This Old Fashioned Banana Nut Bread recipe is adapted from the 1972 Betty Crocker cookbook. A classic banana bread recipe with walnuts that is easy, moist, and delicious.
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Life doesn't get much better than a house filled with an enticing aroma of banana bread and a fresh slice coated with butter in your hand. This has been our family's favorite recipe to make the best banana bread for decades.
This is Grandma's banana bread recipe based on the cookbook she would use. It's an easy recipe that only needs a couple of bananas with common pantry ingredients. Just follow the step-by-step photo instructions.
Check out these other banana recipes, like Banana Nut Pancakes, Banana Nut Muffins, Banana Nut Cookies, and Banana Nut Cake. And don't miss these other sweet treats, like Blueberry Scones, Apple Pie Bread, and Pumpkin Bread.
Inspired by the 1972 Betty Crocker Cookbook, this moist and easy banana nut bread recipe is what your grandmother loved.
🍌Ingredients
- Bananas—over ripe bananas preferred
- Milk
- Egg
- Nuts—Chopped walnuts or pecans, optional but suggested.
- Pantry ingredients—AP flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil
👨🍳How to Make the Best Banana Nut Bread
- Mash 2-3 ripe bananas in a large bowl.
- Mix all ingredients into the mashed bananas and nuts if you want.
- Pour into one or two prepared loaf pans.
- Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean or an internal temperature of 200° to 205°.
⏲️How long to bake banana bread?
About 1 hour, give or take a little, for a large single in a "standard" loaf pan size (8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches) or bigger.
For two shorter loaves, divide the batter and use standard or a bit smaller loaf pans. The cooking time will decrease by 15-20 minutes but check early.
The old fashion toothpick test of inserting a toothpick in the center, and when it comes out clean when done. But if you have no toothpick or don't entirely trust that, cook to an internal temperature of 200° to 205° in the thickest center of the loaf.
✔️Tips
- As bananas ripen, they become sweeter as starch breaks down and flavors intensify.
- You can use 2 large to 3 medium bananas. You can push the amount of banana up some and decrease the milk if you want to make it your own.
- Chopped walnuts are traditional, but some people prefer pecans. You can skip the nuts if you want.
- Please only buy aluminum-free baking powder. The cost and performance are the same, and aluminum has an unpleasant aftertaste for many people.
- There is no baking soda in this version. It has a bit of sourness, and the baking powder will give a bit more golden brown crust and a lighter texture.
- Do not try to make this a healthy recipe—it is not. It is already relatively light in oil and any decrease will make the results less moist and tender.
⬇️How to make this a "for two" friendly banana bread
This is an easy recipe to cut in half. The full recipe makes make one large loaf or two smaller loaves. To make banana bread more "for two" friendly, you can make one smaller loaf in a "standard" loaf pan size (8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches) or smaller.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- Cooking time will decrease by 15-20 minutes but check earlier than that several times and watch for the endpoints.
Enhancements
The most common variation is using half a cup of chocolate chips to replace half the nuts.
Some people like cinnamon or nutmeg (about ½ teaspoon) or vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), but these are not flavors I associate with banana bread. If you do, by all means, add them.
❓FAQs
This is not one of those little bricks of banana nut bread. As you can see in the pictures, it is a large loaf with a bit of a "muffin top," so use a standard to larger loaf pan.
If you want that thinner loaf, split the batter into two loaf pans and decrease the baking time.
"Standard" loaf pan size is 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches. But the length varies between 8 to 9 inches, the width between 4-5 inches, and the height between 2½ to 3½. There are also some even larger and many much smaller.
I use a loaf pan that is 5 by 8½ for one loaf.
I'm old, and the traditional way to prep a pan for quick bread is to rub on a light coat of butter (I use a small zip-lock bag) followed by a dusting of flour (over the sink).
However, a good spray of PAM cooking spray will probably be enough.
The old-fashioned toothpick test of inserting a toothpick in the center, and when it comes out clean, it is done.
But if you have no toothpick or don't entirely trust that, cook to an internal temperature of 200° to 205° in the thickest center of the loaf.
The two most important things are not to overcook and to store correctly. You can add an extra banana and decrease the milk by about the same volume. Do not decrease the oil.
How to store banana bread?
Like most quick bread, banana nut bread can be stored at room temperature and wrapped well with plastic wrap for 2-3 days. A tight layer of aluminum foil over the plastic wrap helps keep it airtight. The quality seems to deteriorate rapidly after 2 days.
Banana nut bread will store well in a freezer for 3 months. I suggest wrapping small amounts well and storing them in an airtight container.
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°, not convection. Use 2-3 overripe bananas.
Grease and flour a loaf pan with a tablespoon of butter and a little flour. Use two loaf pans if you want thin loaves.
Mash 2-3 overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Add 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour to the mashed bananas, 1 cup sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons oil, ¾ cup milk, 1 egg, and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Stir to mix or beat at medium speed with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape sides to be sure to incorporate all the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into the floured pan and smooth with a rubber spatula. Then bake for about one hour until a toothpick comes out clean or an internal temperature of 200° to 205°.
Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 2-3 bananas - over ripe
- 2 ½ cup AP flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder - aluminum-free
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - Optional
Instructions
- Start with 2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas. Preheat the oven to 350°, not convection.
- Mash 2-3 overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl.
- Grease and flour a loaf pan with a tablespoon of butter and a little flour. Use two loaf pans if you want thin loaves.
- Add 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour to the mashed bananas along with 1 cup sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons oil, ¾ cup milk, 1 egg, and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Stir to mix or beat at medium speed with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape sides to be sure to incorporate all the ingredients.,
- Pour the mixture into the floured pan and smooth with a spatula. Then bake for about one hour until a toothpick comes out clean or an internal temperature of 200° to 205°.
- Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Recipe Notes
- You need 2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas. You can vary that some with no change in the recipe but if unsure, decrease the milk a bit.
- "Standard" loaf pan size is 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches. For the single loaf here, use the standard or slightly bigger. For two shorter loaves use standard or a bit smaller.
- If you choose to make two shorter loaves, the cooking time will decrease by 15-20 minutes, so check early.
- The old fashion toothpick test of inserting a toothpick in the center and when it comes out clean it is done. But if you have no toothpick or you don't quite trust that, cook to an internal temperature of 200° to 205° in the thickest center of the loaf.
- Store at room temperature wrapped airtight for 2-3 days. On the fourth day, the quality will deteriorate.
- You can freeze banana bread for 2-3 months. I suggest wrapping small amounts well and storing them in an airtight container.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally published January 26, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Charlene
Thanks for this recipe - been making it for years now and it truly is the best. My husband has a piece of banana nut bread most mornings!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Thanks, Charlene
It is an oldie but goodie. But the post was way overdue for a facelift, so it flows better. I spent a day improving those things. But the recipe has not changed.
Dan
Charlene Wurtz
Been making this ever since I saw the first post from Dr. Dan - it is the best ever! Hubby looks forward to his piece of bread and tea every morning!
Diana Mixell
This is a delicious recipe. Thanks 😊
Joyce
This is the best recipe I've made yet and I use pecans instead of walnuts