An easy and moist Banana Bread Recipe that is loaded with bananas, tangy-sweet raisins, and toasted walnuts. This is one of our favorite overripe banana recipes with hundreds of 5-star reviews.
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Banana Nut Bread Recipe:
This is my husband’s recipe which he has perfected over the years and he is known for his Banana Bread. He makes it frequently and it always disappears fast! It is simple to make and our favorite way to use up overripe bananas so they never go to waste. It’s super moist and makes a great breakfast on-the-go. We even created Banana Muffins from this recipe.
This loaf stays moist for days and also makes for a thoughtful and delicious gift idea for the holidays (I’ll take banana bread over fruit cake any day).
Banana Bread Video Tutorial:
Watch Natasha make this moist banana bread. You will be surprised at how easy it is. We will never stop loving this recipe. Now go forth and bake!
Ingredients for Banana Bread:
This is everything you need to make the best banana bread: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, softened butter, eggs and of course very ripe bananas. Adding walnuts and raisins is optional but adds great taste and texture, turning it into a banana nut bread.
Can I Omit Walnuts and Raisins?
YES! The recipe will still work if raisins and walnuts are omitted. We make it nut-free all the time due to a walnut allergy in the family. You will still have the softest, super moist and scrumptious loaf. You can also replace them with some chocolate to make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
How to Ripen Bananas:
- Quick Oven Method: If your bananas are a little green and you want them to ripen quicker, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 250˚F for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the initial ripeness of the bananas.
- 24 Hour Counter Method: If you are willing to wait 1 day, you can place the bunch of bananas (without separating them) in a paper bag, cover and leave at room temperature. Bananas emit ethylene which causes ripening. Adding an apple to the bag will speed up the process.
Can I Freeze Overripe Bananas?
If you have overripe bananas and aren’t ready to bake with them, DO NOT throw them away!
How to Freeze Bananas: place them un-peeled in a freezer-safe bag, remove any excess air and freeze up to 3 months. You can use thawed bananas for banana bread. You can also freeze them peeled and cut into pieces for easier use in smoothies. P.S. You can also freeze a whole banana bread with the same method!
How to Make Banana Bread:
This is the easiest banana bread recipe. We mix it in a stand mixer because it’s easy, but you can use an electric hand mixer and can even make it work with a hand whisk. There is no fancy equipment required. Watch the video tutorial below and you will be a pro in no time!
- In the mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
- Mix in mashed bananas and eggs.
- Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking soda and add to batter.
- Stir in vanilla, walnuts, and raisins, transfer to prepared loaf pan and bake.
Substitutions for a Healthy Banana Bread:
- My sister Anna made this into a honey banana bread; replacing sugar with honey.
- Use organic whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- Replace 1 Tbsp of flour with 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed.
- Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup when using very ripe bananas; they add plenty of sweetness
Love Sweet Breads? Try these Popular Bread Recipes:
We love sweetbreads because they are easy to make and are such a treat, especially when you top them with Honey Butter! Don’t miss these reader favorites:
- Apple Bread – a pull-apart moist apple bread
- Pumpkin Bread – so easy and we love it year-round
- Banana Chocolate Chip Bread always disappears fast
- Persimmon Bread – great way to use ripe persimmon
Moist Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas, (medium/large)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp) at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bread loaf pan (9.25 long x 5.25 wide x 2.75 deep). Lightly roast walnuts on a skillet, continuously stirring so they won’t burn. Coarsely chop and cool to room temperature.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together 8 Tbsp softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar (or honey if using honey).
- Mash bananas with a fork until the consistency of chunky applesauce and add them to the batter along with 2 eggs, mixing until blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together: 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of salt then add to batter.
- Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and mix in chopped walnuts and raisins. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350˚F for 55-60 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let banana bread rest for 10 min before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This banana bread recipe was first published in 2009; one of the very first recipes on our blog! It has been a reader and family favorite ever since.
Came out perfectly. I replaced with gluten free flour and did 3/4 cups of honey. My new go to recipe!
I am thrilled to hear it turned out perfectly with the gluten-free flour and honey substitutions. Thank you for sharing your great results.
I made this on a hot summer day without AC. I used a multi use oven. A loaf pan doesn’t fit, so I used an 8×8 glass dish. I baked it for 35 minutes. It was wonderful.
Baking it in an 8×8 glass dish for 35 minutes was a good adjustment, especially on a hot day without air conditioning. I am so glad it turned out wonderful for you. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I absolutely love this recipe I do not make mine in loaf pans and make mine in a bundt cake pan and a top it with powdered sugar milk and cinnamon mixture as a glaze ❤️
A Bundt cake version with a cinnamon glaze sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing your wonderful twist on the recipe.
I made this last night and it was delicious. I added a tsp. of cinnamon and used 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with a quarter cup of brown sugar. I didn’t have any walnuts so I subbed 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips with the raisins. The texture of this banana bread is perfection. Thank you
Your modifications sound wonderful, especially the addition of cinnamon and white chocolate chips. I am glad the texture turned out perfect for you. Thank you for sharing.
What baking directions do you recommend for baking these in a muffin pan?
Hi Briana, I would follow my Banana Muffin Recipe here for baking instructions.
Can this be made with gluten free flour?
Hi Bonnie, You can, but it will be more dense. Bread flour has more protein and there is more gluten development which makes the loaf tougher. One of my readers mentioned using a 1:1 gluten free flour and loving it.
Love this recipe! Thank you so much, my residents and family love it!
That’s just awesome, Allysha! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Can I use self rising flour and just leave out the backing soda and salt
Hi LeeAnn! I personally haven’t tested self rising flour in this recipe, but likely you’ll need to add baking soda to ensure it rises. One of my readers mentioning trying that and their bread did not rise.
I tried this and it turned out really good. I had mine for 35 minutes in 375°.. I wish I saw the 350.. 😆 but it turned out really good I added walnuts, cranberries, ans raisins. Yum! Thank you!
I am so glad it turned out really good for you. Your additions of walnuts, cranberries, and raisins sound absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Boy am I having fun with the new kitchenaid mixer. I threw 1.5 bananas (all I had after husband took a bite out of one), oversoftened butter, sugar, eggs, mixed it all , added the flour etc, and baked it. And despite the shortcuts it turned out brilliantly. I doin’t thnk you can kill this recipe.
Hi Polly. That sounds like a wonderful way to break in your new KitchenAid mixer. I love that it turned out beautifully even with fewer bananas and oversoftened butter. Thank you for sharing your great success.
Absolutely love this recipe. It reminds me so much of my Grandmother’s banana bread.
So happy to hear that, Terina!
This recipe is perfect, please dont ever change it or take it down.
I did 1/2 c of brown sugar and 1/4 c honey instead of the white sugar and instead of raisins I did dates chopped, added cinnamon and the chopped walnuts on top.
Thank you for sharing that with me, Patsy!
Great and moist banana bread!!! I added some cinnamon and baked them in silicone muffin top pans coated with Pam for 22 min, everyone loved them!! Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Wendy. The addition of cinnamon and making them into muffin tops sounds delicious.
If you bake in a 9×13 glass dish, do you need to double the recipe. And what temperature and time to cook.
I used 9.25 long x 5.25 wide x 2.75 deep pan. A 9×13 pan is about twice the size of a standard loaf pan, so I would double the recipe. Bake at 350°F for about 35–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Keep an eye on it since baking time can vary by oven. I hope you love it!