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.
This was so good! I added a cinnamon sugar topping to it and left out the raisins.
Hi! I wanna use plant-based butter. Will that affect the amount of butter I need to use?
Hello Hannah! I haven’t tried that to advise. If you do an experiment, we’d love to know how it goes!
I used plant based butter last time I made it and it turned out perfect.
This recipe is delicious! However my husband wants MORE banana flavor, I have 5 bananas instead of 3 for my next batch. How would I go about the recipe with extra bananas?
Hi Faith! I haven’t tested that. To get the most banana flavor, make sure to use bananas that are ripe enough, if not they will be bland and the flavor won’t come through. Some of my viewers have reported making this successfully with more banana and no other adjustments.
I made it with 5 bananas and put them in a muffin tin and they turned out wonderful! My loaf was always dense and a little wet through the middle and dry on the bottom so the switch to the muffin tin was great! Cooked for about 20mins on 350°.
I multiplied this recipe by 7 and omitted the raisins, it turned out AWESOME!
Love this recipe. I doubled it, added a box of banana pudding, added 1 sleeve of graham cracker crumbs. Brushed top of bread with honey butter. Added my fall seasoning to dry ingredients. I added Cinnamon. Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger, Allspice. And vanilla.
I love this recipe! Never disappoints. I make mini breads in cute shapes tins and top with extras! Maple pecans, brown sugar cinnamon, chocolate chips, berries or dried raisin ,craisins whatever you got hanging around! Love it, as most all of Natashas recipes 😊
Can I ask what this was turned into? Was it still a bread or did you bake it in like a 9×13 pan? Super curious!!
Best one yet
So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
The best moist banana bread I ever made. Oh, I threw in golden raisins which just was over the top!!!!!
This is an absolutely delicious recipe! I only made 2 minor changes, subbed chocolate chips for the raisins (sorry I can’t stand them) and sprinkled sugar on top of the batter for a crunchy sugary top. Make this banana bread, you’ll love it.
I substituted dried plums for the raisins and added a dash of cinnamon to the mixture and my fiancé ate almost all of it . He said it was so delicious and asked when I was going to make more of it.
I added some oats and reduced flour. Great recipe!
This banana bread is delicious! I replaced sugar with a half a cup of real maple syrup and added Hu chocolate chips! Yummy!!
I’m so glad to hear you loved it with the syrup, Alison! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Substituted coconut and semisweet chocolate chips for nuts and raisins. Delicious!
Best banana bread I ever made! will definitely make it again.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Substituted unsweetened coconut and semi sweet chocolate chips for nuts and raisins. Amazing!
I make with 1/2 cup honey. Very simple and tasty.
I love that substitution and I’m so glad you loved the Banana Bread recipe.
Ooh, tasty bread. I don’t like raisins. lol
Fantastic!
Easy to make! Delicious to eat! Hubby kept raving about how good it was! Key word was! He ate almost all of it by himself!! 🙂
I made this for the first time yesterday sinceI had bananas going bad. Instead of walnuts/raisins, I put 1 cup mini chocolate chips. I don’t actually eat it so I gave it to my daughter. She called and said it’s the best bread she has ever tasted. So moist. She now wants the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
That’s amazing, Donna! So happy she loved it. It’s our favorite.
Thank. Yummy. Wished I read the previous comment first. I overmixed and it was gummy too. I just simply gave it more cooking time.