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.
Everyone loves this banana bread 😍 one issue – It takes over an hour to be fully baked inside, so the outside (not the top) is overdone 😟 My oven is the correct temperature – help 🙏 Thank you
Hi Lisa, consider if you are possibly using a different type of pan (glass?) or different size or shape?
At 35 minutes quickly open oven and cover bread with foil that you have sprayed with non-stick spray finish baking.
I’ve cut the sugar by a third and added the zest and juice of half a lemon – best banana bread I’ve ever had! Thank you for this great recipe!
I’m very happy to hear that, Robert. Thank you!
One of my favorite recipe
Thank you!
Hi Natasha! Excited to make this tonight. I wanted to ask, can I substitute the 1/2 cup of butter with 1/2 cup of vegetable oil? Thank you!
Hi Suzzy, I haven’t tested that substitution but it should work great. Here’s what one of our readers wrote “I made the same recipe but I just replaced the butter with the oil … It is very successful and delicious … Thank you Natasha …” I hope that helps.
if you havent done it already, make sure to google the conversion because 1/2 cup butter is different from 1/2 cup oil. sorry if you have already made the bread!
Made this banana bread today and it was such a hit and super easy. I’ve been looking for a moist banana bread recipe and I finally found it. I’m so happy. I wanted to add chocolate chips but figured since it was my first time making the recipe it was best to stick to the original. It turned out great. Saved it and I will be making this again. Thank you Natasha for this amazing recipe
You are very welcome, Karla. I’m glad you found and loved this recipe! I hope this is going to be one of your favorites.
The first time I made this recipe I followed all of the ingredients exactly and it was delicious!
The next time I used whole wheat flour and it was definitely not as moist. Do I need to add more bananas or raisins the next time I use whole wheat flour? Any other suggestions?
Glad you liked it, Sandy. I honestly haven’t tried using wheat flour to advise but others shared that they used wheat flour and liked the result too. It would probably be normal that it wouldn’t be as moist as the original recipe.
I made this and also the chocolate chip banana bread – Love these two recipes and the fact that they’re such moist breads!!!
Super thumbs up!!!!!
Perfect, thank you for sharing and for giving this recipe an awesome review. We appreciate it!
Super yummy!!! I used brown sugar, added cinnamon and rum soaked raisins. Best ever. Thank you Natasha, love your recipes
That’s so great! Thank you, Elsie. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
The best banana bread I ever made. Thank you for all of your delicious recipes.
Wow! Thank you for that great review!
5 star.
Thank you for the 5 stars, Maxine!
Hello. I’m a very big fan of your cooking channel. Your recipes are very easy to make with ingredients readily available. Can I replace the walnuts with peanuts, as those are the ones readily available to me.
Thank you for your trust, Maxine. Yes, that should work too!
My husband and I love your banana bread I have made a lot of different recipes this is really good I use spelt flour replace sugar with maple syrup and leave nut out it’s yummy thanks for recipe I do try to save it and your site won’t let me other then that I’m enjoying your blog
Hi Deborah, thanks for your good review! I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Hi,
Would like to know if I could make the banana bread with bread flour intead of All purpose. Thanks.
Hi Maria, I haven’t tasted that with bread flour but one of our readers mentioned making it with bread flour: “This is the best banana bread I’ve ever made! It’s so moist and full of flavor. I used bread flour, did not toast the walnuts, used salted butter, and threw in an extra 1/2 banana. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!!”
Wow!! Usually I’m a terrible baker and I’m trying to learn how to bake nicely. I tried this recipe and I am soooo happy how it turned out. I even took it to a playgroup meeting with other mothers (who are verrrryyyy good bakers) and they commented how lovely the banana bread tasted. Will definitely be using this recipe again. Thanks so much!
Yay, that makes me so happy! Thank you so much for sharing your great feedback with us.
Nathasha, thank you for sharing your recipes with us. I cooked several dishes and they are delicious. God bless you
You’re most welcome, Rosa. I’m happy that you’re enjoying my recipes! Bless you too.
Hi, this bread seems yummy in tummy..
But one thing, can we add yoghurt or buttermilk in this bread?
Hi Beenu, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us if you liked it!
Your Banana Bread is hands down, THE BEST!! yum was right! so good!!
Yay, love it! Thank you so much, Cynthia.
I really enjoy your videos, keeps me entertained and happy to do more cooking!!! You are great…
You’re so nice! Thank you!
I loved this fantastic banana bread recipe. I have made 3 today. I have ended up reducing the sugar and substituting 1/2 cup of pie apple when I was short of bananas. I also used currants instead of sultanas.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I just made these gluten free and dairy free for my son. I used gluten-free flour and oat flour, with some flax eggs (because I didn’t have enough eggs) and with half honey and brown sugar and reduced the sugar. I also used coconut oil in place of butter. I also used sunflower seeds instead of walnuts to make them school friendly. I just took them out of the oven and they are perfect and delicious!!! Thank you for a great recipe to go off of!
You’re welcome, Holly. I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. Thank you for sharing those substitutions with me.
What kind of gluten free flower did your use?
I so glad that I came across your blog. I’m not a wonderful cook. I don’t have a clue what seasoning I should use to make my meals tasty. Could you please help me with what seasoning goes well with what. Thank You.
Hi Beatrice, I hope you love every recipe that you will try! I don’t have a tutorial specifically just for seasoning but I recommend signing up to our newsletter if you haven’t yet, for more tips.