Banana bread is just so delicious and moist, it’s great as a breakfast bread. Today I’m going to show you a super-easy banana and walnut bread that even beginners can make. You don’t even need a mixer to make it.
Banana and walnut bread
This banana and walnut bread is the best and easiest I know so far and makes a great breakfast, as well as a delicious desert! It’s filling enough to pair with the morning coffee, and sweet enough as a dessert. Being so easy to make, it’s a great recipe for beginners. You can also ask your kids to help with mixing the dough.
Other fruit desserts you will love:
- Apple cinnamon bread
- Apple tiramisu
- Strawberry pinwheels
- Apple pull apart bread
- Blueberry streusel muffins
- Peanut butter banana bread
This easy banana walnut bread comes together in no time and it’s so fuss free! You don’t need a mixer to combine the ingredients. Just mix them with a large wooden spoon and that’s it! After mixing, just pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake. The result will be a velvety and moist cake-like bread that is irresistible with chocolate as well as cream cheese or just as is.
As a variation, you can also shape the batter into delicious banana bread muffins or pan cake. They will be just as great.
How can I make this banana walnut bread healthier?
- Sweeten it naturally with maple syrup or honey. They offer some trace nutrients that white sugar doesn’t;
- Use 100% whole wheat flour, unlike traditional banana bread recipes that use refined flour. You can still use it, but you’ll get less nutrients;
- Use a small amount of unrefined oil rather than butter. You can either choose extra-virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil or other vegetable oil. Butter is a lot tastier, I know, but sometimes it can be too much.
- For a low-fat diet, replace the fat with applesauce.
What if I follow a special diet?
This recipe is pretty versatile and you can easily adjust it to your dietary needs.
- To make it egg-free, replace the eggs with flaxseed meal (or grind the seeds at home) or an additional banana for each egg.
- To make it diary-free, use non-diary milk like coconut or almond.
- For a vegan variety, replace the honey with maple syrup, replace the eggs with flax eggs and the milk with a non-diary type.
How to store banana and walnut bread?
Being so moist, this walnut banana read will only keep at room temperature for 2-3 days maximum. You can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a week, or in the freezer, in a zip bag, for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual slices and defrost just as much as one serving. Leave at room temperature or toast slightly.
Please tell me your favorite way of having this delicious banana walnut bread in the comments below.
Banana walnut bread recipe
What’s in this banana and walnut bread?
- Bananas – ripe bananas are recommended otherwise your bread won’t be moist and will not taste great.
- Butter – unsalted.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – we love free range eggs as they add more color to the recipe and also help it taste better.
- Walnuts are optional, but they add flavor and crunchiness to this banana walnut bread. You can replace them with other nuts you like for a different flavor. Other tasty add-ins you can use that are also optional are raisins, dried fruits, chocolate chips or banana slices.
- Flour – You can use many kinds of flour to make this delicious banana and walnut bread: all-purpose, oat, spelt, gluten-free, whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat. It’s up to you to choose what you like best.
- Baking soda, vanilla extract and salt
How do you make moist banana walnut bread?
- Cream butter with sugar. Mash bananas and add to the butter along with the eggs. Add vanilla extract.
- Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the wet ingredients, mixing between batches.
- Add walnuts (and raisins if you opt for them)
- Transfer to a loaf pan and bake until golden brown. Due to ripe bananas, the color will be quite deep.
Pin to save for later
Print the recipe card
Banana and walnut bread
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas medium
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs medium
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts
- ½ cup raisins - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the loaf pan and line with baking paper
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
- Add eggs and mix well
- Mash bananas with a potato masher or a fork until the consistency of chunky applesauce. Add the puree to the butter along with the eggs, mixing until well blended. Add vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients mixing well.
- Fold in chopped walnuts and raisins.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350˚F for 50-55 min. Check the batter for doneness at the 50 minute mark, by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, leave for extra 5 minutes. Cool in the pan.
L V says
Hi – Your recipe calls for 3 eggs, but in your instructions, you only mention 2 eggs! My banana bread is in the oven now and I used 3 eggs (!), so hopefully it doesn’t come out soggy!
petro says
The 2 is a typo, it’s supposed to read “together with the eggs”. The recipe uses 3 eggs.