Easy Banana Walnut Bread Recipe

There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked banana bread filling the kitchen. This Easy Banana Walnut Bread Recipe is moist, tender, warmly spiced, and packed with crunchy walnuts in every bite. It’s a wonderful way to use up ripe bananas and makes an easy breakfast, snack, or comforting homemade dessert.

The combination of ripe bananas, brown sugar, yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts gives this loaf plenty of flavor while keeping the crumb soft and moist. A light sprinkle of brown sugar on top adds a deliciously crisp, slightly caramelized finish.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Banana Walnut Bread

• 🍌 Moist and tender thanks to ripe bananas and yogurt
• 🌰 Loaded with crunchy walnuts for great texture
• 🤎 Rich brown sugar flavor with a lightly caramelized topping
• ✨ Easy to make in one bowl for the wet ingredients
• 🧁 Perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacks, or dessert
• ⏱️ Simple ingredients and about an hour of baking time

Banana Walnut Bread Recipe

Make this easy banana walnut bread with ripe bananas, crunchy walnuts, brown sugar, and warm spices. Moist, tender, flavorful, and perfect for breakfast or snacks!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 230 g all-purpose flour or 00 flour
• 150 g brown sugar, plus a little extra for topping
• 6 g (1 tsp) baking soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed — about 350 g peeled
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 130 ml neutral oil, such as avocado or sunflower oil
• 100 g plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 150 g walnuts, chopped
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Method

 

1. Prepare the oven and pan

   Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly oil a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Place a strip of parchment paper down the center of the pan, leaving some overhang on the sides. Lightly oil the sides of the pan as well.

   Chop the walnuts and set them aside.

2. Mix the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

   Mixing the dry ingredients first helps distribute the baking soda and spices evenly throughout the loaf.

3. Mix the wet ingredients

   In a separate bowl, mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth.

   Add the eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract, then whisk until everything is well combined.

   For the best banana flavor, use bananas that are very ripe with plenty of brown spots.

4. Combine everything

   Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the chopped walnuts.

   Gently stir everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can make the finished banana bread dense rather than soft and tender.

5. Fill the loaf pan

   Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Gently tap the pan against the counter a couple of times to release large air bubbles and smooth the surface.

6. Add the topping

   Sprinkle a light, even layer of brown sugar over the top of the batter. This creates a delicious golden, slightly crunchy crust as the bread bakes.

7. Bake

   Place the loaf in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs.

   If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with foil for the remaining baking time.

8. Cool before slicing

   Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

   Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely before slicing.

   Although it can be tempting to cut into it immediately, cooling helps the loaf set and makes it much easier to slice neatly.

🌰 Tips for the Best Banana Walnut Bread

Use very ripe bananas. 🍌 The more ripe and naturally sweet the bananas are, the more flavorful your bread will be.

Don’t overmix. Once the flour disappears, stop stirring. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.

Toast the walnuts for extra flavor. If you have a few extra minutes, lightly toast the chopped walnuts before adding them to the batter. Let them cool first.

Measure the bananas by weight when possible. About 350 g of peeled banana provides the right balance of moisture for this recipe.

Let the bread cool completely. This helps create a better texture and prevents the slices from falling apart.

Check Also: Cottage Cheese Banana Bread Recipe

🍽️ How to Serve It

Enjoy a thick slice of banana walnut bread on its own, or serve it with:

• 🧈 A little softened butter
• 🍯 A drizzle of honey
• 🥜 Peanut or almond butter
• 🍦 A scoop of vanilla ice cream
• ☕ A cup of coffee or tea

It’s especially delicious slightly warmed.

Final Thoughts

This Easy Banana Walnut Bread Recipe is the kind of classic homemade bake that’s easy enough for a weekday but delicious enough to share with family and friends. With naturally sweet ripe bananas, cozy cinnamon and nutmeg, crunchy walnuts, and a soft yogurt-enriched crumb, every slice is packed with comforting flavor.

Grab those overripe bananas and bake a loaf—you’re going to love how simple and delicious this banana walnut bread is! 🌰🍌🤎