Ultimate Banana Nut Bread (Printer-friendly)
A moist, flavorful banana bread loaded with toasted walnuts for irresistible crunch and natural sweetness.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - ½ cup vegetable oil
04 - ⅔ cup granulated sugar
05 - ¼ cup whole milk
06 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 tsp baking soda
09 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
10 - ¼ tsp salt
→ Nuts
11 - 1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Whisk in eggs, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined—do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold in the chopped walnuts, reserving a few for sprinkling on top if desired.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with reserved walnuts. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly moist without being dense or heavy
- Toasted walnuts add crunch while keeping each bite tender
02 -
- Overmixing develops gluten and makes bread tough instead of tender
- The toothpick test should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter
03 -
- Toast your walnuts while the oven preheats so they are ready when you need them
- Line your pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides for easy removal