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.
can you please let me know what kind of cup you are using, how many ml cup?
Hi Vjosa, are you referring to the measuring cup? Here is our link to tips on measuring.
This is a great recipe…Baked it a few times now great hit with everyone
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I used this recipe and it is the best by far, I ended up making muffins instead and I baked them for about 16 min then I let them rest and they were DELICIOUS 😋 Thank You for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Crystal! Thank you for sharing this with me!
Awesome
I’m glad you enjoyed that, Steve
If we don’t have a oven… How to bake in a microwave I mean how many minutes.
Hi Yashasvi! I have not tested that in the microwave and I’m not certain that will turn out so I can not advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Hi, i loved this recipe. I will like to try it in a gluten free one with almond flour, can you please tell me what i should add and the quantity of the almond flour ?Usually this flour is heavier than the regular one.TIA
Hi Dee, Great question! I haven’t tried this with almond flour yet but it might work. It doesn’t look like anyone else commenting tried it. If you experiment please let me know how you like it.
I will, thanks for your prompt response.
Can I change the all purpose flour for oat flour? Should I use the same amount? Is it the same amount if I want to use honey instead of sugar? Thanks
Hi Sarah! I haven’t tried that but here is what one of my readers noted “Dis recipe is the truth. Made it as muffins and did some modifications. Used 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 tsp baking powder and 11/2 cup oat flour with cinnamon. Didn’t use nuts nor raisins. Sprinkled oats on top. It was super moist and so delicious! Baked 30 mins @ 180•c. Thanks Natasha!!!” I hope this helps
Hello what can i do as an alternative for the raisin? My son doesnt like raisin????
Hi Christine! Chocolate chips will work. Also, one of our readers wrote in with the following you may want to try “I made it with dried tart cherries instead of raisins. Great recipe! Thank you Natasha!” I hope that helps!
Excellent recipe (as always from Natasha’s Kitchen!). I followed the recipe except I also added thin slices of a slightly under-ripe banana as well,(I love the tartness they have) and a tbsp of sour cream. It is the best banana bread I’ve ever made and a hit with the family! Thank you! It
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it & thank you so much for sharing that with me 🙂
Oh wow! I would LOVE this with my morning coffee, it looks faaantastic!
Hi Katerina! This is our favorite with morning coffee! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I love banana bread so much and tell myself that it’s healthy since it has bananas in it. Haha!!! Thank you for this delish recipe! XO
You’re so nice, Jessica! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I love the raisins in this recipe. It really sets it apart from all others. Tastes amazing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Alli!
Easy banana bread that turned out delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Aimee. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This banana bread recipe looks delicious. I love that you used raisins, I’ll bet they add great flavor
They sure do, Suzy!! I hope you love this recipe!
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I make banana bread I have to burn it in order for it to cook in the middle. I am normally a pretty good cook and can cook zucchini bread and cook lots of other things but banana bread is my nemesis. My daughter keeps wanting me to cook banana bread but I keep having to burn the outside to cook the inside. Any tips? I have used metal, and silicone pans and this last time I put it on the lowest rack and lightly covered it with tin foil. Didn’t burn as black but still very very dark brown.
Hi Steph, it is normal for the edges to be a rich brown color with banana breads but it definitely should not be burned. A lighter color pan can help with getting a lighter color, but the flavor should still be the same. Also, make sure you are using the regular bake mode and not convection mode since you would have to modify the temp or time in that case to achieve the same results. I hope that helps to troubleshoot. 🙂
Try making mini muffins, it always works for me. I added mayo to make creamy and a bit of cream cheese and cinnamon. My mix in was Reese’s peanut butter cups(mini).
Thank you for sharing that with me, Betty!
I had the same problem until I checked my pan size. I was using a standard loaf pan but Natasha’s recipe says to use the larger, 9×5 loaf pan. Now I have no problem with it the middle cooking through at the suggested time.
I always remove about 3/4 cup of the finished dough before putting in loaf pan
I had the same burning problems
This did the trick
ALSO
if you love raw cookie dough or cake batter
The batter is delicious raw
😂😂😂😂😂
Natasha, I googled best Banana bread ever and picked your from the many, specifically because as much as L like chocolate, I find it too sweet for already sweet banana bread. Then I wentt through my pantry and used raisins but also added 50% more but substituted dried blueberries and cherries (just cuz I wanted to use them up) and did not have enough Walnuts so used 1/2 walnuts and half Pecans. OMG…I should have made 4 pans instead of 2. They are gone in 24 hours. You are my banana bread hero..thanks!
That’s so great, Brock!! It sounds like you have a new favorite! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us!!
I love you Natasha so much I am from Bahrain my name Mona Ali
Wow! That’s so great! I’m so happy you discovered out blog!
Hey Natasha 🙂 I tried baking this cake and it came awesome. My family and my friends loved it. I shall be doing it again, since some requested they wanted to taste it when they saw photos on facebook. How much grams of this cake would make a serving? Thanks and keep up the good work of sharing recipes. Much love.
I’m so glad you loved the banana bread! That’s wonderful! We don’t measure servings in grams but 1 loaf is about 10 services or slices. You could do 6-10 servings depending on how large you sliced your pieces.
Natasha, made you banana bread. Center did not cook completely. The two ends were cooked through. If I cook longer the outside is to brown. Ate an end piece and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing the fecipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Deb! What kind of pan were you using? Was the loaf possibly too close to the heat source in the oven?
Glass container and sits in the oven middle rack. I did use a large flat pan underneath the glass container, could this be the problem? Do you prefer metal or glass when baking?
Waiting for more instant pot recipes, keep those going. Love your smiles and good attitude while cooking.
It’s hard to say without being there, we did use a metal loaf pan to bake the bread in.
I made this banana nut bread this rainy afternoon and it is fabulous!! Perfectly moist and very flavorful. I will makes this again and again! It was really good with sweet butter.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Thank you so much for sharing your family recipe of banana bread. I made it for the first time and it turned out perfect and it was so easy and quick. I am a novice baker, but this recipe made me look like a pro. I enjoy all your recipes and videos and you have become my “go to” chef.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so inspired reading your review.