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Banana Walnut Bread Recipe – easy to make, sweet, moist and delicious banana bread made with simple basic ingredients. No, I’m not going to call this the next “best banana bread recipe”, but this os one of the best banana breads I’ve ever made.
I’ve tried over a dozen recipes for banana nut bread and almost all of them were pretty disappointing, or I was not doing things the right way, back in the day, when I was still a new baker.
What I was looking for in a banana bread was:
- Rich banana flavor
- Moist on the inside bread, that is not under baked, but still fluffy
- Soft bread, that has risen well
Apparently, if your bananas are not ripe enough, I mean dark brown on the outside your bread won’t be moist and sweet, it will turn rather dense. Also if the batter is too runny the bread may not bake well. I only used baking powder as a leavening agent, no baking soda needed.
This banana walnut bread recipe contains no milk, sour cream, apple sauce or yogurt. It is loaded with ripe bananas, sweetened with brown and white sugar and added flavor and texture with walnuts or pecans.
You can also throw in some chocolate chips in the batter (up to 1/2 cup) and use either walnuts or pecans or leave the nuts out.
What ingredients do you need to make banana nut bread?
- flour (all-purpose)
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- butter, melted
- sugar
- light brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- ripe bananas, mashed
- walnuts or pecans
Want to turn this sweet walnut bread recipe into a chocolate chip walnut banana bread? Add some chocolate chips to the batter, but don’t go too crazy over it – up to 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips should be good.
How to make this banana walnut bread recipe?
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Combine the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl beat together butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until well incorporated.
- Add the vanilla and eggs. Beat for 2 more minutes.
- Next add in the bananas and whisk to combine.
- Now add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overtax the batter, because the bread will be tough.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cover with aluminum foil half way through, so the top does not burn.
Is banana walnut bread healthy?
It really depends on that the banana bread is made of and what you personally consider healthy. What diet are you following? Low- sugar, low-carb or gluten free?
This banana bread contains refined sugars and white flour, which may not be considered healthy in most diets. I recommend consuming baked goods in moderation.
The banana bread recipe with walnuts I’m sharing with you today is great for breakfast, to serve with coffee or tea or make for a family gathering.
How to freeze banana bread?
You can freeze this easy banana walnut bread for up to 2 months. Make sure you wrap the baked, cooled bread in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, to keep it moist (or you can just do aluminum foil) and store in the freezer.
More banana recipes:
- This Almond Flour Banana Bread from Four Score Living is naturally grain free and full of healthy fats and protein.
- Blueberry Banana Muffins + GF Option
- Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread – a delicious combination of banana bread and cheesecake.
Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour, all-purpose
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed (1 3/4 - 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a bowl combine the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl beat together butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until well incorporated.
- Add the vanilla and eggs. Beat for 2 more minutes.
- Add in the bananas and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overtax the batter, because the bread will be tough.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cover with aluminum foil half way through, so the top does not burn.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Unbelievable, we freeze this easy banana walnut bread for up to 2 months. As normal, I bake the bread and just only store it a maximum of 3-4days in the refrigerator.
I rarely freeze it, but know of people who bake a few breads and freeze some of them for later.