Secret Banana Nut Bread (Printable)

Moist banana nut bread loaded with ripe bananas and walnuts, baked golden for pure comfort.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
04 - 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
05 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
09 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Nuts

12 - 2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, plus extra for topping

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
04 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula; do not overmix. Stop when just combined.
05 - Fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans until evenly distributed.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle extra nuts on top if desired.
07 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
08 - Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The brown sugar creates a caramel depth that regular sugar just cannot replicate
  • The buttermilk makes every slice impossibly soft without being gummy
  • It comes together in one bowl if you are feeling rebellious about the two bowl method
02 -
  • The toothpick test is not foolproof because the banana itself can make the center look underdone when it is actually fine
  • Every oven runs differently so start checking at 50 minutes regardless of what the timer says
03 -
  • Adding a handful of chocolate chips turns this into something that disappears even faster at potlucks
  • A tiny pinch of nutmeg alongside the cinnamon creates a warmth people notice but cannot quite name

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