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.
Was really good! I actually had 4.5 bananas so I used them all and candied my walnuts prior to putting in the batter. I also saved some and added to the top prior to cooking. Now it did take about an extra 10 min to cook all the way thru but definitely not disappointed!
So glad you enjoyed it1
This was the best banana bread. I used 5 super ripe bananas and I didn’t have a mixer and it turned out perfect. Will definitely always use this recipe.
Thank you for your awesome feedback and review!
Hey, I was wondering if I can use a Bundt pan. If so what size substitutions would I make?
Hi Hannah! I have not tested it in a bundt pan to advise. It could work but not sure how much batter you’ll need. You’d have to experiment with it and watch it in the oven.
I would double the recipe for the bundt pan, any leftover batter you can bake in muffin tin.
I made two loaves of this banana bread today. It is my new favorite recipe. So moist and tender. The flavor was amazing. My husband loved it too.
Yay, great to hear that it was successful! So glad you found your new favorite.
Great recipe and so easy! I did make the following modifications and it turned out so yummy! Moist with edges carmelized & crusty.
– used mix walnuts & pecans
– omitted raisins
– used 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
– added 1 Tbsp Whiskey
Sounds good, thanks for sharing!
I made the banana bread recipe a few weeks ago and loved it. I wanted to freeze one so I doubled the recipe for two loaves today and I’m in heaven. This time I substituted pecans for walnuts and dried cranberries for the raisins. I sliced it and smeared cream cheese on top. They were so delicious. Either way this is one of my favorite recipes! Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Dorrie!
Can I use a square glass baking dish in stead of a square pan
Hi Kathryn, I haven’t tried this in a glass baking dish, but it may work. You may need to adjust the bake time a bit, one of my readers mentioned they tried it in a glass pan, and the middle was not set, and the exterior browned faster. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
If the edges do brown faster than the rest,cook it for half the time then wrap the edges with aluminum foil that should help it brown more evenly
Thank you for the tip. 🙂
Natasha, I found your recipe a while back and it’s my go to recipe for banana bread! I never use any other, my fam would notice and I’d hear about it. I always double it to make two loaves, because just one wouldn’t last the day! Your recipe is spot on, if anyone thinks it’s bland or dry, they didn’t do something right! It’s wonderful, thank you for sharing!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Joyce!
I have always enjoyed listening and watching what you did with your all the lovely food that you make. I am from Scotland just you know what part of the country that I come from. Keep showing us all the lovely food that you make. Lots of love.x
Hi Margaret! Thank you for following my channel. I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
My search for the perfect banana bread recipe is finally over! I’ve tried many recipes and they come out okay, but not great. This banana bread was fantastic! Moist, delicious, easy to make and most importantly, everyone loved it. Thank you 🙂
Hi Laura! I’m so glad you found this recipe. It’s our favorite banana bread. Thank you for sharing.
Honestly not super impressed. It was…fine? Nothing to write home about. Not very banana-y or very flavorful at all. Almost tasted like nothing. I saw people saying they reduced the sugar for theirs and I can’t imagine how that would be pleasant being as it’s already not very sweet. Texture was meh too, definitely much more dry than I prefer, and I cooked mine for right at 50 mins instead of the 55-60 suggested. Recipe was very convenient and easy though, so maybe this would be good as a starting point for someone with not much baking experience or someone that prefers more muted flavors. I added a touch more vanilla and a teeny bit of cinnamon to the batter which did make it smell amazing while it baked. I’ve tried other recipes from this site and liked them, so I was surprised this one was such a dud. Overall I personally wouldn’t make this again, but at least my bananas didn’t go to waste so that’s positive.
Hi Liz! I’m sorry to hear that you had this experience. This is one of our favorites and has hundreds of 5-star reviews. Did you change anything in the process or make substitutions? Cinnamon can definitely be added if you prefer, some of my other readers prefer to add this too but I have never had this be too bland. A dry texture is usually due to using too much flour and even over-baking if your oven runs hot. I use an internal oven thermometer to ensure my oven is heating correctly and this is how I measure my ingredients HERE. Regarding the reduced sugar, if the bananas are overly ripe, they can make the bread sweeter so using less sugar is appropriate but not necessary. Bananas that are not ripe enough do not have the same flavor as a ripe banana so the bread would be bland and not very sweet. I hope that helps if you try again, but I’m sorry if this was not the recipe for you.
Dear Liz
I use half a cup of brown sugar as it gives an extra flavour.
Make sure your bananas are very ripe. That is a key!
Splash of rum works every time. Not only gives wonderful flavour, it also makes loaf moist and soft.
Thanks for sharing, Daniela!
Made with my kids. Omitted raisins and walnuts.
Used about 3.5 bananas.
Cooked for 65 minutes and it came out so moist and flavorful!
Thanks for the great feedback!
I made this recipe and omitted the raisins and walnuts
Replaced by 3/4 cup blueberries
My bread did not raise at all
What did I do wrong?
Hi Rosemary! If you made changes to the recipe, that could have caused it. Also, you might check that your oven reaches the correct temperature and make sure to put it in the oven after it is fully preheated. I recommend using an internal oven thermometer.
If it didn’t rise much, it could also be expired leavening. If leavening expires, it won’t activate to make the bread rise properly. I hope that helps!
Thank you for sharing Natasha!
Absolutely DELICIOUS! I made the bread with Monk Fruit….this is now my go to for banana bread!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Denise! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Perfect recipe for my leftover bananas. Very easy and it’s smells so good baking.
My family can’t wait for me to cut it!
Thank you Natasha
You’re very welcome, Terry! Enjoy and I hope your family will love all the recipes that you will try.
I used 4 medium bananas and it came out perfectly! Ty for this recipe
You’re welcome, glad it was a success!
This recipe was so easy and so good I’ll probably never use another recipe. There was absolutely no need to cut back on sugar. I’m a person who waters down juice and I thought the sugar in this recipe was perfect! And it was so moist! I just kept eating it. I probably ate half of it and then decided to save some for the rest of the family. 😀
Hi Christi! That’s great to hear. Thank you for sharing.
this is as close as it gets to grandmas recipe that i lost and it is delicious.
That’s great, Frank! I’m so glad you found this recipe.
I have made your recipe at least 5 times, now. I usually add either walnuts or pecans and I also add craisins.
Hi Barb! That’s great to hear. So glad you love the recipe.
I have misplaced my banana bread recipe I have used for 60+ years. I am now using GLASS 5 1/4 x 3 1/4 inch pans–8 of them usually.
Your recipe sounds very much like what I had been using. How long do I bake in these pans?
Thank you.
Hi Bonnie, I like to reference this baking recipe pan fit size guide HERE.
Hi Natasha! Thank you for the recipe! I made this tonight with what I had on hand, with the following changes/notes:
– used cane sugar instead of white sugar, about 2/3 cup, to cut sweetness down a bit
– added a little cinnamon
– used electric hand mixer to bring everything together
The end result is a bit gummy but also dry (?? Idk it takes a lot of time & effort in the mouth lol), and not very flavorful. Not the worst thing ever but not exactly drool-worthy. Of course I didn’t follow the recipe exactly so this is no knock on your work. Just curious if you have thoughts as to how my changes produced what I got? I’m more intuitive with cooking than I am with baking. Thanks for any insight you have to offer.
Hi Ash! A couple of things that come to mind, over-mixing the batter can cause dense and gummy cupcakes. Also, watch my tutorial on how to measure your ingredients HERE. Dry cake can be a results of using too much flour or possibly even over baking. I hope that helps.
My go to recipe! I sometimes add cinnamon or brown sugar, my family loves it!
Great to hear that this is loved by your family!