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.
Thanks for the recipe Natasha. I am not a cook but not typically a desert baker but had three aging bananas around so I thought I would give it a try! Amazing, nice recipe.
One of the best banana breads ever! You can easily do it in one bowl though and save a ton of dishes. Cream the sugar and butter first, add the bananas and mash them, add the two eggs and beat gently. Add vanilla and dry ingredients. stir until well mixed and add chopped walnuts (I never use raisins). Pour batter into greased pan with silicone spatula and bake. No noticeable difference from the multiple bowl version.
What if I want to make jumbo muffins? How much time ?
I would check around 25-30 mins and add more time as needed.
If you’re replacing the sugar for honey, is that 1:1?
You can use the same amount, or reduce slightly if your banana are very sweet.
If I make banana muffins with this recipe how long to cook them?
Hi Corinne, if you would like the muffin version, You can try my Banana Muffins Recipe here.
I’ve made this dozens of times It’s wonderful – a family favorite. I actually hide bananas sometimes to make this since ripe bananas go so fast in my family.
One thing you should note. At least my banana bread gets brown quickly. At about 10 – 15 minutes in, I shield it with an aluminium foil tent so it doesn’t burn. It absolutely needs the 45+ minutes to bake.
Thanks Sally for the wonderful recipe! 😘
Thank you for sharing that with us, I’m glad you enjoyed the banana bread!
Delicious!! I’ve tried several banana bread recipes. I finally found the best one!
Been going this banana bread for teh last 6 yrs n absolutely love all your recipes. They r foul proof.
This banana bread was gone in ONE night! I added chocolate chips and left out nuts/raisins. May try it with raisins as it sounds interesting.
Thanks for another great recipe!!!!!!!!!!
Made this last night and it was sooooo good!! Made without raisins. Thanks for a great recipe!!
My all-time FAVORITE banana bread recipe! I’ve made it probably ten times already, and there’s a loaf in the oven as we speak! I usually use cinnamon and nutmeg, vanilla paste (instead of extract), a mix of walnuts and pecans, and brown sugar (instead of white). So good! Thanks for the AMAZING morning coffee companion!! 🙂
That sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
At 1 hour with foil on at this temperature, the bread was not done. The knife came out with goey banana on it. I had to bake it an additional 10 minutes but I made the mistake of keeping it uncovered too long which burned half the walnuts. But the bread was done. I think I had raised the temperature to 375 or 400 degrees to get it done. It was delicious but could’ve been a little sweeter. This may have been because my bananas weren’t as ripe as I thought they were based on the peel or it may need just a tiny bit more sugar.
Hi Jasmine! If the bananas are not very ripe, they won’t be as sweet and the bread won’t have as much banana flavor.
Be sure to fully preheat your oven prior to baking. I like to use an internal oven thermometer (affiliate link) to verify my ovens temperature. Did you use the correct size pan? Also- it’s best to bake it uncovered, and these instructions are for a conventional oven not convection/fan which would require lowering the temperature.
do i need to adjust the temperature and cooking time for a glass pan?
Hi Ronnie! I would lower the temperature by 25 degrees and keep an eye on it!
Delicious recipe! Just made our 2nd loaf. Thanks for sharing, Natasha!
You’re very welcome, Kayla. Glad to know you loved it.
Can i use salted butter and omit the 1/2 tsp of salt
Yes, that will work!
Great recipe! The only changes I made were no rasin and I added cinnamon and nutmeg.
I add 1 more egg 🥚 and 1 more banana 🍌 but thanks for a brilliant recipe- it’s a family favourite!!
I’ve made lots of banana bread recipes and I’m not sure how this one came out better than all of them. My teen made this and we did lower the sugar to 1/2 cup and left out the nuts and raisins. We added 1/2 tsp cinnamon. The bake time is much shorter for a coated nonstick pan, I’d start checking at 30 minutes next time. This is the only banana recipe you need!
I have a new electric stove and maybe it is the fault of this, but my bread still had 7 minutes to bake when I grabbed it out of the oven—it was definitely over baked.
Hi Faye! Your oven is probably running too hot, which is why the bread overbaked before the time was up. When you try it next time, you can lower the temp to 325°F (165°C) and start checking for doneness at 40–45 minutes using a toothpick.
Lovely recipes always, Angela from Kampala, Uganda