This is simply The Best Banana Nut Bread recipe out there! We’re talking moist, delicious, perfectly sweetened and nutty. No mixer needed and quick and easy to make!
Is there anything better than warm banana nut bread fresh right out of the oven? I probably say that a lot, but seriously, good moist banana bread truly is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world, with a good cup of coffee.Â
I love to make banana bread, although I hardly ever have ripe bananas on hand. Sometimes I buy bananas and won’t let anyone eat them just so they could ripen and I can use them for banana bread.
I love the banana bread from Costco, but I always find it quite sweet for my taste, but I love how moist it is. I made it my mission over the years to make my own version but slightly sweetened, or perfectly sweetened to my taste.
It’s safe to say I’ve been making this banana nut bread for decades and I’ve had plenty of time to perfect it.
I have, in fact, many variations of it. I’ve used applesauce instead of oil, and I quite love this substitution because the bread still comes out moist, sour cream vs yogurt, chocolate chips vs nuts, whole wheat flour vs white flour, etc.
However, here I wanted to give you the basic version, and my favorite version, but feel free to add/change things to your preference.
Be sure to check out the tips below for the best banana bread ever, and if you follow all my tips and instructions, it will be impossible for you to fail with this recipe.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BANANA BREAD:
- Ugly brown bananas make the best banana bread. However, make sure you don’t use fermented bananas, or those where the peel is split.
- Choose oil over butter. While we’re always tempted to use butter in baking because it tastes better, oil is best in banana bread. Butter tends to emulsify and coat the flour, preventing it from absorbing too much water, which will result in dry banana bread. Nobody likes a dry banana bread!
- Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, instead of mixing using a whisk or mixer, this will give us a tender crumb.
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #cravinghomecooked on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
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Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas very ripe, peeled
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup walnuts chopped (or pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 F degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the ripe bananas to a medium size bowl and mash them using a fork or a potato masher. Add the vegetable oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract and quickly whisk everything together.
- Whisk in the sugars then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then remove the bread from the loaf pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.
Anushka Pai says
I made banana bread for the very first time using this recipe. It turned out Fantastic! Perfect amount of sweetness and really moist. I did not have the patience to wait for the banana to ripen. I artificially ripened them by throwing them in tbe oven for 25 mins @ 250 degrees. It worked pretty well. Thank you for this simple yet wonderful recipe
Nelson Isaac says
Am so much in love with your banana nut bread. Best recipe ever
Riley Samuelson says
So glad you liked it!
Ann Kuykendall says
I made the bread today from your recipe. I appreciated the information you provided about using oil instead of butter, however, I opted for the applesauce. I never would have thought of using yogurt either. I also used gluten free flour. The bread turned out the best I’ve ever made. Moist and delicious. Thank you for your wonderful and informative recipe.
Riley Samuelson says
I’m so glad you liked it, great customization!
Hannah Flack says
Thank you so much for wonderful recipes! What I love about your website most of all is that you post not only great recipes and descriptions but also stunning photos of food! Have a nice day!
Nicole Beaulieu says
Thank you so much, Hannah! That’s so kind. We’re glad you’ve been loving our recipes 🙂
Iris says
One question if I used the apples sauce instead of the oil how much would I used.
Riley Samuelson says
It would be the same amount! Applesauce and oil is a 1:1 ratio, so equal parts:)
Vega says
I made it today, however had to leave it a lot longer than 50 minutes. It did taste delicious!
Joanna Cismaru says
Yes, the baking time is basically just a guideline as each oven is different. Glad you liked it though!
Julie says
Using my own home grown bananas I made 4 loafs and
They looked exactly like the picture. The taste was amazing!
Simply the best recipe which is what I was looking for
With my bananas. It will be a permanent go to when
Next season when I grow another few bunches of bananas.
Milena says
Best recipe for banana nut bread I ever found.
Joanna Cismaru says
Yay, so glad you enjoyed it!
Elaine Lewis says
This is a wonderful recipe! Loved the bread. I had to bake it a little long than an hour. It might have been my oven. But I am thinking about making this for Christmas gifts. Yummy!!
Susan V says
Good receipe, it was too much batter left over so I made 6 muffins and added cinnamon to them, plus sprinkled some on top of them.
CARLA NORTON says
We made this recipe, it’s the most yummiest recipe ever! I did however omit the yogurt and added cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. VERY MOIST and very satisfying!! Will be making it again very soon! Thank you for the recipe.