?
That would be correct. But using baking soda would be best 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Natsha! Can you please convert in cups the 3 med/laarge ripe mashed banana. I really want to try this recipe, my mother is a great fan of banana bread. Thank you.
Hi Frin, I didn’t measure it that way but this recipe but it is about 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas. I hope you love this banana bread recipe and stay tuned – I’ll be posted a chocolate chip version shortly! 🙂
That was ah-mazing! The first recipe I tried for Banana Bread, and the one I guess I’m sticking to! lol!
I always made it with Brown Sugar and once with half brown sugar, half honey! Tonight was my third one, doubled in quantity with black raisins! Anything works best with it! Whole wheat flour, walnuts!
Thank you Natasha!!
YES!!! I’m so happy to hear that it’s an instant hit for you 🙂 Thank you for sharing that with me 🙂 This banana bread is our go-to as well (obviously!) 😉
I really liked this bread,I added a little cinnamon but did not use the raisins.it has a nice flavor. I will make it again soon
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for that great review!!
Can pecans be submitted for walnuts?
Hi Ginger, yes that would work great 🙂
This banana bread is sooo delicious! This will definitely be my go-to recipe for banana bread! I followed your tips and used honey instead of sugar and organic whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour. I only had 2 ripe bananas on hand, so I added 1/2 a cup of applesauce. I also used chopped pecans instead of walnuts. It is moist with a little crunch and not overly sweet. It’s so perfect!!!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This is the best banana bread I’ve ever made! It’s so moist and full of flavor. I used bread flour, did not toast the walnuts, used salted butter, and threw in an extra 1/2 banana. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!!
I’m so inspired reading your review. Thank you!
is there anything i can use to replace butter?
Hi Lee, I haven’t experimented with anything else, but one of my readers wrote in with the following helpful review: “The bread turns out rich and moist and wonderful!!! I have tweaked it a bit (as all bakers do) by using virgin coconut oil instead of butter, and using 1/2 cup of white sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar in place of just white… Finally I use milk chocolate chips instead of raisins or nuts. It is to die for!!!!
Hi Natasha,that’s a great recipe n can’t wait to try it!
Btw wts the cup measurement used? Is it 250ml?
Hi, If you click in the recipe card on the word “Metric”, it will display the measurements in grams by weight. I hope that helps! A liquid cup is 250mL while the weights of dry ingredients vary which is why we have them listed also in grams.
Thank you for sharing your recipe, it was delicious! I made a few tweaks-
added 2 more Tablespoons of flourr(only to make it more cake-like since I only had a 13X9 pan.)
-added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
-added 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
-added 1/2 cup of cranberries
I reduced the baking time to 35 minutes due to the type of pan and size.
It came out moist and delicious! I’ve used a few of your other recipes and I look forward to trying more! Thanks so much for your blog!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.