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This is the BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe: it’s easy and moist and full of pecans, but you could also use walnuts. It’s my mom’s banana bread and I even gave it a cinnamon glaze. With or without the glaze, this seriously is the best banana bread – it’s even better than Starbucks!
BEST Easy Banana Bread
It’s no secret that I love banana bread. I absolutely LOVE adding nuts to my recipe – the crunch of the nuts and moist bread are the perfect combination – this is a super moist banana nut bread recipe!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The original recipe uses butter and sour milk. You can swap buttermilk for the sour milk or you can use plain old milk and vinegar. You can also make it with nondairy milk and add some vinegar to activate the baking soda.
- You can substitute oil for butter as well, which makes this bread the perfect bread to turn dairy-free.
- This easy banana nut bread is so decadent and moist, and I loaded it with cinnamon and nuts and so much banana flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- Vegetable Oil: I go back and forth between using butter or oil. I find that oil keeps the bread extra moist, but you can really swap it equally for softened butter in this recipe.
- Bananas: make sure to use overripe bananas. I call them tired; that is, they’re brown spotted. The more brown spots on your ripe banana, the sweeter it is.
- Baking Soda: This is the leavening agent that is activated with the vinegar/sour milk/buttermilk.
- Milk: you can use ANY kind of milk: buttermilk, regular milk, OR nondairy milk.
- Vinegar: if you’ve used regular or nondairy milk, you must add vinegar. The recipe needs acid to activate the baking soda.
- Cinnamon: this is optional but I love adding it to banana bread – the cinnamon flavor is so good.
- Nuts: I love making banana pecan bread but you can use walnuts too!
Recipe Swaps
- If you use buttermilk, skip the vinegar.
- If you use cow’s milk, you can use nonfat, 2% or whole. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the milk and let it sit 5 minutes, while you mix the other ingredients.
- If you use non-dairy milk (i.e. soy, almond, cashew, oat), just add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the mixture when you’re mixing.
- Swap 1/2 cup unsalted butter for the oil for a rich buttery taste.
- Make walnut banana bread with chopped walnuts or banana pecan bread with chopped pecans!
How to make Banana Nut Bread
- Add oil, sugar, mashed bananas, eggs, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl. Stir or whisk or mix with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add all purpose flour with milk and vinegar to the batter and stir until the batter is combined (will be slightly lumpy).
- Place batter in a loaf pan. I used either an 8×4-inch loaf pan or a 9×5-inch loaf pan. See all my pan substitutions for size equivalences.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean alongside the crack. (If you put the toothpick in the crack it will come out with just a little batter/crumbs sticking to it.) The edges will be a dark brown and there will be a nice crack down the center.
- Optional Frosting: whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk, adding more milk as needed for consistency (up to 2 tablespoons). Frost banana bread and top with toasted pecans.
Variations
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – You can omit the nuts and use 1 cup chocolate chips, or reduce the nuts and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips for chocolate chip banana nut bread.
- Peanut Butter Banana Bread – Make it a banana nut bread recipe with peanuts.
- Make 12 banana bread muffins instead of a loaf.
- You can omit the glaze if you want a basic quick bread but if you do want to amp up your bread, be sure to add it!
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- My mom always floured and sugared her banana bread pan: Grease it first, then add about 2 tablespoons sugar to the pan and move the pan side to side until the bottom and sides are coated with sugar. This adds a nice crunch to the outside.
- You know banana bread is done baking when a toothpick tested in the center of the crack comes out with just a few crumbs.
FAQs
What kind of nuts go in Banana Bread?
You can use any kind of nuts you like, but I especially love pecans or walnuts.
How do you keep banana bread moist?
I find that oil keeps it more moist than butter, and the key is to not over bake it.
Why does my banana nut bread fall in the middle?
Because it’s not baked all the way. Banana bread rises and cracks down the center and finishes baking in that crack. If you take it out too soon it can collapse. I suggest testing with a toothpick in the crack and remove it when there are a few crumbs stuck but it’s not wet looking.
Can you make banana nut muffins instead of bread?
Yes – simply divide into 12 muffin cups instead. Bake 13-15 minutes.
Banana Nut Bread Recipe
The BEST Banana Nut Bread with pecans is an easy recipe adapted from my mom's banana bread. It's filled with chopped pecans and cinnamon and topped with a cinnamon glaze!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the bread:
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 overripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 7 tablespoons milk see note
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the glaze:
- 1 ¾ cups (198g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk, nondairy milk, or heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup toasted chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8×4 or 9×5-inch loaf pan with shortening or butter and coat it with sugar. You can also just use nonstick cooking spray (but if you use the spray don't add the sugar; it'll burn the outside of your bread).
- Mash bananas in a large bowl using a fork or a potato masher.
- Add oil, sugar, eggs, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir until combined.
- Add flour, milk and vinegar and stir until batter is combined (will be slightly lumpy). Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean alongside the crack. (If you put the toothpick in the crack it will come out with just a little batter/crumbs sticking to it.) The edges will be a dark brown and there will be a nice crack down the center. (There is a wide range of cooking time because all ovens bake differently, as do all pans. My banana breads never bake in the same amount of time!)
- Cool completely before removing loaf from pan and frosting.
- To make the frosting: whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk, adding more milk as needed for consistency (up to 2 tablespoons). Frost banana bread and top with toasted pecans. Chill to set. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or slice and freeze for up to 1 month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- If you use buttermilk, skip the vinegar.
- If you use cow’s milk, you can use nonfat, 2% or whole. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the milk and let it sit 5 minutes, while you mix the other ingredients.
- If you use non-dairy milk (i.e. soy, almond, cashew, oat), just add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the mixture when you’re mixing.
- Swap 1/2 cup unsalted butter for the oil for a rich buttery taste.
- Make walnut banana bread with chopped walnuts or banana pecan bread with chopped pecans!
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
The BEST Banana Nut Bread with pecans is an easy recipe adapted from my mom’s banana bread. It’s filled with chopped pecans and cinnamon and topped with a cinnamon glaze!
I’ve never tried cashew milk, but your recipe makes me want to!
I can’t believe how soft it looks.
I will be making this over and over again leading up to Christmas!
Thanks
Thank you! It really is my favorite banana bread recipe and it’s pretty indestructible. There are so many substitutions you can make!
Crazy awesome that this bread is dairy free! It looks insanely good; no one would ever know it was made with cashew milk! Also: I second the kitten idea!
This banana bread looks so good! And I love that glaze. How great that it’s dairy free!
The people at the humane society told us it’s better to adopt an adult, because with kittens you don’t know what their personality will be when they grow up. But, as sweet and tolerant as our cat is, I have to admit I still feel uneasy when he climbs up on me and stares into my eyes up close. Hey, this recipe looks fabulous! And it turns out to look really impressive!!!
When I first started to follow your blog a couple years back, I remember seeing your cat on instogram…don’t you still have it?!
Btw, I just saw a couple of your videos on your YouTube channel and I really liked them.
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