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.







We loved this banana bread. I did omit the raisins, but I’m sure it would have been good with them in it as well. Since I didn’t have any walnuts in the house, but I did have pecans, I used pecans. I didn’t do this, but I imagine dates would be good in it as well.
That sounds like a delicious addition! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
If I double this recipe, should I not double the salt?
Hi Juliane, our readers have doubled the recipe just fine in the past. When making a double batch, we usually just double all of the ingredients and divide into 2 separate pans then bake together. They may need slightly more bake time so be sure to check with a toothpick and remove when there is no wet batter sticking to the toothpick. We place leftovers in a large ziploc bag (or cover with plastic wrap) and refrigerate.
Super moist. Very easy to make. A keeper. Loved it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for that awesome review!
Hi Natasha,
I love watching your videos. What pans do you recommend most cooking with, glass, non stick etc? I would love to have your thoughts on this.
Lisa
Hi Lisa, my favorite pans can be found in my blog shop HERE.
Hello Natasha
What can i use to substitute the eggs?
Hi Marcia, I haven’t tested this egg-free so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture or rise. I think other modifications would need to be made.
Thanks for your response Natasha!
What is the different ‘baking soda’ and baking powder? And soda bicarbonate? My country got 2 types different powder.. baking powder and soda bicarbonate powder. Which one for this recipe?
Hi Nouma, unless there are other additions to the product, “sodium bicarbonate” is the technical name for baking soda and should be the same thing. Baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder and they usually cannot be substituted in recipes without other modifications.
Hi Natasha, doesn’t baking powder have the raising ingredient in it?
Hi Marie, baking powder is a leavening agent that adds rising power to ingredients. Baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder.
You can replace eggs in any recipe with Chia seeds. I put chia seeds into a sm bowl and add H2O. It can take 15 – 20 mins for the seeds to make a gelatinous substitute for eggs, I just use about the same amount of liquid that eggs would contribute to the recipe. You could investigate further on vegan sites.
Hello Natasha
I tried banana nut bread and came out so delicious. I love watching your videos. Thank you for great work !!
One of my favorite recipes, I’m so glad you enjoyed that Javeria!
Hi Natasha, I made your Moist Banana Nut Bread and it was wonderful. It is the first time that I have made Banana bread and now I think I am hooked. Thank you
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Wow! I didn’t think I would ever find banana bread better than my mom’s…and I definitely wasn’t looking! This is the best recipe for banana bread I’ve ever had. Moist and SO tender!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
The Banana Walnut bread was the best I’ve ever made. I added a little cinnamon. I made 2 loaves, one to share with neighbors. Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!
What a great compliment! Thank you for sharing that with us and for giving your excellent review about this recipe.
Can I substitute unsweetened applesauce for butter?
Hello Iris, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but if you want to do an experiment, please share with us how you liked that version.
Hi Natasha,
I joined your club 2 days ago and I am so happy that I did. I love your recipes and your demonstrations beautiful smile.
Thank you for all your recipes. God bless.
That’s just awesome Rose! Welcome! I’m so glad you discovered our blog!
Need this recipe for bread machine
Can we replace or ommit egg from banana bread recipe
Hi Mary, I haven’t tested this egg-free so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture or rise. I think other modifications would need to be made.
For vegiterian con we do it by using lemon soda.. I all try it thanks.
Love your proposal way…
Hi Natasha, I love your blog, I made a few recipes – very delicious!!!
Can banana bread be done with less sugar, maybe 50 grams maximum? Trying to reduce the calories, and bananas are very sweet anyway. Thanks
Hello Emanuela, yes you should be able to adjust the sweetness level and you’re right, the bananas are already very sweet. Please update us on how this one goes.
I made this banana bread today and it’s delicious.
I made it with honey and the texture is lovely.
Thanks Natasha, I look forward to your recipes in my email box.
Keep up the good work.
It’s indeed yummy with honey! Thanks for your great review, I appreciate it!
I always make your chocolate chip banana bread and it always comes out delicious and moist.
So when I saw this raisin and nut banana bread, I decided to leave out the chocolate chips and add walnuts and cranberries. I do not
like raisins in baked goods, so that’s why I left it out and added the cranberries. I also used the 1 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup since cranberries are not as sweet as raisins. Delicious. BTW, last night I also made Chicken Tetrazzini, it was yummy. Thanks for all ur great recipes.
You’re welcome, Rose! I’m so happy you liked that!
Just made this banana bread and it is amazing! Didn’t make any substitutions, cooked for ~50 minutes and it turned out wonderful! Never thought to put raisins in my banana bread. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Love it! Thanks for sharing that with us and for giving a great review!
Great recipe. So moist. What makes the banana bread rise more in the middle? Made this twice and both times it is much higher in the middle of the top. Thanks
H Georgia, it is normal for the center to rise and it can have a more prominent rise if you use a different sized/shaped pan.
Hello Natasha, My name is Roxanne and my question is, can I make banana nut bread in a Bundt pan instead if a loaf pan
Hi Roxanne, I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan but one of my readers shared this. I hope it helps! “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”
Amazing easy to make.
I love it… I didn’t use raisin. I used 4 bananas and 2 cups flour.
Thanks for sharing and for the great review Adi! I’m glad it was a success!
I had a few over-ripe bananas and decided to make my favorite banana bread on the spot. Your recipe is so simple and easy to follow. The result was delicious. I used 4 ripe bananas instead of 3 and also didn’t use raisins. Thanks for your easy and delicious recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hello. I’m from the UK. Could you convert the cup measures to grams please? Also is it self raising flour you use? Thanks!
Hi Lucy, if you go down to the print-friendly recipe card and click “metric”, you will see the conversions to grams.
I have been looking at several banana bread recipes and I noticed some called for oil while yours calls for butter. Is there a difference in the moisture of the bread using oil versus butter? How does the two affect the bread taste? Thanks
Hi Lisa, after testing many many loaves, we love the rise and texture best.
My banana bread was very excellent in taste but while cutting it has broken. Why, what the cause I couldn’t understand plz help me out
Hi Rabia, I haven’t noticed that happening unless the bread is cut while it is too warm. Were there any other substitutions in the recipe?
Have made the Banana Nut Bread twice. My husband and I both love it. Will be making it again. I was told the blacker the bananas are the better. In your video the bananas looked very yellow. Can you clear that up?
Thanks,
Sherry
Hi Sherry, they are best when they are soft & ripe inside. If your bananas are not recipe it may affect the texture.