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.







I put my comment in the wrong area lol! I LOVE banana bread and I am extremely picky about it! I made this last night and omg….can you say DELICIOUS?! It’s soft, it’s moist. I did, however, used pecans instead dog walnuts (I didn’t have any walnuts lol) and it came out great! Thank you so much for this recipe! I will definitely be using it again!
Of** not dog lol
You’re welcome Liz! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
Coucou Natasha! Thankyou for the wonderful recipe! I just made them and came up with a batter that was a lot for my loaf pan , so i ended up making a loaf (baked for 40 mins) and 12 cupcakes (baked for 20 mins). I mixed mine with chocolate chips and cranberries and they were so deliciously moist! Your recipes never disappoints! God bless you and the family 🙂
Your mix-ins sound fantastic!! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful review and tips and for your thoughtful words. Blessings to you and your family also! 🙂
I have a son who is allergic to walnuts and so when I know he will be eating this I substitute toasted pecans!
Great tip Carol, thanks for sharing!
Hey I love the banana bread and averything else, thank you.
oh and how are you?😁😁
My pleasure Radomir! I hope you love the recipe. Thanks for following!
Hi there, I just wanna say that the banana bread was amazing and thank you for all your hard work.😁😁😁
You’re welcome, I’m glad you love it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Natasha, what if I want to make 2-3 banana breads… would I just double/triple all of the ingredients or is it better to make them separately? Also how do you store the portion that hasn’t been eaten?
On the counter in a zip lock, under tea towel, as is, or fridge? Sorry for so many questions….
Oh and by the way, my family and I LOVE all your scrumptious recipes!!! And I adore your personality, so cute!!
Hi Yelena, 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.
OMG this recipe is amazing and to die for but instead of butter I added oil and I added a little bit of cinnamon and I added about half a cup of crushed pineapples and It WAS SO GOOD!!!!! Natasha you literally have the best recipes ever!!!
Yum, that sounds delicious Maryam! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
I was looking for a good Banana Bread recipe. This is the best and turn out very moist. I substitute the sugar for raw sugar. And it came delicious!! I gave a piece to my friend and she say it was the best. I love to bake with whole wheat flour. Thank so much.
You’re welcome Annie! I’m glad you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review with other readers!
I didn’t like this bread at all, not moist and the taste was not good..sorry
Hi Doris, I’m sorry to hear that. This has been one of our most loved recipes for years and is very moist and flavorful normally. I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Was anything substituted, modified? Different baking settings used (conventional vs. convection)?
Can you use all purposes flour instead??
Yes Jenn, it should still work fine, just sift the flour.
Sift flour before or after measuring?
Hi Jo, I would sift after measuring.
How long can this be stored for and do you keep it in the fridge or wrapped on the counter?
Hi Ellen, store left overs in the fridge 😬
Natasha
I’ve wrapped and left on the counter, it keeps wonderful, there isn’t any cream cheese in it, so I never put in refrigerator,
I also make French banana bread toast, so good
But u really need to put sizes of loaf pan , this is very important in recipes
Thank you so much for sharing that with us! French banana bread toast sounds amazing!
I made this over the Thanksgiving holiday and it was beyond yummy!!! We would slice a piece that was warm and put a little butter on it and OMG you were in food heaven!!! Thank you for sharing this!! I will make this all year long!!
You’re welcome Carolyn! I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
What id you forget the vanilla extract ? Because I just did that D:
Hi Zory, no worries! It will still work great. We made banana bread on a recent vacation and the house we stayed in did not have vanilla and it was still absolutely scrumptious 😉
Hi Natasha! Love all your recipes. What can I use instead of butter to make this banana bread non-dairy? Thank you!
Hi Katya, I haven’t experimented with anything else, but one of my readers wrote in with the following helpful review: “The bread turns out rich and moist and wonderful!!! I have tweaked it a bit (as all bakers do) by using virgin coconut oil instead of butter, and using 1/2 cup of white sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar in place of just white… Finally I use milk chocolate chips instead of raisins or nuts. It is to die for!!!!
The best banana bread ever , we make it all the time , thanks Natasha for your hard work , we are big fans of you always checking for new recepies ,
I’m so glad you love it! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!
Can I use baking powder instead of soda? If yes, what would be a measurements? Thank you!
Hi Elena, I have not tested it this way and since baking is so much a science, I can’t make that recommendation without first trying it. Also, baking soda is 4x stronger than baking powder.
This looks amazing! I have some bananas that are way overripe, so this would be perfect! However I do not have raisins on hand. I’m thinking of adding fresh cranberries instead or maybe chopped prunes. Thoughts?
Thank you!!
Hi Olga, I haven’t tried adding fresh cranberries, but I do think chopped prunes would work well. If you experiment with fresh cranberries, let me know how you liked it 🙂
Thanks, Natasha!
I will definitely let you know! I like the sweet/sour combo, so in theory it should work, but we shall see. Stay tuned. 🙂
Thanks again!!
My pleasure Olga!
So… it’s really good with cranberries. Everyone loved it!! Thank you!!! 😋
I always add fresh whole cranberries to my banana bread; tastes really good and gives it an extra “zing” to it. I don’t add extra sugar because I like the tartness of the cranberries.
Yum, that sound great Lorelei! 🙂
What temperature do I bake the bread on?
Hi Natasha, it is 350˚F. I have it at the beginning of the instructions but I also added it in the steps to make it easier to find :). Thanks for asking!
Thank you so much = )
I made the bread and it was a huge hit!
I have your carrot cake in mind next.
I really enjoy and appreciate how clear, simple, and comprehensive your recipes are.
Thanks again!
My pleasure Natasha! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
So I made this today, but unlike the previous times, I chose to use honey instead of sugar. Let me tell you, it was a major fail! 😂
The honey is more in volume than sugar apparently. The batter barely fit into my baking pan, so I placed the pan on a cookie sheet “just in case” And sure enough the batter just kept spilling over. It was a mess lol. So I poured the batter into a larger pan and let it bake completely thru. The end result was very wet and super dense, almost like it wasn’t baked thru inside, although the edges were getting burnt….
All in all, I will continue using sugar instead of honey from now on.
Thanks for this recipe 😋
My pleasure Roxanne! Thanks for sharing with other curious readers!
It was one of the most amazing bananas bread recepi i have ever tried
Thank you so much
You’re welcome Shania! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂