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    Home » Bread

    Banana Walnut Bread

    Published: May 23, 2021 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

    Jump to Recipe
    walnut banana bread slices on a wire rack next to a knife and linen on a light pink surface

    Full of flavor this easy recipe for banana walnut bread uses extra butter and sour cream for an incredibly flavorful, rich quick bread! Step-by-step photos teach you how to bake this bread!

    walnut banana bread slices on a wire rack next to a knife and linen on a light pink surface

    We love moist banana bread in my family, it's the perfect breakfast, snack or treat! Banana nut bread gives you a great contrasting texture in each bite, so yummy!

    Let's get to the banana walnut bread recipe.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • How to freeze
    • Can you double
    • More walnut recipes
    • Recipe Card
    • Recipe Ratings & Comments

    Ingredients

    For this quick bread recipe you will need basic baking staples:

    • All-Purpose Flour. Also known as plain flour, when you add it to the batter make sure not to over mix. This will over-develop the gluten and create a tough bread.
    • Baking Soda. This chemical leavening agent will make the bread rise. You will need acid to activate this while baking, the sour cream and brown sugar help here!
    • Baking Powder. This is also a chemical leavening agent that will make the bread rise. This is already activated so does not need an acid as the baking soda does.
    • Salt. Just a bit helps balance out the sweetness and also helps the other flavors shine bright.
    • Unsalted Butter. You'll need melted butter, which is honestly my favorite because I hate waiting for butter to soften!
    • Granulated Sugar. I like a mixture of both white and brown sugar.
    • Brown Sugar. You can use light or dark, keep in mind dark will create a richer more molasses undertone to the bread.
    • Large Eggs. They need to be warmed to room temperature. To do this quickly you can place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 - 10 minutes before cracking.
    • Pure Vanilla Extract. Use the real stuff!
    • Sour Cream. You'll also want this at room temperature to evenly incorporate into the rest of the ingredients. You can use full-fat Greek yogurt if you'd like!
    • Very Ripe Bananas. You'll need roughly three medium-large bananas, I used two small ones and two very large ones. Two were frozen that I thawed and the other two were just bananas from the counter.
    • Roasted Walnuts. Trust me it's important to use toasted walnuts. You can buy them pre-roasted, I would advise you to buy the ones not salted. Or you can place the walnuts on a sheet pan and bake for 7-9 minutes at 300F and toss them halfway to roast them. Then let them cool and chop them roughly for the bread. 
    buttered slice of banana bread on a black plate next to a bowl of walnuts and a knife on a light pink surface

    Instructions

    Start by preheating your oven, if the oven is not heated correctly the bread will not cook properly! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180C and grease a 9"X5" loaf pan at least three inches deep. Because this recipe has a bit more butter and bananas than your typical banana bread you need to make sure the pan can hold it all.

    You will need to use spotted, brown bananas. The ripe bananas have a higher sugar content in them helping to create sweeter bread. When my bananas are super spotty and I am not going to use them I end up just stashing them in the freezer. Then thaw them in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a couple of hours before using them in a banana bread recipe.

    four spotty bananas on a light pink surface

    Next, whisk together all the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

    hand whisking dry ingredients together in a glass bowl on a light pink surface

    Now you'll whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. In a large bowl mix together the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla, make sure there are no traces of egg left behind.

    hand whisking wet ingredients together in a glass bowl on a light pink surface

    Add bananas and use a potato masher or a fork to mash the bananas. Add mashed bananas and sour cream then mix to combine.

    mashed bananas and sour cream added to wet ingredients in a glass bowl on a light pink surface

    Gently fold in the dry ingredients and chopped roasted walnuts. Be careful not to overmix, just mix until no flour streaks remain.

    dry ingredients and roasted walnuts added to wet ingredients in a glass bowl on a light pink surface
    banana walnut bread batter in a large mixing bowl with a white spatula on a light pink surface

    Pour into the prepared pan and if desired sprinkle optional brown sugar and walnuts on top. I love the extra crunch you get because of this!

    brown sugar sprinkled on top of banana walnut bread before baking in a metal loaf pan on a light pink surface

    Bake the bread for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

    banana walnut bread cooling on a wire rack next to a cup of coffee, bowl of walnuts, butter plate, and linen with a knife on a light pink surface

    Let cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan on a wire rack before removing it from the pan and placing it on a wire rack to cool completely. Store the bread in an air-tight container at room temperature unless you live in a warm climate store it in the fridge. 

    One of my favorite ways to enjoy the banana walnut bread is to lightly toast it then schmear some salted butter on, HEAVEN!!!

    up close of hand holding a half eaten slice of banana bread butter in bread on a light pink surface

    How to freeze

    Quick breads are great candidates for freezing. Once the bread has completely cooled you can either wrap the whole loaf in plastic wrap, tightly, and twice then wrap in foil, or place it in a freezer-safe container. Or you can double wrap for individual slices. I prefer to do individual slices so then I can just take a slice out at a time to enjoy. Place a slice in the freezer overnight OR let a slice thaw on the counter for a few hours.

    stack of banana bread slices on a white plate with more banana bread in the background on a light pink surface

    Can you double

    You can most certainly double the recipe and just use two loaf pans.

    More walnut recipes

    If you love walnuts then you gotta check out my walnut pesto recipe. Perfect on so many things like -- sandwiches, eggs, pasta, and more!

    This coffee walnut cake is one I grew up with, you will adore the coffee buttercream and roasted walnuts together!

    This carrot pineapple banana loaf is topped with cream cheese frosting and roasted walnuts, soooooo delicious!

    My friend Lynn makes the best walnut cookies!

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    Recipe Card

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    walnut banana bread slices on a wire rack next to a knife and linen on a light pink surface

    Banana Walnut Bread

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Full of flavor this easy recipe for banana walnut bread uses extra butter and sour cream for an incredibly flavorful, rich quick bread! Step-by-step photos teach you how to bake this bread!

    • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    • Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 250 grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
    • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
    • ½ Teaspoon Salt
    • 6oz (¾ Cup) Unsalted Butter, melted
    • 100 grams (½ Cup) Granulated Sugar
    • 100 grams (½ Cup) Brown Sugar
    • 2 Large Eggs, at room temp.
    • 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
    • 6oz (¾ Cup) Sour Cream/ Greek Yogurt
    • 14oz (3 Large) Very Ripe Bananas (measured without peel)
    • (¾ Cup) Roasted Walnuts, chopped
    • Optional Topping:
    • 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon Roasted Walnuts, chopped

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9"X5" loaf pan at last three inches deep.
    2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
    3. In a large bowl mix together the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla, make sure there are no traces of egg left behind.
    4. Add bananas and use a potato masher to mash. Add mashed banana and sour cream then mix to combine. Gently fold in the dry ingredients and chopped roasted walnuts.
    5. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle optional brown sugar and walnuts on top.
    6. Bake for 55-65 minutes. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let cool on a wire rack. Store at room temperature unless you live in a warm climate store in the fridge. 

    Equipment

    kitchen aid cordless hand mixer

    Cordless Hand Mixer

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    loaf pan

    Loaf Pan

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    oxo food scale

    OXO Kitchen Scale

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    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Cook Time: 60
    • Category: Snack
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American

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    1. Barbara Schemanski says

      August 21, 2021 at 7:30 am

      If I use an 8x8 pan does that change the baking time?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        August 21, 2021 at 8:20 am

        Hi Barbara, thanks for reaching out. Yes using an 8-inch square pan will drastically affect the baking time. I would guess it will be between 30-40 minutes but as I have never baked it in that size pan I am not sure. I would check at 30 minutes quickly and see how far along it is if it's close check in a few minutes, if the batter still wiggles quite a lot then I would check it again at 40 minutes. The recipe is done when you gently press the top center of the cake and it bounces back or if you use a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you try the recipe I Would love to know what you think. XX Liz

        Reply

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    walnut banana bread slices on a wire rack next to a knife and linen on a light pink surface
    Waterson, Elizabeth Cropped Size Photo CAke copy 2

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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