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.







Yummy 😋 What can I use instead of eggs please???
Hi Leena, I don’t think it would work the same without the eggs but again, I haven’t tested it without the eggs.
The company FOLLOW YOUR HEART makes VEGANEGG, which works fine. You should be able to find it at a Whole Foods type grocery store.
Thanks for sharing that with us Cathy!
For some reason my banana bread turned out slightly dry. The color was also a lot lighter than yours but I baked it for 60 min. I didn’t put nuts and raisins
Hi Milou, I wonder if maybe you used a different sized pan or did you possibly use a convection oven? A convection oven circulates heat and will bake recipes faster than a standard conventional oven. This recipe and all of our recipes are written for a standard conventional oven. I hope that helps to troubleshoot 🙂
Would you plz put what size loaf pan you used, this is very important in a recipe, always put the size of pan
Thank You
Thank you for the tip about the loaf pan size. I didn’t realize I missed that. Edited! 🙂
I made this already several times and it always works out perfectly! Last time I didn’t have raisins so I substituted them with dried blueberries and it turned out great! Great 👍 recipe!!!!!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me 🙂
Maybe the answer is in all these comments—The ;nutritionist facts’ are much appreciated, but the serving size is not included,
Hi Joyce, the serving size is included towards the top of the print-friendly recipe card to the left of the small photo of the recipe. 🙂
Can we add brown sugar instead of white sugar. If so how much of briwn sugar for the same quantity of banana bread
Hi Ann, I haven’t experimented with brown sugar, 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!!!!
Can this be made in mini loaf pans? What would be the bake time?
Hey Amanda! I haven’t tried that in a mini loaf pan myself but one of my readers shared her great results using a muffin pan in a comment, writing: “Just made this! It’s sooooo perfectly yummy! Baked it for 25 minutes in a 12-regular sized muffin pan, and our kitchen smells divine.” I hope this helps. If you experiment please let me know how you like this recipe!
Hi Natasha! Thank you SO much for this recipe! I’ve made it twice now and it’s really the best, most delicious banana bread ever. Do you think I could use the same recipe for zucchini bread? Or do you have a recipe for that? Thank you!!
Hi Liza, you can find a zucchini version here. or these zucchini muffins
I am a 12 year old girl that is pretty good at baking and from all that i have made this is by far the easiest bread/desert ever made
Wow! That’s so awesome! Thank you for the wonderful compliment! I’m so happy you discovered our blog, Katy!
Can you use self-rising flour and omit the baking soda and salt?
Hi Margaret, I haven’t tested that so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the rise.
Hi, all. I make Banana Bread pretty often to a recipe which is almost the same as Natasha’s, but with NO fat. I have found that baking soda (or bicarbonate, as we would say) is ideal for use with bananas, probably because of the potassium they contain. Baking powder (which is in the self-raising flour) just doesn’t work the same. I often substitute 20% of the flour with oats, which makes for an even more wholesome treat.
Thank you for sharing your version with us!
I love the use of walnuts in the bread,I enjoy the nutty taste that it brings in the food.
Thank you for the wonderful review!
I just took it out of the oven and I’m letting it cool. Well, we couldn’t wait anymore. I had to cut into it. Oh man, it is so awesome. Thanks
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I love most of your recipes,for the banana bread recipe,try adding ts of cinnamom half ts nutmeg,and quarter ts cloves to the recipe .it adds holiday taste and smell.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hey Natasha! Love all your recipes. This will be my first time trying your guys’ banana bread. I don’t have a loaf tin, can you recommend the temp/time if making banana nut muffins? I have a 12 count regular size tin and a bunch of mini muffin ones.
Much appreciated!
Hi Kristina, I haven’t tried that myself but one of my readers shared her great results in a comment, writing: “Just made this! It’s sooooo perfectly yummy! Baked it for 25 minutes in a 12-regular sized muffin pan, and our kitchen smells divine.”
omg!! I made this banana bread last weekend and its so……delicious!!! Thanks for the awesome recipe. It became my family’s favorite dessert! 🙂
Lydia, thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi Dear Natasha,
Thanks for your sharing. I love following your each recipes.
May I ask you one question? You mentioned that cup to carry the ingredients, how big is a cup?
Thanks!
Hi Fenmi, this post on how we measure ingredients should help 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! My family and colleagues liked it very much. I think I have too small an oven-I had to switch a heat abowe and below manually, in the middle of the oven it begun to burn in 15 min. p.s. Thank you for the ingredients list in metric system, helps a lot.
You’re welcome Oxana! I’m glad to hear the recipe was success. I’m glad you find the measurement converter helpful, I hope to have that tool available on all of my recipes in the near future. Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Good afternoon Natasha made this yesterday because I have not made banana nut bread in ages sweetheart thanx tons for all the tips greatly appreciated had a slice today with my coffee and it was seriously way yummm and so very delish btw love the video demo so helpful and lots of fun and you’re so right girl it my house did smell like a bakery fresh out of the oven except ten times lots better than buying from the bakery thanx again can’t wait for more recipes have a really very beautiful blessed day and week ahead peace
Hello Tzivia! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe and how good it makes your house smell. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your great review!
Can this be made for a 2 loaf pans of banana bread
Hi Jenn, try to use all the measurements from this recipe and use 5-6 bananas instead of persimmon pure. Let me know how it turns out.
hi Natasha,i always love your recipes.the banana recipe looks so good too,though i havent try it, how much of honey am to use if i am substituting honey for sugar? Thanks alot for sharing
Hello Faith! I’ve had a couple of readers report using honey as a substitute with success however, none provided details. If you decide to try it, please let us know how it goes!
Love this recipe! Always get great reviews. Is it possible to bake 2 breads at the same time? Would I have to increase the baking time?
Thanks
Rita Scanlon
I’m so glad you love the recipe! Thank you for sharing your amazing review! We find that it does need slightly more bake time (about 5-7 minutes if I’m remembering correctly) so be sure to check for doneness with a toothpick at the normal time stated in the recipe and bake a little longer if needed. Remove when a toothpick comes out clean.