Best banana bread recipe with overripe bananas, walnuts and brown sugar. This recipe is so easy and can be made by hands, without a mixer. The banana bread is crazy moist, sweet, loaded with bananas and walnut!

The Best Banana Bread

This is the best banana bread recipe ever! It is super easy to make, extremely moist and full of sweet banana flavors and aromas.

This recipe is perfect to have on hand now that kids are back in school.

I love to slice the banana bread after it has cooled completely and store slices in Ziplock bags for on the go breakfasts or snacks.

Other Banana Bread Recipes You Might Like

How To Make the Best Banana Bread?

This homemade banana bread is the best because it’s so moist and made with yogurt. I used a honey/vanilla yogurt, but you can have fun experimenting with other flavors.

I combine the bananas and other wet ingredients by hand; you don’t need a mixer for this recipe!

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and pour into a parchment lined loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

What Kind Of Bananas To Use?

You can use bananas found in grocery stores.

Be sure to use overripe bananas for this moist banana bread recipe because they incorporate smoothly into the batter.

Over-ripe bananas are sweeter because more starch has been converted to sugar.

What Do You Eat With Banana Bread?

I love to store my banana bread slices in the refrigerator and eat them chilled. However, you can always heat them up in a toaster or microwave if you like it warm.

Banana bread can be served with hot tea or coffee for a quick breakfast.

Try spreading peanut butter on a slice for a twist on peanut butter sandwich!

Baking Tips

Use brown sugar for a nice golden brown color and its molasses flavor.
Toast the walnut in the oven for extra nutty flavors.
Lining your loaf pan with parchment paper ensures your banana bread will not stick. Cut a length of parchment to fit in the bottom of your pan with extra over hang. Spray the parchment directly with cooking spray.
This recipe is very flexible. You can add nuts, chocolate chips and even peanut butter chips. Dust any of these mix-ins with flour to suspend them in the batter.
You can use demerara sugar on top for a sweet crust. Sprinkle on top of batter before baking in the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Freeze Bananas?

Yes, you can freeze whole, peeled bananas. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a Ziplock bag for up to 6 months. Defrost frozen bananas in the fridge overnight before baking.

How to Mash Bananas for Banana Bread

You can use a masher to mash bananas. If you don’t have a masher, you can use the back of a big spoon to mash bananas.

Can You Freeze Banana Bread?

Yes, wrap tightly in foil and seal in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

How Many Calories Per Serving?

This recipe is only 288 calories per serving/per slice.

What to Serve with this Recipe?

Banana bread is great as breakfast or afternoon snack. It goes well with the following recipes.

Yield: 12 slices

Best Banana Bread Recipe

Name: Best Banana Bread Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Cake
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups (150 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped; 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar; 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 (1 1/2 cups or 450 g) large overripe bananas, mashed; 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) plain whole fat yogurt; 2 large eggs, beaten lightly; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons rum, optional (Captain Morgan brand)

Best banana bread recipe with overripe bananas, walnuts and brown sugar. This recipe is so easy and can be made by hands, without a mixer.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (150 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (1 1/2 cups or 450 g) large overripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) plain whole fat yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons rum, optional (Captain Morgan brand)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf pan (9x5 inch loaf pan).
Add the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, slide in the oven and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, walnuts, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, stir the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla with a spoon. Add rum, if using. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, mixing just until combined. The batter should be thick and chunky. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan.
Bake the banana bread until the surface appears golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool the banana bread in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the loaf pan, slice and serve warm.

Notes

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size

12 slices
Amount Per Serving Calories 288Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 43mgSodium 2169mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 2gSugar 22gProtein 6g

Comments

Ellie

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Recipe is great. Adult grandchildren can’t have nuts, so I add chocolate chips. I never have used alcohol in my recipe. I like to put cream cheese on top of my slice. 😃

- Ximena paz guerra Beltrán
  
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  Hola me interesa aprender sus resetas de pasteles y pa n soy chilena, no entiendo inglés
  
Kari

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I had to trade the yogurt out with sour cream. Other than that, I followed ingredients to a “T”. It was so delicious and moist. Thank you for this recipe!

- Rasa Malaysia
  
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  Thanks Kari.
  
Farah

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This is my go-to banana bread recipe! I’ve made this multiple times. I substituted butter with coconut oil + omitted rum + added chocolate chips & it’s so good. I’ve also tried to make banana muffins out of this recipe and it works (I baked for 40 minutes instead of 55).

- Rasa Malaysia
  
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  Thanks!
  
Haley

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Hello, may I know the weight of the butter that was used (6 tbsp)? Thanks!

Erin Stockwell

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I made this yesterday. I didn’t have any plain yogurt so I omitted it. It turned out amazing. It looks and tastes just like my mom’s and that makes me so HAPPY!!!!!

- Rasa Malaysia
  
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  Awesome!
  
Michele

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Is the Captain Morgan’s Rum the Spiced kind or regular?

- Rasa Malaysia
  
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  Regular.
  
Suze

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I tried baking this yesterday. Didn’t have yoghurt and replaced with Apple sauce. Butter, I replaced with grapeseed oil and it turned out yummy! Family eating it now for breakfast. Ohhh I added chocolate chips and abit of oats into my batter. ? thank you for the recipe

Myrna Bogner

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Is the nutritional information including the rum? If so can I have it without the rum? Please and thank you. Also this is delicious and I’m adding it as a regular staple in our home hence the nutritional information question. We made it without rum and walnuts but it’s exceptional and thee best Banana bread recipe I have ever made. Thank you.

- Rasa Malaysia
  
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  Skip it if you like.
  
Zee

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May I know is it OK to reduce the sugar in this recipe? Will it change the texture/moisture of the bread? Also, what other substitute can I use for the rum? TIA

- Rasa Malaysia
  
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  Skip rum and you can reduce sugar a bit.
  
Mitzi

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This banana bread recipe is to die for. I’ve made it three times during the quarantine, and my family loves it. My son-in-law said Starbucks’ banana bread is a joke compared to this! (I substituted Carolans Irish Cream for the rum – just because I didn’t have any.)

- Lina
  
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  Can I use veg oil instead of butter? What other nut can I use as my daughter is allergic to walnuts and pecans? Is there a non-alcoholic substitute for the rum? Thank you in advance.
  
  - Rasa Malaysia
    
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    Please don’t change the ingredients or else I can’t guarantee success.