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.
Love this recipe! Any idea how long it may take to bake as muffins?
Hi Elise, I’m so happy you love the Banana Bread recipe! Here is my full tutorial on making this into Banana Muffins with the bake times, portioning, etc. I hope you love the muffins just as much.
8 tablespoon is it only half a cup but you say 1 cup. I’m confused 😕🤔
Hi Tonya! Where are you seeing 1 cup? The ingredients list states 1/2 cup and I also watched the video to be confirm I mentioned 1/2 cup.
Can you use brown sugar instead of white?
Hi Patricia. Yes, you can. It will change the texture and taste just a bit.
I made this for the first time a few weeks ago and it was gone in one day!
Just made another one for my daughter’s teacher.
I love this recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
P.s would you say this recipe fits better in a 1 lb or 2 lb loaf pan?
Great to hear that it was a hit! This recipe is designed for a standard 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75-inch loaf pan, which is approximately 1.25 pounds in capacity. If you use a 1lb pan it would be smaller and might overflow during baking and if you use a 2 lb pan, it would be too large, resulting in a flatter loaf with a shorter baking time.
I have made this twice! Nothing but compliments!
Great recipe! Added in a shredded carrot and some chocolate chips 😋
I was short of a banana so I added dates instead and 2 tbsps of yoghurt. Turned out excelled
Can you use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?
Hi! That would be fine if you just omit the salt in the recipe.
This is a great recipe. I think I have made it at least 4 times already.
i’m making this for the first time and I didn’t have a loaf pan so I used an 8 x 8 square Pyrex pan. 3 inches high hopefully it’ll work out.
I hope you love it, Mary! I recommend using THIS Adapt Baking Recipes to Fit Different Pan Sizes Guide.
Excellent!! Nice and moist. I did do a couple things different. Used brown sugar, eyeballed the nuts and raisins. Golden raisins were used. Baked in a bundt pan, due to 5 small bananas and not sure if the bread pan was big enough.
Love this recipe. Have been making it for about a year now. Sometimes I add chocolate chips or blueberries and it is ALWAYS wonderful!
First time i made it, i didnt have unsalted butter. The time was to long. I left it for the 55min and it came out over cooked. 2nd time, it was to buttery, n Im gonna take it out at 45mins. Looks good, nothing sticking, but very buttery. Yum. Pecans instead of walnuts, n cranberries instead of rasins.
Can I use doves farm gluten free white flour?
Hi Sinead! I have not tested GF flour, but some
of my viewers have reported good results with 1:1 ratio GF flour.
My batter was quite thick almost bread dough consistency so I added milk, is it supposed to be on the thicker side?
Hi Rachael! It sounds like you possibly used too much flour. I have a How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry) VIDEO tutorial here. Also- watch the video so you can see what the batter consistency should be like.
I used self rising flour but my banana bread did NOT RISE.😭
Hi Alta, it sounds like you may have altered the recipe which resulting it in not rising. I personally haven’t tested self rising flour in this recipe, but likely you’ll need to add baking soda to ensure it rises.
Beautiful bread… I replaced the raisins and nuts with dried cranberries!! Wowzers
The best ever Banana bread!! My 92 yo Mother asked for it for Mother’s Day.The roasted nuts and raisins add a delicious surprise. Very moist.
Aww that is wonderful and you made me smile big reading our comment. Happy Mother’s day to your Mom! Banana Bread is such a thoughtful home-baked gift.
Followed directions except omitted raisins, took 20 min longer and way too heavy. Liked the all recipe one a little more
Hi Manny! Did it take longer to bake or prep? If baking, be sure to fully preheat your oven before hand and use the correct size pan. This shouldn’t be heavy, but that can happen if your oven temperature is too low, if you over-mix the batter, or if you didn’t measure your ingredients correctly. I have a How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry) VIDEO here.
Hi. If I use honey instead of granulated sugar, would it also be 3/4 cups? Thanks.
Hi Mae! Yes, you can sue the same amount, or add less if your banana’s are very ripe and sweet.