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 6090 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 6090 votes (4,175 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Nadia
    July 15, 2013

    I was craving something sweet today and had some ripe bananas so decided to make your banana bread.. Yumm!! Yumm!!! It was so good with a cup of milk!! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 15, 2013

      Ooh that sounds perfect with a tall glass of cold milk 🙂 mmmm

      Reply

  • veta
    July 11, 2013

    Omg!!! I’m soooooo sorry. Yeah! It says white sugar. I guess I was in hurry and didn’t read it correctly lol I really feel ashamed 🙁

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 11, 2013

      lol. No worries. 🙂 I hope you love it!

      Reply

      • veta
        July 12, 2013

        Ooo, yea!!!! We love it! Thanks to Vadim for the recipe and to you for sharing it 🙂 P.S. why do u have only 5 stars? 😉 Some recipes earn more than 5 stars 🙂

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          July 12, 2013

          Awww thank you 🙂

          Reply

  • veta
    July 11, 2013

    Hi, Natasha! What do u do with 1 cup of white vinegar? Please, reply ASP because I already started to make it and don’t know what to do with the vinegar.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 11, 2013

      Do you mean sugar? There is no vinegar in this recipe. The 1 cup white sugar goes in at step 2 🙂

      Reply

  • Valentina
    July 1, 2013

    I have tried a few banana bread recipes before and this one is by far my favorite! I put chocolate chips instead of the raisins and it turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing..

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 1, 2013

      My husband isn’t a fan of chocolate in banana bread but I think it’s good 😉

      Reply

  • olga
    June 21, 2013

    This is the most moist, most delicious banana bread recipe ever. EVER!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 21, 2013

      Thank you Olga for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • olga
    June 14, 2013

    im not seeing a temp here. Is it just me or is it hiding?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 14, 2013

      I do have a temperature on the post, preheat your oven to 350°

      Reply

  • Olga G.
    May 20, 2013

    This was very tasty. This reminded me of the banana bread that Starbucks sells. Good job Vadmin!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 20, 2013

      Thank you so much Olga 🙂 I read your comment to Vadim. He smiled and he is glad you enjoyed the recipe!!

      Reply

  • Galya
    May 15, 2013

    Your blog never disappoints! Thank you for all of the time and energy you put into this. I love this banana bread recipe. A total hit everytime!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 16, 2013

      Thank you Galya, I always love a good report :).

      Reply

  • Inna
    May 14, 2013

    Natasha, thank you for the recipe! When I saw that I have 4 brown bananas in my pantry first thing that hit my mind was banana bread. I searched your site for the recipe and no regrets. The only regret I have we ate it too fast. I have 2 pans, so next time will do 2 at a time. My husband never had banana bread before so I am so happy he loved it.
    Also one more detail I always trust your recipes. I check many sites and if I find similar recipe I always try yours. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 14, 2013

      We never let bananas go to waste anymore 🙂 and thank you for trying the recipes.

      Reply

  • Nelli
    March 27, 2013

    This recipe looks almost like the one I make 🙂
    Last time I made this bread I used 1/2 cup of yogurt I had in the fridge instead of butter. And I put in 1/2 cup of quick cooking oats along as well. Oatmeal sprinkled on top of the batter gives it a nice lovely touch 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 27, 2013

      I like your substitutions Nelli :). My brother in law uses chocolate chips instead of raisins which taste really good as well.

      Reply

  • Alena
    March 12, 2013

    Hi there. I made this bread twice already. It is really good, perfect for breakfast, snack or healthy dessert. The first time I made it in a loaf pan and baked it according to recommended time. The bread turned out kinda too dark on the outside and in the middle top it had some mushy unbaked spots. Nevertheless, it was delicious. The second time, I got the idea to pour the batter into a bundt pan. It was awesome. The bread (or the cake) baked through really well, and it wasn’t extremely dark on the outside. I also dusted it with powdered sugar on top (Natasha’s snow version. Lol) and it was very pretty. And so good. Only one little piece left:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 12, 2013

      I’m glad you like the recipe Alena, I have 3 brown bananas ready for the banana bread tomorrow :).

      Reply

  • Alena H.
    March 1, 2013

    Natasha, I don’t see a print option for this recipe. Am I missing something?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 1, 2013

      Thank you for letting me know, just got it fixed.

      Reply

  • Elizabeth
    January 27, 2013

    AMAZING banana bread!!!!
    This is the best one I have ever made! Even though I have over 5 different recipes of banana bread! Good job Vadim creating it and Natasha for baking it!!! THANK YOU!!!

    Also one thing I did change about this recipe was putting baking powder instead of baking soda. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 27, 2013

      You are welcome Elizabeth, I’m glad you love the recipe :).

      Reply

  • Marina
    January 17, 2013

    Hi Natasha, quick question. Would this recipe work for banana muffins instead of a loaf?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 17, 2013

      Yes, it will, but much shorter baking time. I haven’t tested the timing, so my recommendation would be to check with a tooth pick after 20 min if its done.

      Reply

      • Marina
        January 18, 2013

        Just finished baking them and they’re amazing, oh and I love the smell in the house after they bake 🙂 The muffins took 30 min to bake. Thank you!!!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          January 18, 2013

          Thank you for letting me know, now I know the timing :).

          Reply

  • Mariya F.
    January 16, 2013

    I totally LUV this banana bread!! I am a big banana bread fan, while my husband doesn’t care for it at all, but when I made this bread EVEN HE ate it!! 😀 …I just made another loaf, it’s in the process of cooling down right now, although I already cut off a nice piece (just couldn’t resist lol 😉 Thank you sooo much Vadim for this one!! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 16, 2013

      Thank you for your sweet comment Mariya. My bananas are actually almost ready for the banana bread :).

      Reply

  • Lana
    January 10, 2013

    Natasha thank you!! …and Vadim of course for this mouthwatering, delicious recipe! Im stuffing my self with them as Im typing! It tastes even better than Starbucks Bananna Bread! Yum!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 10, 2013

      Ever since we started baking banana bread, no banana is ever left behind in our house :).

      Reply

  • Oksana
    January 6, 2013

    The bread was delicious!!! Yummy. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 6, 2013

      Thanks for letting me know 🙂 I always love to hear from people who have tried my recipes. 🙂

      Reply

  • Oksana
    January 6, 2013

    I was craving some banana bread and after reading all of these awesome reviews – I went ahead and made some today! It is currently in the oven. Will definitely come back and tell you how it was! I am so excited! :)))

    Reply

  • Marina
    January 3, 2013

    Have you tried adding small apple sauce?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 3, 2013

      No, but I’m open to suggestions :). Will be trying with apple sauce next time.

      Reply

  • aveneer
    December 29, 2012

    i made this i used mini chocolate chips instead of walnuts and raisins, it turned out good

    Reply

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