Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe

5 from 11 votes

This easy banana nut bread is moist, topped with caramelized nuts, and loaded with walnuts. A family-favorite recipe for breakfast or a snack

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper leaving an overhang to easily lift out the bread.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing 20 seconds after each addition. Then add vanilla extract, yogurt, and mashed bananas. Mix until incorporated.
Transfer the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine until just incorporated and no flour pockets remain. Fold in the nuts and transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
To make the topping, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in maple syrup and whisk to combine. Add chopped walnuts and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Distribute the topping evenly on top of the batter.
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cover the pan with aluminum foil after 30 minutes.
Let the bread cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Then lift the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Banana chocolate chip bread: To make a Banana Chocolate Chip Bread reduce the nuts in the batter to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips to the batter.
Use Overripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. Use bananas with brown spots or even blackened skins.
Properly Mash the Bananas: Mash the bananas thoroughly to a smooth consistency. You can use a fork or a potato masher. Any lumps will affect the texture of your bread.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure that your eggs and butter are at room temperature. Room-temperature ingredients blend together more easily, resulting in a smoother batter.
Don't Overmix the Batter: Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Overmixing can lead to a tougher, denser bread.
Test for Doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of the bread. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter when your bread is done.
Cool Before Slicing: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Slicing too early can make it crumbly.
Wrap and Store: Once cooled, wrap your banana nut bread in plastic wrap or foil to keep it moist. It often tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.