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 am 50
Year young woman and I am not a baker. I made my FIRST banana bread last night with this recipe. My husband and I love it!!
Thank you
Yay great job, Susan! I’m so glad that it was a huge success.
This is my favorite banana bread recipe!! For a while I had a problem with it baking through all the way, but I found using only 2 bananas instead of three really helps! Thank you for sharing my now go-to ^^
I’m so glad you found a new favorite on my blog! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Tried it just now, very minimal effort, after a long day at work and without an appropriate baking tray, but it still turned out amazingly moist and delicious. My roommate loved it too!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Aditya!
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now in the past 4 weeks and it comes out perfect each time. My new favorite banana bread recipe!
That’s so great! I’m so glad you found a favorite on my blog, Victoria! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Best Banana Bread EVER! This is hands down the moistest I’ve ever had/made. NO warming w/butter required!
The absolute best banana bread I have made. My husband loved it. I gave half the loaf to a friend and my husband told her it was the best banana bread he has ever had. I followed the recipe exactly as shown, except for the addition of the raisins and walnuts.
That’s wonderful, Terry! Thank you for the feedback!
Made this today. Since my bananas were super ripe, I used maybe 1/3 cup of sugar and the remaining 2tbps of honey I had in the container. Added a bit of cinnamon and cardamom. Really tasty bread! This will be my breakfast all week!
Thank you for sharing, Kathy!
I made this for the first time & baked it for 55 mins. The bottom part was overcooked and it was dry.
Does baking it in an Induction oven make a difference in how long to bake it?
Hi Irene, I bake on normal bake mode, it may be the type of oven or how close it was to the heating element.
I had a similar issue in my regular oven. at 350 degrees, after 30 mins the outside seemed fully cooked but the inside was definitely not. Then at 55 mins the outside of the bread was slightly overcooked and slightly dry but the inside was perfectly moist. Still a very tasty bread though. I wonder if I need to use a lower temperature as a solution?
Hi Nicole. Did you use a different size pan? That makes a difference. Every oven bakes differently so it may take some experimentation. This recipe is written for a conventional oven on regular bake mode. I would highly encourage the use of an Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to see if your oven is heating correctly.
I saw this recipe online and decided to make it and I’m so glad I did. It is delicious. So moist and flavorful. I can’t wait to try your other desserts.
Hi Debra! I’m so glad to hear that. I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy.
I’ve baked many different banana bread recipes through the years. This recipe is my forever one! I just baked mine for 10 mins. less. Turned out very moist. Also, next time I’m going to use golden raisins.
I’ve baked so many different banana bread recipes through the years. This is my new forever recipe! I just baked mine for 10 mins. less. It was perfectly moist and delicious. Also, next time I’m going to use golden raisins.
Sounds good, I’m so glad that you loved our Banana Bread Recipe of all the other recipes that you tried. Thanks for sharing!
I used golden raisins too. Between the raisins and ripe bananas I needed much less sugar than called for in the recipe which is always a plus
As delicious as any BB I’ve made, and simpler!
My subs:
1/2 ww pastry flour
1/2 packed brown sugar
dried figs for 1/2 walnuts
I doubled the recipe and, despite using smaller pans, it filled them perfectly.
Thanks for sharing!
I love, love, love this recipe! It came out perfect. It was very moist. Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Penny!
I love, love, love this recipe! It came out perfect and was very moist. Thank you for this recipe.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Penny!
MMM MMM MMM! Delicious!!!😍 I made double the amount presented in this recipe using 6 medium size banana & half of a medium . 🤭🫶🏽 ssooo sooo soo goooddd! We absolutely loved it
So glad you all loved it!
Followed the recipe to a “T”, minus the raisins and walnuts because I don’t have any. It is soooo good. I love it. I want to make more. I’ll have to pick up some raisins…
I’m so glad you loved it, Julie!
Tried this recipe today and my husband asked me where the recipe came from-then begged me to SAVE it! called it bakery quality bread. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Yay thanks for the lovely review, Sandra!
Was not good in my families opinion.
The walnuts overpowered..Not sure if it’s because they were toasted (which I never do but thought i would try), or too many in the recipe?
The banana bread was way too bitter from the nuts, & not sweet enough. I think the nuts over powered to where the bread didn’t taste sweet at all.
Hi Mindy! We’ve had it both ways with and without nuts and have great results either way. This is our favorite banana bread recipe, it has hundreds of 5-star reviews. The bread has good flavor with enough sweetness. It’s recommended to use very ripe bananas for best flavor and sweetness. Regarding the bitter taste- be sure to measure your baking soda correctly, using too much can create a bitter taste. Toasting the nuts is actually known to minimize the bitterness of raw nuts. Taste your walnuts beforehand, nuts can also become bitter and taste “off” if they are rancid either from age or improper storing.
I hope that helps if you decide to try the recipe again.
I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A BANANA bread recipe For A long time!!!
THIS ONE IS LIKE MY GRANDMA EHLERS RECIPE
THANKS FOR SHARING THIS WITH US
Glad you found our recipe!
This is the best recipe for banana bread ever. I had a banana left over so I added it and it came out beautifully moist. Everyone raves about this bread. Thank you for posting this recipe.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing.
Made this recipe and it is delicious. However, the nuts and raisins all ended up at the bottom. What did I do wrong? Thanks!!
Hi Madelein! Did you add these in at the last step, in step 5? You only need to fold them into the batter. The batter is thick enough that they should stay in place. I haven’t had this issue with this recipe but you can try to toss them through some flour before adding them to the batter. This will help them grip.
I would like to make this into cupcakes, has anyone done that, do you have the cooking time?
Hi Kimberly! You can reference the Banana muffin recipe here.
The best recipe I have tried. I love it and so does my family. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Caro! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.