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Banana Nut Bread is the cozy quick bread I bake every time a few bananas go spotty on the counter: moist, cinnamon-spiced, studded with toasted pecans, and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. My kids smell it baking and start hovering by the kitchen before the timer even goes off. If you love a banana treat, it is a cousin to our chocolate chip banana bread.
Mashed ripe bananas and a touch of sour cream keep every slice incredibly moist, while crunchy pecans and a simple glaze make it taste like it came from a bakery.
Banana Nut Bread Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 352kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Moist, cinnamon-spiced banana bread with toasted pecans and vanilla glaze
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a simple one-bowl quick bread like our chocolate chip banana bread
Quick Answer
To make banana nut bread, cream butter and brown sugar, then beat in eggs, mashed ripe bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt along with chopped pecans, just until combined. Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool, then drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Ripe bananas are key. Spotty, overripe bananas are sweeter and mash smoothly, giving the bread deep banana flavor and moisture.
- Sour cream for moisture. A little sour cream makes the crumb extra soft and tender without thinning the batter.
- Brown sugar adds depth. Using brown sugar instead of white brings a warm, caramel-like richness to the loaf.
- Pecans for crunch. Chopped pecans add buttery crunch and that classic banana nut bread texture.
- Do not over mix. Stirring just until the flour disappears keeps the bread soft instead of dense and tough.
- A simple vanilla glaze. A quick powdered sugar glaze poured over the cooled loaf adds sweetness and a bakery-style finish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is the perfect way to use up overripe bananas and fills the kitchen with the coziest cinnamon aroma.
- It is moist, tender, and packed with pecans, just like our chocolate chip banana bread.
- The sweet vanilla glaze makes it feel special enough for company but it is easy enough for any morning.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for the bread and the vanilla glaze. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Ripe bananas: The spottier the better. They add natural sweetness and keep the loaf moist.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans give that signature nutty crunch. Walnuts work too.
- Brown sugar: Adds a warm, caramel depth that white sugar cannot match.
- Sour cream: The secret to an extra soft, tender crumb.
- Powdered sugar: Whisked with butter, vanilla, and milk into a simple glaze, like the finish on our cookie bars.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This banana nut bread is easy to customize. Here are a few favorite twists.
- Swap the nuts: Use walnuts or a mix of pecans and walnuts.
- Add chocolate chips: Fold in a handful for a banana nut chocolate chip loaf.
- Make muffins: Divide the batter into a muffin tin and bake about 20 minutes.
- Skip the glaze: The bread is delicious plain or with a pat of butter.
- Add warm spices: A pinch of nutmeg or cardamom deepens the cozy flavor.
How to Make Banana Nut Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Mix in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until combined.
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, then fold the dry ingredients and chopped pecans into the wet just until no flour pockets remain.
- Spoon the batter into a greased and parchment-lined 9×5 loaf pan.
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, tenting with foil at 30 minutes if it browns too fast. Cool completely.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and milk into a glaze and pour it over the cooled loaf. Let it set, then slice and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use very ripe bananas. Deep brown, spotty bananas give the best flavor and natural sweetness.
- Measure flour correctly. Spoon and level the flour so the bread does not turn out dry or dense.
- Do not over mix. Stir just until the flour disappears to keep the crumb soft.
- Tent with foil. Loosely cover the loaf at the 30 minute mark if the top is browning too quickly.
- Cool before glazing. A warm loaf will melt the glaze, so let it cool completely first.
- Toast the pecans. A few minutes in a dry pan deepens their flavor, like we do for our nutty brownies.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Banana nut bread is perfect sliced thick for breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee or tea. A little extra butter on a warm slice never hurts.
It is wonderful on a brunch table next to our chocolate chip banana bread and a pot of coffee. Wrap individual slices for easy grab-and-go mornings.
Store it well wrapped at room temperature for a few days or freeze slices for later. For another cozy baked treat, try our chocolate chip cookie bars next.
Banana Nut Bread FAQs
Banana nut bread is simply banana bread with chopped nuts, usually pecans or walnuts, folded into the batter. The nuts add a buttery crunch and richer texture. Otherwise the recipes are the same moist, sweet quick bread made with mashed ripe bananas.
The riper the better. Bananas with lots of brown spots or even fully brown peels are sweeter and mash into a smooth puree. Very ripe bananas give the bread the deepest banana flavor and keep it moist. If your bananas are still yellow, you can ripen them faster in a warm oven.
Dense banana bread usually comes from over mixing the batter, which develops the gluten and makes it tough. Mix just until the flour disappears. Too much flour, measured by scooping instead of spooning, can also make it heavy, so spoon and level your flour.
Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to a week. The glaze keeps it moist, and a quick warm-up in the microwave brings back that fresh-baked taste.
Yes. Banana nut bread freezes beautifully. Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. If you plan to freeze it, you may want to add the glaze fresh after thawing.
Absolutely. Simply leave out the pecans for a classic banana bread, or swap in chocolate chips or dried fruit. The bread will still be moist and flavorful. The nuts are there for crunch and that traditional banana nut bread texture, but they are easy to omit.
Craving more banana treats? Try our chocolate chip banana bread next.
Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 2 cups mashed bananas about 5 medium bananas
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Vanilla Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk room temp
Instructions
Banana Nut Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray, set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
- Cream together the butter and brown sugar for about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating them into the mixture fully before adding the next.
- Add the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla beat for 1 minute. Using a large spoon or spatula, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain but do not over mix. Fold in the pecans.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, loosely covering the bread at the 30-minute mark with foil if you find it is browning too quickly. This will make sure the bread doesn’t get too dark. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Take the bread out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely.
Vanilla Glaze:
- While the bread is cooling, make the vanilla glaze. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, add in the vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk. Whisk until smooth.
- When the bread is completely cool, pour the glaze over the top of the bread and let it run down the sides, make sure you have a pan underneath to catch any excess glaze. Let the glaze set up for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Nuts are completely optional in this recipe.
- You can use pecans or walnuts in this banana bread.
- Use really ripe bananas to get the best banana flavor you can.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Double this recipe to serve more people or to store for later consumption.
Nutrition
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