Print

Grandma’s Classic Banana Bread with Walnuts

classic banana bread with walnuts - featured image
Print Recipe

This classic banana bread with walnuts is moist, tender, and packed with banana flavor. It’s a simple, crowd-pleasing recipe that comes together in about 70 minutes and uses basic pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 medium ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups or 340 grams mashed)
  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120 grams) walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray, then line it with a strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang on the two long sides.
  2. Spread the chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the preheating oven for 5-7 minutes, just until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, mash the three ripe bananas with a fork until smooth with some small lumps. Set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
  6. Fold in the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula until just combined.
  7. In the same medium bowl used for bananas, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
  8. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, folding gently with the spatula after each addition. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain.
  9. Gently fold in the toasted walnuts, reserving a handful to sprinkle on top if desired.
  10. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top, gently pressing them into the batter.
  11. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil around the 40-minute mark.
  12. Let the banana bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then use the parchment paper overhang to lift the loaf out of the pan. Transfer to the rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

For best results, use very ripe bananas with brown spots. Room temperature ingredients create a smoother batter. Do not overmix once flour is added. The flavors improve after a day or two. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, walnut banana bread, classic banana bread, easy banana bread, grandma's banana bread

Find it online: https://siennaspoon.com/grandmas-classic-banana-bread-with-walnuts-easy-recipe/