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.

Banana Bread on a cutting board with walnuts, raisins and ripe bananas to make healthy banana bread

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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.

Ingredients for Banana Bread with ripe bananas, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, walnuts and raisins

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!

Slices of banana nut bread on a plate

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!

  1. In the mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
  2. Mix in mashed bananas and eggs.
  3. Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking soda and add to batter.
  4. 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

Moist banana bread recipe sliced to show banana nut bread center

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:

Moist Banana Bread Recipe

4.97 from 6177 votes
Banana bread sliced on a cutting board
This Banana Bread Recipe is loaded with ripe bananas, tangy-sweet raisins, and toasted walnuts. It is one of our favorite ripe banana recipes and even better with overripe bananas.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 people

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

350kcal Calories45g Carbs5g Protein18g Fat7g Saturated Fat57mg Cholesterol243mg Sodium270mg Potassium3g Fiber20g Sugar354IU Vitamin A4mg Vitamin C26mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Moist Banana Bread Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
350
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
 
7
g
44
%
Cholesterol
 
57
mg
19
%
Sodium
 
243
mg
11
%
Potassium
 
270
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
45
g
15
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
20
g
22
%
Protein
 
5
g
10
%
Vitamin A
 
354
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
 
4
mg
5
%
Calcium
 
26
mg
3
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Breakfast, snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana bread, banana nut bread
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 350
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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.

Moist banana nut bread on kitchen towel

This Banana Bread Recipe is loaded with ripe bananas, tangy sweet raisins and toasted walnuts making it a banana nut bread. One of our favorite ripe banana recipes and even better with overripe bananas! This banana nut bread is super moist, easy and makes a great breakfast on-the-go. | natashaskitchen.com
4.97 from 6177 votes (4,175 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Rachel
    May 22, 2025

    This bread was pretty good but it was a little dry. To be fair, I had 4 overly ripe bananas so I needed to use the 4th banana and added 1/4 cup more flour and 1/3 cup sugar. So that may have made it dry. However, second time making it I followed your recipe, added the 4th banana and one small package of vanilla instant pudding (have also used banana cream) This knocked it out of the park on being moist and flavorful. Just do the toothpick
    test for doneness.

    Reply

  • Anna
    May 21, 2025

    Very moist and soft

    Reply

  • Hannah Renjit
    May 21, 2025

    Turned out quite dry, I think a cook time of 55 minutes is way too long.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 21, 2025

      Hi Hannah! It’s a more dense and moist batter than other breads/cakes so it takes longer to bake. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Using too much flour can cause this. Watch my tutorial How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry) VIDEOto help. Also, each oven bakes differently and the type of pan you can also affect how the heat is distributed. I highly encourage the use of an in oven thermometer(Amazon affiliate link) to ensure your oven’s temperature is accurate.

      Reply

  • Sunaina
    May 21, 2025

    This is the first recipe that I tried and it was awesome. This forced me to follow you😃

    Reply

  • Ace
    May 21, 2025

    What will be the measurements if I want to make it more than 1 loaf?
    It’s a blockbuster in the family and I always end up with the crumbs 😁
    Thank you in advance,❤️

    Reply

  • Mark S.
    May 20, 2025

    Is it imperitive that the walnuts be “toasted”?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 20, 2025

      Hi Mark! They do not need to be toasted, although toasting them helps bring out the flavor.

      Reply

  • Terri Brennan
    May 20, 2025

    Love it! It was a big hit with my family!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 20, 2025

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Terri!

      Reply

  • Marlene
    May 19, 2025

    I’ve used several of your recipes and they’ve been great. I decided to try this and follow the recipe exactly. Unfortunately it was dry and family wouldn’t take a second slice. I ended up throwing it away.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      May 20, 2025

      Hi Marlene, I’m sorry to hear that. It turned out dry. I have a few suggestions to help with troubleshooting. First, make sure the bananas are very ripe with lots of brown spots on the skins because they add moisture and sweetness to the banana bread. Also, make sure to measure the flour correctly. If you push the measuring cup into the flower bin, you can get up to 25% too much flour which can make your banana bread dense and dry. Leslie, ovens can vary and make sure that you bake until a toothpick comes out completely clean. It sounds like most likely the banana bread was over baked. Also, this recipe is written for a conventional oven and not convection which cooks faster so that needs adjustment.

      Reply

  • Deb
    May 19, 2025

    Would it be possible to double or triple the banana bread recipe for a bundt pan to serve as a cake?

    Reply

  • Roseann
    May 18, 2025

    I’m going to try this recipe. Question- why white sugar over light brown sugar?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 18, 2025

      Hi Roseann, we believe we found the perfect balance with white sugar, but you are welcome to use brown sugar also. You can use an equal amount of brown sugar as the white sugar called for in the recipe.

      Reply

  • Marie O.
    May 18, 2025

    This is a great recipe! It came out so moist and the addition of walnuts and raisins made it the best banana bread I’ve ever made!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 18, 2025

      I’m so glad you loved it, Marie!

      Reply

  • Maya Kumar
    May 17, 2025

    Excellent recipe, my Banana Bread has come out moist & yummy. Thanks Natasha.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 17, 2025

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Maya!

      Reply

      • Michele
        May 21, 2025

        How long and what temp should I bake the extra batter at in my regular-sized muffins pan? I don’t want to throw it out because the loaf turned out FABULOUS!! 😍

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          May 21, 2025

          Hi Michele! If you’re using standard size cupcake/muffin pans, you can follow my Banana Muffins Recipehere.

          Reply

  • Tami Toppen
    May 17, 2025

    Very good. I doubled the recipe and came out with three full size loaves. I did not add the nuts or raises because these were a gift to neighbors. For half of the sugar I used a mixture of maple syrup and honey. I was shorter one banana so I added one third cup of applesauce. Turned out great.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 17, 2025

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Tami! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • JD
    May 17, 2025

    The family LOVED this raisin banana bread. We couldn’t wait for it to cool so as soon as it came out of the pan we slathered our slices in salted butter. Delicious. The next day it was requested to be made again. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 17, 2025

      You’re so welcome, JD! I’m so happy it was a hit with the family!

      Reply

  • Ann
    May 16, 2025

    How much honey do we use in place of sugar in banana bread

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 16, 2025

      Hi Ann! You can use it as a 1:1 substitute, or use less if your bananas as very ripe and sweet.

      Reply

  • Marilynn P Smith
    May 15, 2025

    This very moist and delicious. It was easy to make. I did 1/2 dozen muffins and to small loaf pans. My 2 year old and my 50+ nephew loved them.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 15, 2025

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Marilynn!

      Reply

  • Mai
    May 15, 2025

    I made this for my family for the first time and it was a success right away. I didn’t have walnuts so I used almonds instead~
    The bread was crispy from the outside and moist in the inside. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe, Natasha!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 15, 2025

      You’re so very welcome!

      Reply

  • Connie
    May 13, 2025

    Great recipe! My husband loves it, and he is hard to please!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 13, 2025

      That’s great, Connie!

      Reply

  • Tallie
    May 13, 2025

    Everytime I make this it’s gone in a day. I’ve tried so many banana bread recipes and this one is always perfect. It’s soooo good. I know it by heart now. Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 13, 2025

      Hi Tallie! I’m so glad it’s become your favorite version.

      Reply

  • Nancy Holbert-Sonnett
    May 13, 2025

    I didn’t have the walnuts so I used pecans and topped the bread with a blueberry reduction. The bread is very moist, light and lasts for days.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 13, 2025

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Nancy!

      Reply

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