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 your bread recipes. I was wondering if you have a marble loaf recipe. One of my kids likes vanilla and the other chocolate this way it will satisfy both. Lol. Thank you so much and I look forward to many more recipes from Natasha’s Kitchen.
Hi Vanessa! I’m so glad you’re loving them. I do not have a recipe for that, sorry.
Omg the best recipe ever .
U have tried many many different recipes but something always goes wrong where it turns out and dense or chewy. I followed these instructions and it turned out wonderful.
One small suggestion that I would first timers that DO NOT use any appliance except fork. Gently just incorporate the flour into the banana purée and pour it straight into the Baking Pan. Will turn out perfect.
This banana bread recipe is literally the best thing ever!!! I have made it 100 times and it hits everytime!!!
I didn’t change a thing and it was perfect. I cut it in slices and packed it for a “not too sweet” picnic treat. I’ve happily shared the recipe several times since.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jackie!
hi! I use this recipe all the time and I love it soso much! 🙂 Quick question, how many grams of the loaf are in one serving for it to amount to 350 kcal? Thank you!
Hi there! I’m glad you’re loving it. This makes 10 slices. If you weigh the loaf as a whole
and then divide that by 10, you’ll get your serving size.
Perfectly cooked at 55 minutes. Added 1/2 tsp. more of vanilla. Also had to omit the raisins due to family preference. This is a very good recipe.
BEST RECIPE!! I used a 1/2 teaspoon more of vanilla.. per, my taste. Excellent! Thank you:)
Excellent recipe! The riper the banana, the better it comes out, of course. Something that I did this round was add a tiny bit of almond extract along with slivered roasted almonds. Also added some Hershey’s “cinnamon chips” (like chocolate chips) to the batter and it was an absolutely knock out. Cannot recommend enough, perfect as is and just enough wiggle room to deviate and make it unique as well!
Excellent moist and lightly sweet !!
Will definitely recommend this recipe
I looooooove this recipe. I have bake it many times and sometimes I change the walnuts for pecan and raisins for chocolate, is a hit every single time 😍😍😍
I made in smaller
I’m glad you love it, Rosie!
Hello, if you made in the smaller loaf pans, how long did you back it?
Thank you,
Judith
I made the banana bread recipe and it came out so delicious, very moist and with the raisins and nuts it was perfect.
That’s so great to hear, Olga! It’s one of my Favorites. I’m so happy you loved it.
Hi Natasha,
I made this recipe a few weeks ago and brought it to a party, added some chocolate chips, and let me tell you, it was a hit! Everyone was raving about it and asking for the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
I was not successful with this recipe. It does taste banana-y. However, it made an unpleasant crust on every edge that touched the pan. It is also not very sweet.
Hi Harper. I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out well for you. This is a very popular recipe with amazing reviews and also one of my family’s personal favorites. A few things to check- your bananas need to be ripe enough. If they are not, there won’t be much banana flavor
or sweetness. Regarding the crusted edges, it could be the type of pan used and the material it’s made of. Not all materials distribute heat the same. I also recommend using an internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to measure your oven temperature accuracy.
This sounds very much like my Mom’s Banana Nut Bread recipe -a family favourite! And I happen to have a carafe of home-made vanilla extract just waiting for the perfect recipe. I think I just found it!
I make this as well, but tweak some things like maple extract instead of vanilla, and add white chocolate chips instead of raisins
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Maria!
Can I substitute for the granulated sugar?
Hi Lois, I have had some people report good results using brown sugar instead of white sugar or using half brown sugar and half granulated sugar.
Hi Natasha, thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I was wondering if I could use gluten-free flour in place of the regular flour what are use the same amount? Also I want to replace the butter with applesauce where I use a half a cup which is the same as the butter? Thank you
Hi Joanne! I have not tested those substitutions but several of my readers reported good results using GF flour and some have used applesauce in place of butter or used a mixed of apple sauce and oil.
This recipe is my go-to! I’ve probably made it tens of times and I’ve used it for years. It never fails and is always such a people pleaser!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Benjamin!
I use only 1 bowl and mix everything in it with the kitchen robot, and it is not true that it doesn’t raise in fact it raises very well.
I’m glad it works out well for you, Lia.
I make this often and share with friends. Everyone loves it and asks for the recipe . I use applesauce in place of the butter, sometimes I add pecans and cacao nibs. Great recipe!!!
That’s wonderful, Rose! Thank you for sharing.