Classic Banana Nut Bread Recipe

From the school bake sale booth to the holiday dinner table to the display counter at your favorite coffee shop, banana nut bread is one of those treats that's a classic, all-time favorite. As a matter of fact, not only is it a dessert, but it's a great treat to enjoy for breakfast with a cup of tea as well. If you don't think you have the skills to prepare a sweet and nutty, moist and tender loaf of this beloved bread, think again and gain that confidence. 

According to chef and recipe developer Mark Beahm of The Sunday Baker, "This recipe is definitely one that beginners can tackle. There are no fancy techniques or special equipment required and it's ready to eat in just over an hour." Beahm also says, "Banana bread has always been one of my signatures. "It's quick and easy to make and almost everybody loves it. It's perfect for sharing with friends or for family gatherings." 

Whipping up a classic banana nut bread is also the best way to make use of bananas that are just reaching that over-ripe mark. Rather than throwing away your fruit, you make it the signature ingredient of a loaf of bread that will keep for up to four days when wrapped in plastic or tucked into an airtight container.

You probably already have most if not all of the ingredients needed for this take on banana nut bread in your kitchen, and that's good news, because once you know how to prepare this bread, you may use the recipe every time your bananas are turning on you. If you ever want to speed that process up in order to make this loaf, try putting under-ripe bananas in a closed paper bag for a few hours.

That being said, it's time to gather the ingredients to make this amazing bread. You'll need all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ripe (mashed) bananas (about 3 to 4 medium bananas will do), granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and chopped nuts for the baking (plus more for sprinkling). It's your call here, but walnuts and cashews both serve well.

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter, and dust it with flour. If your pan is of different dimensions, that's okay, just know that a larger pan will yield a broader, flatter loaf that will cook faster, and you'll need to adjust the timing and keep a close watch.

Then, in a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, combining them all well. And now, you can set the mixed dry ingredients aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas using a fork or, if you have one, a dedicated masher. Next, whisk in the mashed banana, both types of sugar, the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract, and stir these wet ingredients well to combine.

Then, fold the flour mixture (the dry ingredients, e.g.) into the wet ingredients using a wide spatula, mixing just until the ingredients are incorporated. Fold in the chopped nuts, again taking care not to over-mix things, as that will affect the final density of the loaf.

Now, it's time to transfer the banana nut batter into the prepared loaf pan, and sprinkle the top with some more chopped nuts. Bake the loaf at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then use a butter knife or an offset spatula to loosen the edges of the bread before turning the loaf out onto a wire rack. Be sure to let the banana nut bread cool completely before slicing or wrapping it up to enjoy later.

Once you have your sweet finished product, how and when you enjoy a slice is completely up to you. "Banana bread is great, because it can be a sweet breakfast, a dessert, or a snack for your coffee break," says Beahm. "While it's delicious plain, you can also try it with butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, or even Nutella."

So, whether you're on-the-go, enjoying a slice as part of breakfast, digging into this sweet loaf as a late-night treat, or really anything in between, this is a bread you will always want to have on hand. And it makes a top-seller at your kid's school or scout bake sale, too.