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.
Hi Natasha, I don’t have baking soda. Is it possible to use self rising flour in place of the ÁP flour and baking soda?
I think you can but self-rising flour already contains baking powder o just remember to leave out the baking powder and any extra salt if you’re using self-rising flour.
I don’t see baking powder in the recipe??
That’s correct, it was a typo. We use baking soda in this recipe.
Thank you for the fast response! I have made several of your recipes and love them all!
Hi Tyla! In regards to our previous comment, there was a typo. We use baking soda (not powder in this recipe). Self rising flour contains baking powder. Typically, you need about three times more baking powder to achieve the same leavening effect as baking soda so you’ll have to adjust as needed.
I hope you see this today as i wanna make this tonight!! I have 4 LARGE bananas that are ripe…can I make 2 loaves?
Hi Dinease! I think it could work, but I haven’t tried making this with less banana. If your banana’s are very large, that may be fine.
first time making this banana bread. We loved it, very moist.
I’m so happy to hear that, Shena! Thank you for the feedback.
Hi do you have to use raisins? My family is not very fond of them. But this recipe dose sound delicious.
Hi Tara! You can leave them out, it’s still great!
So good!! I omitted the nuts/raisins and added cinnamon. The banana bread was eaten within an afternoon!! I’ve had requests to keep the banana loaves coming!!! The house smells amazing!!
So good!!! I omitted the nuts and raisins but added cinnamon 🤤! The house smells amazing and the banana bread was eaten in one day lol. I’m making a second loaf now!
I followed the recipe exactly, added the raisins and walnuts. It’s phenomenal! Very moist, and decadent.
Love this recipe and make 2 loaves at a time. Have been adding 1/2 cup of pineapple and it is delicious!
That sounds wonderful!
Amazing I followed the recipe to a T! We loved this recipe, super moist, great flavor. Thanks
So happy to hear that, Cherie!
Thanks Natasha for sharing this simple recipe. I made it and it came out perfect. I reduced the sugar since my bananas were super ripe. Thumbs up to you!👍 I’m saving this recipe😉
Delicious! Just the right moistness. I add craisins instead of raisins for some tartness
I forgot to say I do ½ sugar and ½ brown sugar
This is by far my favorite banana bread recipe! I’ve made it for neighbors and they look it. I do roast walnuts and add the raisins!
Thank you for sharing, Kim! So glad you love this recipe.
I just made a double-batch of this recipe, and I am thrilled with the outcome! I only had five-bananas, but they were as ripe as could be. I added an extra egg, because they were smaller than I usually buy. I reduced sugar to one-cup, and added a couple tablespoons of honey. I doubled the vanilla, and added two-and-a-half-cups of walnuts. Poured into two-Pyrex bread pans. Baked per recipe. Perfect in every way! 🤤💗😁
Best banana bread I’ve ever made. Yummy!
So happy you loved it, Linda!
This is so dry. More like a dense cake than traditional banana bread.
Hi Emily! This can happen if you used too much flour. We’ve never had this be dry. I would watch our tutorial on How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry).
I wish I could search the comments because I’m sure this has been asked but there’s over 4000 comments to search through, lol…
How long to bake as muffins instead of a loaf?
HI Terri, I wish there was an easy way. Thankfully I do have a terrific Banana Muffins Recipe that I created based on this classic banana bread recipe.
The best banana bread I’ve ever made. I did not use walnuts or raisins. I threw in a handful of chocolate chips. I used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey. Will definitely make this over and over.
I just made this bread while chatting with my girlfriend on the phone. I decided to make it in a tart pan and reduce the time to 30–35 minutes. Sprinkled it with powdered sugar and it looks beautiful. The inside is so moist and the outside has a thin crunchy skin. Everybody loves the bread. It is not too sweet, but just right. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.!!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe! Thanks for sharing your experience.
My husband fell in love with this bread. It is so moist! Now he wants me bake it every week. I didn’t use raisins, and I used pecans instead of walnuts. Only because we were staying in because of weather. Thank you!
Made this bread just to see if it was good and much to my surprise it was delicious. I don’t really like bananas but my husband loves them. Now I make it every week. Thanks for the recipe.