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.
First time making banana bread, it turned out great!! The whole family loved it. Thanks!
I’m so glad it was a hit with the family, Caroline! That’s awesome!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ve used it 5 times in the past 2 months, making both bread & muffins. Needless to say my family loves them. It’s become a staple in my house. I’m making a loaf today.
I’m so happy you all enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I kid you not this is the best banana bread I ever had/made it’s delicious and moist on the inside but crispy on the outside. Super simple and easy to make! Definitely try it out.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, MJ!
Great recipe! My only suggestion is to soak your raisins in spiced rum for about an hour & drain before adding to mix. Adds a delicious spicy flavor to the loaf & to the overall moisture of the bread! Cheers!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kate! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Best banana bread! I use gluten free flour and its delicious!
Great to hear that it turned out deliicous using gluten free flour! Thanks a lot for sharing.
Super easy, Love it. My go to easy banana bread. Very moist, good flavor. Also I find the recipe very easy to follow, love the ratio/ mixing is also in the recipe description, and just not posted above Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you for sharing, Melisa!
I made this recipe recently and decided to use a different pan than what was specified in the instructions. Despite the change, the recipe turned out perfectly! The flavors were well-balanced and everyone enjoyed it. In fact, people went back for seconds, which is always a good sign that a dish was a big hit. Even with a small variation from the original pan, this recipe proved versatile and delicious. Thank you for sharing it – I’ll definitely be making it again!
That’s wonderful, Irina! Thank you for sharing.
Just tried the banana bread recipe and it is the best ever! Moist, layers of taste, and texture. I used chocolate chips an walnuts ❤️
Judi W.
It really is the best! I’m so happy you loved this banana bread, Judi!
Just made a double batch and made into muffins. Best banana bread recipe I have ever made!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Pam!
Hi Natasha
If you don’t mind to write down, how much is 1 stick of butter in grams. I live in Australia and don’t know how much is 1 stick and 1/2 cup is not easy to measure. Thank you so much
Angie
Hi Angie, if you’re at the recipe card, you may click Metric to convert them to grams. Hope that helps!
I made this the other day and was confused (and still am) on when and where does the sugar & butter get added? 🤔 Did I read it wrong? Thanks and I love your recipes.
Hi Andrea, it’s in step #2 (the first thing you do is cream together the butter and sugar)
Very good! Even when you forget to add the vanilla! Haha!
I love the toasted nut idea – that added a depth of flavor. I used chopped dates instead of raisins and that came out great! I also did half walnuts, half pecans… and half butter, half coconut oil.
So great to hear that you enjoyed our Banana Bread Recipe, Tiffany. Thanks for sharing!
Made this recipe with my great granddaughter and we loved it! They ate half of it the same day!! Left some to taste several days later and still as moist as the first day!!
I’m so glad it was enjoyed!
Love this recipe! It’s so yummy! I left out the raisens and added some chocolate chips instead. So good 😋
So glad you loved it!
I would like to use honey instead of sugar but don’t know how much to use. I read instructions and watched the video but can’t find the amount for the substitution.
Hi Georgia, this recipe works great with honey. In this recipe, the sugar and honey are a 1:1 substitution, unless you want less sweetness of course.
Had to comment to tell you I’ve made this several times already – full recipe and halved and they are delicious every time(I bake them in cupcake times with parchment cupcake liners). Please thank your husband for sharing. We omit raisins, but love the addition of toasted walnuts. This last time I sifted the flour before adding(in addition to whisking) and we enjoyed the results. Thanks again.
That’s wonderful, Brittany! Thank you for sharing!
I made your recipie for Banana bread and I have to say that I have never made a better sweet bread. Family loved it.
That’s wonderful to hear!
Made the recipe again. Added dates as well as raisins and walnuts but added a splash of dark rum. Also added cinnamon and a little nutmeg. I made muffins instead of bread. It was delicious! Love this recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Darlene!
This is very hard to read and follow with so much flashing and advertisments.
Hi George, if you click jump to recipe at the top of the post it will take you straight to the printable recipe card. Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.
I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.
I love this recipe! Can I substitute butter for oil? Thanks!
Glad you love it! One of our readers shared this “I was down to my last 4 tbsp of butter in the house so I subbed the other 4 for coconut oil. I added 1 tsp cinnamon. It was awesome!” Hope that helps.
Thank you for this recipe. It made my mama and niece happy. We had a delicious merienda or snack.
You’re welcome, Aileen! I’m so glad you loved this recipe!