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.
can I use a smaller pan 8 x 3.8 x2.5 & bake for how long
Hi Maureen! That size is slightly smaller and I worry it will overflow the pan! I would watch it closely as you’re filling it or you can make a smaller portion. I hope you love this recipe!
Just made this bread this afternoon. I used 1/2 cup of honey to replace sugar. 1 cup of all purpose plain flour and 1/2 cup of wheat flour. Dried blueberry instead of raisin. So yummy and moist. Love this recipe so much. Thank you very much Natasha for sharing wonderful recipe.
I’m so glad your substitutes worked well, Lin. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Hi there!! My daughter is allergic to dairy.. what can I sub with eggs ? Can I also pls have the measurement? Thank you
Hi Lenie, I’m sorry but I haven’t tried any other substitutes.
Ground flaxseed and water is an egg substitute. I think it is 1 Tablespoon of flaxseed mixed with 3 Tablespoons of water is the equivalent of one egg. You may want to do an internet search for more information.
Eggs are NOT dairy! They come from chickens. Dairy comes from mammals such as cows. I was a teacher for decades, and understand the confusion. It’s ALLsold in the dairy department at grocery stores. Anyway, I hope this makes cooking a bit easier for your daughter.
Hi Lenie, I’m also unable to have dairy. Substitute the butter with Earth Balance Vegan buttery sticks. Its very good and you can not taste the difference between this and the real thing!
What if I only have 2 bananas? do you think that will work?
Hi Michelle, it depends on the size of the banana. You may need to make some adjustments.
Wow, this recipe was amazing! I’ve been baking banana bread all my life but this one was special. I only did two things differently; first, I used cashews for nuts as that’s what I had on hand, and second, due to an issue with my oven, had to freeze the batter in the tray for a day or two before thawing and baking. I added coconut flakes and sliced bananas on top.
My husband said it was incredible, and he said it twice, which is rare! I’d share a picture but there is no option to that I see.
So glad to hear that you loved the result! You can share some photos of your creation on our Facebook page and group. I would love to see your photos.
Love the recipe! Have made it several times and turns out yummy every single time. Have tried versions without walnuts, without raisins and walnuts..there is not much difference in the basic taste…of course the additions make it yummier. Do not hesitate to make it if you don’t have walnuts and raisins on hand. Also the last 2 times I made it, I just used one pot, creamed the butter and sugar, then eggs and then added the super ripe bananas right in there without mashing them first. Since the bananas were very ripe, they broke down easily with the electric beater I was using and it saved me from washing more dishes and no difference in taste or texture.
I love it! Thank you for your detailed feedback and for sharing some tips too. We appreciate it!
Just made this for my family today (which include a 5 and 7 yr old) and they all LOVED it! The only thing I left out was the walnuts, just because I personally don’t like them. Very easy to make. The raisins are so good with the bananas. My 5 yr old had one piece and then told me I need to keep making this every day. haha Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Wow, awesome! I think you’re going to have to stock on the ingredients haha. Thanks for sharing that with us.
I’ve made this 2 times and is been a hit. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Aline! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Hi
What can I use instead of eggs?
Thank you!
Hi Ranjana, I haven’t tried any other substitutes.
I have used ground flaxseed and water as an egg substitute in baking. You may want to do an internet search for more information.
The best banana bread i had made ever..super love it! I swapped the raisins with walnuts cause i love chunky ones..and its awesome!! Thank you 😊
Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your great experience with us.
Made it plain without walnuts or chocolate but turned out amazing still
Yay, awesome! I hope you try it with walnuts and chocolate too next time.
making it now! I doubled the recipe. Does that affect cooking time in the oven?
Hi Ann, I hope you love this recipe! If you doubled it into one pan then it may require more bake time.
Love, love, love, every recipe. I especially appreciate your substitution tips. Believe it or not, for the first time ever I have a substitution tip. Miraculous. Here’s the tip for cutting down on sugar and fat in a recipe: lentils. Yes, in a great effort to lower cholesterol and triglycerides I came upon lentils and learned a great deal on Lentils.org. Anyway. You can substitute 1/2 the butter or oil in baking with pureed lentils.
I’m so happy you’ve have enjoyed our recipes! Thank you for the wonderful review and for sharing your tips with us!
Made this recipe today, my first time making banana bread. It came out really well. I had pecans, so I used them. I was very, please. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
You are so welcome! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the result. Thank you for your great feedback, JoAnn!
Delicious recipe, second time I make it and can’t stop eating it.
Looks like you found a favorite recipe!
This recipe is literally soo good! It’s so moist and spongy! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
Tried this recipe last night, switched out baking soda for 2 tsp baking powder, omitted the salt, and used 1/2 cup of sugar and it came it out great!
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Anna!
Love this recipe! I used brown sugar instead. Super moist which we love !
That’s so great Aprilk! Isn’t this recipe so good!
Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe! I saw that we can replace sugar with honey. Would that be with 3/4 cup of honey? Thanks!
Hi, I’ve had a couple of readers report using honey as a substitute with success, however, none provided details.
Will this work for high altitude?
Hi Amanda, I don’t have experience with high altitude for this recipe specifically but I do recommend looking through the comments for a tip from our readers. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Love this recipe. I substitute Almond flour for the regular and use honey. My go to recipe
Yum! Isn’t it so good! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Bea!