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Best Classic Banana Bread with Walnuts – Easy Homemade Recipe

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This classic banana bread with walnuts is moist, tender, and perfectly sweetened. Made with simple ingredients in one bowl, it’s a foolproof recipe that gets even better on day two.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 very ripe bananas (about 1 ½ cups mashed)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, about 180g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts, plus extra for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides, or spray generously with non-stick baking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps (about 1 ½ cups).
  3. Add the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Stir with a spatula until well combined. Do not overmix.
  4. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) over the wet mixture. Lightly stir the dry ingredients together on top, then fold gently until just combined—no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  5. Fold in the chopped walnuts (reserve a handful for topping) with a few strokes until evenly distributed.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top gently and sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top, pressing them in lightly.
  7. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly (around 45 minutes), tent loosely with aluminum foil.
  8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment handles and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing (about 1 hour).

Notes

Use very ripe, almost black bananas for best flavor and moisture. Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough bread. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. For a vegan version, replace butter with melted coconut oil and use two flax eggs. The bread tastes even better on day two.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, classic banana bread, banana bread with walnuts, easy banana bread, one bowl banana bread, moist banana bread

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