Description
Warm Southern banana nut bread brings comfort straight from my grandmother’s kitchen to your table, with ripe bananas and toasted pecans creating a nostalgic slice of Southern hospitality that feels like a hug.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Swirl:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional Topping:
- Chopped nuts
- Brown sugar crumble
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan by generously coating it with cooking spray or butter.
- Mash 3 ripe bananas (about 1 ¼ cups) in a large mixing bowl until completely smooth and no large chunks remain.
- Whisk ½ cup melted butter into the mashed bananas until fully incorporated and creamy.
- Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the banana mixture, stirring until completely blended.
- Sift 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon into the wet ingredients.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until just combined, taking care not to overmix the batter.
- Stir ½ cup chopped walnuts into the batter, distributing them evenly throughout.
- Mix ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a separate small bowl for the swirl.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture across the surface, then cover with remaining batter.
- Use a knife to create gentle swirling motions through the batter, distributing the cinnamon mixture.
- Bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness around the 50-minute mark.
- Cover the bread with aluminum foil if the top begins to brown too quickly during baking.
- Remove from oven and let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes to set and cool slightly.
- Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use very ripe, almost black bananas for the deepest, sweetest flavor in your banana bread.
- Gently fold nuts into batter to prevent overmixing, which can make your bread tough and dense.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking blend that includes xanthan gum.
- Wrap your cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 4 days to maintain moisture and freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes - 1 hour
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 245 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg