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 may be a stupid question, but when you say to rest the loaf for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack, do you mean keep the loaf in the oven, or in the pan out of the oven and then transfer the bread only to the wire rack after 10 minutes? Thank you!
Not at all! After baking the loaf, you can take it out of the oven and leave it in the pan. Let it cool in the pan on the counter for about 10 minutes. This helps the bread set so it won’t fall apart when you remove it. Remove the loaf after 10 minutes from the pan and place it on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Thank you for responding! This is the best recipe I’ve ever used and don’t need to look any further!
Can confirm – this is the best (and easiest) banana bread ever! I didn’t add any nuts or chocolate chips … didn’t need it 🙂 Nice and moist and spongey. Never using another recipe again.
It sounds like you found a favorite, Steph! Thank you for your lovely review!
This is a great recipe! Made it today for my husband.
I love this recipe! It’s my favorite! I make a few tweeks here and there for my own taste but its my base for whatever mood I’m in. I normally do a double batch, to make the loaves larger, but Ill add my own spices depending on the season. I prefer to have my banana bread sweeter but I also love the full flavor of honey so I make it with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup honey and they balance out very well. I hope you love it as much as me!
Everyone loves it, every time I make it, can I double the ingredients to make multiple at a time?
I’m glad it’s always a huge hit! One of our readers shared this comment “Amazing recipe! I used roasted pecans and it turned out so great! Very flavorful and moist! I doubled the batch and make one large loaf and three mini loaves! I will be making this again!” Hope that helps.
I’ve made this recipe quite a few times already but this Christmas I’ve been asked to make an additional 6 loaves for family & friends! Absolutely delicious. I like mine extra moist so I do add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter & I also mashed an additional banana to almost a liquid. Everyone is going crazy over this recipe! Thanks
Thank you for sharing that with us, Susan! That’s going to be useful for us, I’m so glad that you enjoy this recipe a lot!
What kind of difference in cooking time for mini-loaves?
Hi Sherla, I have not personally tried mini loaves to advise. Some of my viewers have tested mini loaf pans and reported baking at the same temperature same temperature for 25–35 minutes. I would keep an eye on them and check early on.
If I put extra walnuts on top during bake will they burn or affect the rise?
Hi Lauren, no that should not affect the rise. I hope you love it.
Excellent recipe! Though you have a link for muffins, I chose to use this one. I also found a hack for glazed muffin tops. Preheat oven to 425. Add a pinch more baking Soda. Fill the cups to nearly the top. Once inserted into the oven, reduce temperature to 350.
Hi Charles, thanks for sharing your tip on making muffins. I’m so glad you loved the banana bread recipe.
Thanks Natasha. BTW, I only baked them for 40 minutes.
Love your recipe….but soooo frustration to convert all measurements. Please, please include european measurements when posting recipes
Hi Heather, click on the metric button at the top of the recipe card for conversions.
How full would I fill small individual loaf pans and how long would you cook them?
I would fill each pan about 2-3/4 to 3/4 full so there’s enough room for the batter to rise without overflowing. I’d keep the same temperature and start checking after around 25 minutes. You can check by using a toothpick.
I guess you already answered my question…should’ve read first😂😂😂
I don’t have unsalted butter, can I use regular butter?
Yes, just omit the salt or use less.
This is my favorite Banana Bread recipe ever!!❤️
To compensate for only having one egg I used 1 1/2 TBSP ground flaxseed and an extra 1/2 tsp baking powder, + a little shredded coconut. I did toast the walnuts and you can tell the taste is so delicious. This recipe itself is great. It really melts in your mouth. Thank you for sharing.
Natasha – I only have 2 bananas – should I adjust the entire recipe and just make a smaller loaf, or would it be OK as is with just two bananas? Thank you.
Hi Kari! I’ve always used this ratio but some of my viewers have used more or less bananas with good results.
Made this last night. I used pecans, omitted raisins. I can now delete &/or remove all other recipes because this is THE ONE. I probably wont try any others. Its a great loaf of bread!
That’s amazing to hear! So glad you loved it.
Follow the recipe but added chocolate chips came out fantastic
Hi Natasha,
Love your recipes. In banana bread recipe how can I substitute eggs?
Hi Sky! I haven’t tested an alternative for eggs but some of my viewers have used apple sauce, flax/chia eggs.
First time making this and it looks amazing and is very delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I will be using it all the time.
So happy to hear that, Sandra!
I’ve made this frequently through the years. It’s so moist and flavorful as well as super easy to put together. I have a loaf in the oven right now 🥰Thank you, Natasha!!!