Say hello to the best ever, super moist Banana and Walnut Bread recipe! This foolproof one-bowl recipe is made with four ripe bananas for the ultimate taste and texture and is scattered with crunchy walnuts throughout.
If you love my most popular Café Style Banana Bread recipe... then you're going to love this version with creamy crunchy walnuts! This nut loaf can be served toasted and warm for breakfast or buttered for morning tea - a great filler for lunchboxes too!
When you uncover some overripe bananas in the fruit bowl (which the kids won't touch!), you have the BEST ingredients for this walnut banana bread!
Don't let your overripe bananas go to waste! As they ripen they just become sweeter, and therefore the perfect ingredient for baking cakes, loaves and muffins. Try my easy banana cake with cream cheese frosting or my simple banana poppyseed cake with frosting.
Endless varieties of muffins can use up those ripe bananas too - add some choc chips to banana muffins, try banana blueberry muffins, or sweet strawberry banana muffins made with yogurt. These quick and easy banana recipes make great snacks for hungry kids, and even better, you can freeze them for grab-n-go snacks on the run!
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
You're going to LOVE how easy this banana and walnut bread is to make! It really is the best banana bread recipe.
- Homemade beats store-bought anytime! For the richest loaf with a slightly nutty flavor, it just has to be homemade! It looks just like those café style slices, yet you know there are no additives or preservatives included!
- Great way to use up those overripe bananas - don't waste them; their natural sweetness is what makes this loaf SO very delicious. This family favorite recipe is made with just a handful of simple ingredients.
- Super quick to mix - once you have your ingredients prepared, this recipe can be mixed in just 5 minutes, then popped in the oven and enjoy the aroma while it bakes!
- Versatile - serve walnut banana bread toasted and warm for breakfast or slathered in butter for morning tea, lunch or an after-school snack.
- Freezer friendly - whilst this fresh loaf stores really well, I always pop a few individual slices in the freezer for last-minute lunch box fillers!
- Conventional and Thermomix - instructions for both methods are included in the recipe card below.
What You Need
Basic baking ingredients combine with mashed bananas in this easy banana nut bread recipe.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Butter - unsalted, softened to room temperature.
- Brown sugar - is a mixture of white sugar and molasses. Molasses is a type of sugar-derived syrup and is responsible for the rich caramel flavour and dark colour. I recommend using light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Bananas - mashed. Bananas should be ripe for the best banana bread.
- Eggs - large (approx 55-60g) at room temperature.
- Plain flour - also called all-purpose flour.
- Bicarbonate of soda - in Australia, we often refer to this as bicarb soda, whereas overseas, it is often known as baking soda.
- Salt.
- Vanilla extract - or vanilla essence.
- Walnuts - chopped.
- Raw sugar - optional, to sprinkle over the top for that café style finish!
Equipment Required
- Non-stick loaf tin - grease with cooking spray and line this with baking paper.
- Medium bowl, large mixing bowl and utensils.
- Hand-held beaters, electric mixer, stand mixer or Thermomix - for creaming and combining the mixture.
- Oven - I use a fan-forced oven, so if you use a convection oven, increase the temperature by 10-20 degrees Celsius.
Step By Step Instructions
Make sure your butter, eggs and bananas are at room temperature, and your flour and bicarb soda are sifted beforehand for a super quick bread!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
Step 1 - Cream The Butter And Brown Sugar
Heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius fan-forced (320 degrees Fahrenheit).
Grease and line a non-stick loaf tin (approximately 21cm x 11cm, or 8 inch x 4.5 inch) and set this aside.
Place the softened butter and brown sugar into a large bowl. Using hand-held beaters or a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes or until pale and fluffy.
Step 2 - Add The Mashed Banana
Add the mashed banana and eggs to the creamed mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds or until the ingredients are well combined.
Step 3 - Add The Sifted Flour And Bicarb Soda
Sift the dry ingredients, plain flour and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), into the bowl and gently combine the flour mixture through.
Step 4 - Add The Remaining Ingredients
Add the salt, vanilla extract and chopped walnuts to the bowl. Gently fold all together with a spoon or rubber spatula.
Step 5 - Bake
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, and sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top (optional). This gives a crunchy café style topping to the banana and walnut bread.
Bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs (see tips).
Allow to cool in the tin before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
This delicious banana bread is such a reliable, no-fail recipe, but here are a few extra tips to make sure your moist banana and walnut loaf is the very best it can be!
- Crunchy top - sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top of the loaf before baking. The raw granulated sugar becomes crunchy and extra sweet when baked.
- Substitutions - mix things up by swapping the walnuts for chopped pecans, add a touch of cinnamon or a handful of mini chocolate chips! The options are simply endless.
- Easy removal - use a greased loaf pan lined with overhanging baking paper to allow for easy removal of the banana nut loaf once cooked.
- Test to see if it's cooked - towards the end of baking time, insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, then it’s cooked. All ovens are slightly different, so the bake time may vary slightly.
- Avoid over-browning - if you notice that your banana and walnut bread is browning too quickly (it happens… all ovens are so different), simply place a sheet of aluminium foil loosely over the top and continue cooking.
- Storing - banana and walnut bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing - this loaf can be frozen either whole or in slices, wrapped in plastic wrap or foil and then placed in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before consuming.
FAQs
Ripe bananas can be frozen to use in baking at a later date. The skins will go brown and the bananas soft, but this doesn't detract from using them in baking recipes like this banana and walnut bread recipe. It just makes the loaf super moist and sweet!
When used in baking, bicarb soda (or baking soda) acts as a chemical leavener, producing carbon dioxide in reaction to other ingredients, which produces the air bubbles that help the loaf rise.
Related Recipes
Once more, do not throw overripe bananas away! They add a natural sweetness and make the best ingredient in so many banana-baking recipes!
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Banana and Walnut Bread
Ingredients
- 120 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
- 4 bananas mashed
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 225 g (1 ½ cups) plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 150 g walnuts chopped
- raw sugar optional, to sprinkle over the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius fan-forced (320 degrees fahrenheit). Grease and line a non-stick loaf tin (approximately 21cm x 11cm, or 8 inch x 4.5 inch) and set aside.
- Place the softened butter and brown sugar into a bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or hand-held beaters for 2 minutes or until pale and fluffy.If using a Thermomix: Place the softened butter and brown sugar into the Thermomix bowl. Mix for 20 seconds, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 20 seconds.
- Add the mashed banana and the eggs to the creamed butter mixture. Beat for 30 seconds or until well combined.If using a Thermomix: Add the bananas and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5.
- Sift the plain flour and bi-carbonate soda (baking soda) into the bowl and gently combine.
- Add the salt, vanilla extract and walnuts and fold together with a spoon.If using a Thermomix: Add the plain flour, bi-carbonate soda, salt and vanilla extract and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 5 seconds. Fold the walnuts through with the spatula.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top (optional).
- Cook for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Notes
- Crunchy top - sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top of the loaf before baking. The raw granulated sugar becomes crunchy and extra sweet when baked.
- Substitutions - mix things up by swapping the walnuts for chopped pecans, add a touch of cinnamon or a handful of mini chocolate chips! The options are simply endless.
- Test to see if it's cooked - towards the end of baking time, insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it’s cooked.
- Avoiding over-browning - if you notice that your banana and walnut bread is browning too quickly (it happens… all ovens are so different), simply place a sheet of foil loosely over the top and continue cooking.
- Storing - banana and walnut bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing - can be frozen either whole or in slices, wrapped in plastic wrap or foil and then placed in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before consuming.
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