This is one of my favorite quick breads to make. You only need one bowl and about 10 minutes to make the batter for this banana nut bread, plus I’m sharing all of my best tips and tricks so it turns out perfectly.
I love making quick bread because there are so many variations you can make and you can use the same recipes to make muffins.
One of my favorite recipes to make is banana nut bread. I think it might be my favorite banana bread recipe because I make it all the time.
Ingredients
- Softened unsalted butter
- White sugar
- Large eggs
- Very ripe mashed bananas
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Baking soda
- All-purpose flour
- Chopped unsalted pecans
Recipe Instructions
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix to combine.
Mix in all of the dry ingredients and mix again. Fold in the pecans and then divide the batter between two greased 7×3 inch loaf pans.
Bake the banana bread for one hour in an 300°F preheated oven. The bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
I’ve made a lot of quick breads and I’ve learned a lot about how to make a banana bread that is moist, full of banana flavor with a tender crumb. So here are some common questions about making banana bread and my best advice for making the best banana bread:
Is banana nut bread hard to make?
Banana bread is not hard to make at all! The best part about making this recipe is that you only need one bowl to make the batter.
I like to cream softened butter and sugar together first. It gives this bread a very tender crumb and a cake-like texture. Then you add the rest of the ingredients, stir and pour the batter into the loaf pans.
What bananas are best?
When you use bananas in baking, it is best to use overripe bananas. You know when a banana is overripe when the peel has turned brown or even black. You want your banana bread to have a strong banana flavor and letting a banana overripen will intensify its flavor. Overripe bananas are also easier to mash and break down easily when you make the batter.
You can leave your bananas out on the counter to ripen. Once the peels have turned brown or black you are ready to make banana bread!
Can you freeze bananas?
Sometimes, I have bananas that are ready to use but I’m not ready to make bread, so I peel them, place them in a freezer bag, and pop them in the freezer until I’m ready to use them. This stops the ripening process so they don’t go totally bad and then they are ready to go when I’m ready to make banana bread.
When you’re ready to make banana bread all you need to do is leave the frozen bananas out at room temperature for a bit to thaw them. It doesn’t take long for them to thaw, so freezing bananas is a great way to keep overripe bananas on hand.
What kind of nuts can you add?
You can pretty much any kind of nuts to your banana bread. I love to add chopped pecans like I did for this banana nut bread recipe I’m sharing today, but here are some other kinds of nuts you can add:
- Walnuts
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Pistachio
- Hazelnuts
- Almonds
How do you make moist banana bread?
There’s nothing worse than dry bread. There are two ingredients in the recipe I’m sharing that makes the bread nice and moist. It also stays moist at room temperature for a few days.
- Over-ripe bananas are full of moisture. Mashing them really well will ensure they fully incorporate into the batter which will help keep your banana bread moist.
- Sour cream also helps keep the bread moist. It also adds a subtle tanginess to the bread, which I really like.
You also want to make sure you don’t overbake the bread. I recommend testing the doneness with a cake tester or toothpick. Mine usually takes an hour to bake, but depending on your oven you may need to add more time or reduce the time.
It’s a good idea to check the bread about 10 minutes before the recommended cook time. If it’s not done, keep checking it every five minutes or so until the toothpick comes out clean.
How long should you cool banana bread?
Although it’s tempting to slice the banana bread straight from the oven, it’s a good idea to cool the bread in the pan for at least 10 to 15 minutes. At that point, you can remove it from the pan and let it fully cool on a wire rack.
In my experience, it tastes best the day after it’s baked. Once it’s fully cooled, I wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature.
Giving it some time to rest allows all of the flavors to fully develop. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious even if you slice into it sooner, but I prefer to wait until all of the flavors have had a chance to settle and develop.
Storage Tips
Depending on how long you want to keep your banana nut bread there are several ways to store it:
- Room temperature: Wrap the bread tightly with plastic wrap or tin foil to keep it from drying out. It will keep at room temperature for a few days.
- Refrigerator: You can also store the banana bread in the refrigerator. Just wrap it tightly or keep it in an airtight container. It will keep well for up to a week this way.
- Freezer: I love to make big batches of banana bread because it freezes really well. Like the other storage methods, you want to make sure it’s wrapped really well and/or stored in an airtight container. It will keep well in the freezer for two to three months.
Can you use this recipe to make banana muffins?
Yes, you can bake the batter in a muffin pan at the same oven temperature. Muffins will need less time to bake.
This is such an easy recipe and the one I make most often when I have ripe bananas on hand. I hope you give it a try!
More Recipes to Try
- Blueberry Banana Bread
- Chocolate Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
- Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Classic Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 very ripe bananas mashed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped unsalted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease two 7x3-inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, yogurt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add the salt, baking soda, and flour and mix until combined. Fold the pecans into the batter. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
- Bake the loaves for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Great recipe! Made it this morning.