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.
What can I use instead of butter (and Margarine)? Would coconut oil be ok?
Hi Sher! Some of my viewers have reported using oil with ok results. I’ve only tested butter.
Is the honey an equal amount of substitution for the sugar?
Hi Maria. Yes, you can use an equal amount or less if your bananas are very sweet.
It was delicious! I changed the servings to 5 people and made the following substitutions: I didn’t have walnuts so I used pecans, I added a splash of almond extract and a couple of tbsp of brown sugar, and my fam is not a fan of raisins, so I added some white chocolate chips instead.
The recipe does not have eggs ! They do not appear until after the ingredients list in the directions
Hi Denise. It’s there, listed as the 4th ingredient in the recipe card.
I’m dying to try this recipe! Can you tell me what the cup equivalent would be for the mashed bananas? Thank you!
Hi Carol! It’s about 1 3/4 cups of mashed bananas. I hope you love the recipe!
I love this recipe, only thing I change were I add applesauce not yogurt and it is so light and moist thank you for the tips.
Hands down this is the BEST banana bread! And it freezes beautifully….had to or my husband and I would have devoured it in a day! Natasha you did it again!
This is an EXCELLENT recipe! My family and friends always ask for this! I only put the bananas, no nuts and they still love it!
Thank you!
Made this banana bread for the 1st time, I didn’t have any raisins so I supplemented them for Finely chopped prunes and this worked a treat. A delicious banana bread served with a spoonful of coconut yoghurt and fresh raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
I just made this moist, delicious bread. Since i have a convection oven, i baked it on 325 degrees for one hour and it turned out perfect. Thank you Natasha.
Thank you for sharing that, Cindy!
Hi there!
I’d like to make mini loaves to bless the ppl in my congregation. Does the recipe need to be altered?
Hello! You can just divide the full batch batter into several mini loaf pans and reduce baking time but keep the temperature the same. It should be done in about 25–35 minutes but start checking 5-10 mins before the finish time.
Perfect banana bread — super moist and flavorful with just the right amount of sweetness!
I made this yesterday. Left out the raisins and used 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of AP flour. The time for baking was too long. I noticed at 30 min. the top looked really brown. I tested it and the bread was fully baked. Am eating a piece while typing this review. It’s moist and very good. Gave it 4 stars because of the baking time.
Hi Fran. Did you use a convection/fan oven? If so, it bakes faster. I also recommend using an internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to check your ovens temperature accuracy, I use this too.
I am just now making your banana bread recipe and I watched the video. And my batter is much thinner than your batter? Will it set up correctly once it’s cooked?
Hi Linda, if its thinner, you may need to add a tad more flour. It’s hard to say without being there.
Added cinnamon to taste to flour mixture and used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar to batter. Quick tip for walnuts: chopped walnuts then put in microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 min in high.
Can I make these into muffins instead? If so would I need to adjust the heat or just cool it for less time?
Hi Kylie. I have a Banana Muffins Recipehere you can reference.
The bread is in the oven. Second loaf and turned out perfect.
I do have two questions for future reference. Do you bake breads such as this one on convection bake (I am aware to reduce heat if oven does not compensate) and does your cook book also include measurements for breads and such in grams? Thank you in advance.
Ho Robin. My recipes are written for conventional ovens unless otherwise specified. I don’t have the instructions for a convection oven for this, I haven’t tested it.
My cookbook does not include metric measurements. Unfortunately we did not have enough room to also include those.
Thanks so much for the reply. You are so engaged and that is part of the reason why you are so successful and memorable. In addition, I love your humor, and of course all your recipes.
Thank you, Robin. You’re very welcome.
hi! can i replace the butter with margarine instead? thanks
Hi Brigita, I haven’t tested margarine. Some of my readers have reported using oil with good results.
The top and sides are all dark brown yet the middle is still raw after 55 minutes. How much time do I keep it in for? Should I cover with foul so it doesn’t burn on the top?
Hi Bill. Are you using a convention/fan oven or using a different pan? If you’re using a fan oven, the temperature and baking time needs to be adjusted since it will bake faster and burn on the outside before baking in the middle.
I have not made this yet. But if I have a fan oven, do I lower the temperature or bake shorter time?
Hi Nancy, If you’re using a fan oven, the temperature and baking time needs to be adjusted since it will bake faster and burn on the outside before baking in the middle. I don’t have a fan oven to advise on what that adjustment should be, but I recommend checking your owners manual or an online search on what that should be.
This turned out great and it’s delicious!! I used a glass pan so after preheating my oven to 350, I turned it down to 325 and it came out perfectly at about an hour and 5 minutes.
This recipe doesn’t call for baking powder and the bread was flat and dense.
Hi Samantha, this recipe calls for baking soda. Be sure you are adding that to the recipe so it bakes properly. It should not be dense. Baking soda is significantly stronger than baking powder so this recipe calls for 1 tsp of baking soda.