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    🏠Home » Recipes » Bread Recipes

    Old Fashioned Banana Nut Bread

    Oct 23, 2021 · Modified: Oct 27, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 49 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.49 from 104 votes

    Old-fashioned moist and delicious banana nut bread is easy using this adapted 1972 Betty Crocker Banana Bread recipe. This is the traditional recipe that your grandmother used and is the best banana nut bread you can make at home.

    image of a loaf of banana nut bread on a cutting board

    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this recipe
    • 🍌Ingredients
    • ❓FAQs
    • 📖Banana Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    One of our family's favorite recipes for decades, and we make it as banana nut bread or banana bread, depending on which child is home.

    Life doesn't get much better than a house filled with an enticing aroma of banana nut bread and a fresh slice coated with butter in your hand.

    Sometimes the best recipes are the old-fashioned recipes. Inspired by the 1972 Betty Crocker Cookbook, this moist and easy banana nut bread recipe is what your grandmother loved.

    Betty Crocker cookbook falling apart copyright 1969 printed 1972
    Printed 1972 © 1969

    👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

    It is this easy. All you need is a couple of bananas with common pantry ingredients.

    1. Mash 2-3 over-ripe bananas in a large bowl.
    2. Mix all ingredients into the mashed bananas and nuts if you want.
    3. Pour into one or two prepared loaf pans.
    4. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or an internal temperature of 200° to 205°.

    🍌Ingredients

    What bananas to choose?

    It shouldn't be a big surprise that the most important part of banana bread is choosing the correct bananas.

    The bananas need to be "overripe," which will convert some of the starches to sugar and make the bananas, hence the banana bread sweater. Also, this will make the bread moister and add more flavor. So, the more brown spots, the better.

    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.

    Nuts

    Depending on your needs, it is OK to add or skip the nuts.

    Walnuts are traditional and my choice. Coming in second is pecans, and in third place are any nuts you want to use.

    Baking Powder

    Please only buy aluminum-free baking powder. The cost and performance are the same, and for many people, aluminum has an unpleasant aftertaste.

    There is no baking soda in this recipe. The easy answer to why is that Betty Crocker wanted it way back then, but baking soda does have a bit of sourness, and the baking powder will give a bit more golden crust.

    Oil

    The oil is essential to have a moist and tender texture. You can decrease the fat in many recipes, but it is relatively light here, and you will pay the price in the results. So please don't do that here.

    Enhancements

    The most common seems to be a half cup of chocolate chips to replace half the nuts.

    Some people like cinnamon (about ½ teaspoon) or vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), but these are not flavors I associate with banana bread but if you do, by all means, add them.

    ❓FAQs

    What pans to use?

    This is not one of those little bricks of banana nut bread. As you can see in the pictures, it is a large loaf, 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 8-½ x 4-½ x 2-½ inches. But the length varies between 8 to 9 inches, and width between 4-5 inches, and the height between 2 ½ to 3 ½. There are also some even larger and many much smaller.

    I use a loaf pan that is 5 by 8 ½ for one loaf.

    How to prepare the pans for cooking?

    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.

    When is banana nut bread done?

    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.

    How to be sure your banana nut bread is moist?

    The two most important things are not to overcook and to store properly. You can also add an extra banana and decrease the milk by about the same volume.

    How to store banana nut bread?

    Like most quick bread, banana nut bread is very nicely 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 2-3 days.

    Banana nut bread will store well in a freezer for 2-3 months. I suggest wrapping small amounts well and storing them in an airtight container.

    📖Banana Recipes

    Oven Baked Banana Pancake

    Banana Nut Cookies

    Banana Nut Cake

    Banana Nut Muffins

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Bread Recipes, Breakfast Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    two over ripe bananas

    Preheat the oven to 350°, not convection. Use 2-3 overripe bananas.

    loaf pan coated with butter and flour

    Grease and flour a loaf pan with a tablespoon of butter and a little flour. Use two loaf pans if you want thin loaves.

    mashing bananas with a fork

    Mash 2-3 overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl.

    mixing ingredients in a white bowl with a hand mixer

    Add 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour to the mashed bananas, 1 cup sugar, 4 teaspoon 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.

    smoothing batter in the loaf pan

    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°.

    loaf of banana nut bread cooking on a wire rack

    Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

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    📝Recipe

    loaf of banana nut bread on a cutting board

    Old Fashioned Banana Nut Bread

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Old-fashioned moist and delicious banana nut bread is easy using this adapted 1972 Betty Crocker Banana Bread recipe. This is the traditional recipe that your grandmother used and is the best banana nut bread you can make at home.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.49 from 104 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 12 slices

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2-3 bananas - over ripe
    • 2 ½ cup AP flour
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 4 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • ¾ cup milk
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - Optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start with 2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas. Preheat the oven to 350°, not convection.
      two over ripe bananas
    • Mash 2-3 overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl.
      mashing bananas with a fork
    • Grease and flour a loaf pan with a tablespoon of butter and a little flour. Use two loaf pans if you want thin loaves.
      loaf pan coated with butter and flour
    • Add 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour to the mashed bananas along with 1 cup sugar, 4 teaspoon 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.,
      mixing ingredients in a white bowl with a hand mixer
    • 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°.
      smoothing batter in the loaf pan
    • Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
      loaf of banana nut bread cooking on a wire rack
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Recipe Notes

    1. 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.
    2. "Standard" loaf pan size is 8-½ x 4-½ x 2-½ inches. For the single loaf here, use the standard or slightly bigger. For two shorter loaves use standard or a bit smaller.
    3. If you choose to make two shorter loaves, the cooking time will decrease by 15-20 minutes, so check early.
    4. 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.
    5. Store at room temperature wrapped airtight for 2-3 days. On the fourth day, the quality will deteriorate.
    6. 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

    Nutrition Facts
    Old Fashioned Banana Nut Bread
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 296 Calories from Fat 99
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11g17%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
    Monounsaturated Fat 4g
    Cholesterol 18mg6%
    Sodium 384mg16%
    Potassium 209mg6%
    Carbohydrates 46g15%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 21g23%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 100IU2%
    Vitamin C 4.1mg5%
    Calcium 140mg14%
    Iron 1.8mg10%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Dessert
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally published January 26, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    Dogs in Snow

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    1. Charlene Wurtz

      October 24, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    2. Diana Mixell

      December 09, 2019 at 3:27 pm

      4 stars
      This is a delicious recipe. Thanks 😊

      Reply
      • Joyce

        May 06, 2020 at 11:23 pm

        5 stars
        This is the best recipe I've made yet and I use pecans instead of walnuts

    3. AMANDA THOMAS

      October 23, 2019 at 7:33 pm

      My entire family loves this recipe!

      Reply
      • Joyce

        May 06, 2020 at 11:30 pm

        I have also made it in Emeril Lagasse's airfryer oven and you only use one more eggs and use 1 and no milk set the temperature of the air fryer on 320 for 30 minute then check it every few minutes for the next 20 minutes to be done and it turns out perfect every time wait 20 minutes before removing it from the pan can I use bread pan

      • Barbara Smith

        November 27, 2020 at 9:37 pm

        5 stars
        I love this recipe. So easy to make and delicious to eat.

    4. Carol

      July 03, 2018 at 12:19 pm

      I found this recipe yesterday and made the Banana Nut Bread. My husband says it's the best he's ever had and told me he wanted me to make sure I kept this recipe! My bananas were not even overripe and I used 3 medium ones. Super taste. Even better this morning! (Yes, it was my breakfast!) This will be my go-to Banana Nut Bread from this day forward. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Gutty Wiesner

        October 15, 2018 at 4:51 pm

        I love it and easy thank you

    5. Alicia Bland

      February 06, 2018 at 10:13 am

      This was very good! Will be adding it to the mix for leftover bananas. Thanks for sharing great recipes on your blog-I love reading it and the pictures are a bonus too!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        February 08, 2018 at 8:57 am

        Hi Alicia,
        I love the old recipes like this.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    6. Cindy Griffin

      October 18, 2017 at 10:44 am

      what to do when don't have baking powder,or soda.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        October 18, 2017 at 11:55 am

        Not much. They are required for this recipe. Sorry.
        Dan

    7. Rachel

      October 01, 2017 at 12:37 pm

      Hi, have you seen the banana bread recipe on Simply Recipes? I love it. Never fails. Less sugar and one egg. So economical as well.

      Reply
    8. Judy Uhl

      April 02, 2017 at 10:01 am

      Hi Dr. Dan, I'm going to try this wonderful Banana bread recipe this week! Looks great. Does your Betty Crocker cookbook have a ISBN number ? There's so many editions out there. Thanks

      Reply
      • DrDan

        April 02, 2017 at 3:11 pm

        Hi Judy,
        The cookbook is so old, no ISBN. It is Betty Crocker Cookbook (1969) 12th Printing 1972 Red Pie Cover Sears Holiday Ed. They generally run about $40-45 on eBay. That is down from a few years ago when one of my daughters (known for being thrifty) paid $75. When I decided I needed a new one last summer, I lucked into an excellent copy for $25. Now it was originally published in 1969 and had multiple printings. I would think they are all the same (but don't really know that), but the 1972 Sears edition had an extra of holiday cooking at the front. Nothing great in that. But my wife was working at Sears in high school in 1972 and bought hers for $5 and learned to cook from it. So I had to get the 1972 Sears edition.

    9. Liza Santos

      August 30, 2016 at 8:03 pm

      I just made this great banana nut bread and I was disappointed that mine didn't turn out the beautiful golden brown. I did just as the recipe call for.. I went wrong somewhere. I won't give up.. I'm waiting for over rip bananas. It was good though

      Reply
    10. Pat

      January 14, 2016 at 12:03 pm

      Made this today. A bit disappointing bectause of too much baking powder which I can strongly taste. Basically I think it's a good recipe but will cut the baking powder by 50%.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 14, 2016 at 12:12 pm

        Hi Pat,

        I did "push" baking powder some since I like a large rise. The original recipe was 3 teaspoons I believe. Be sure to use aluminum free baking powder. The aluminum gives a taste I hate. Most baking powder does have aluminum. With the aluminum free baking powder I can't taste anything from it.

        Dan

      • Lynn

        April 11, 2016 at 3:37 pm

        Here is original recipe from my book I got in 1974(1972 edition) 1 1/4 cup sugar,1/2 cup butter softened, 2 eggs,3-4 med. overripe bananas mashed,1/2 cup buttermilk(I use reg. milk),1tsp.real vanilla extract,2 1/2 cups Gold Medal all purpose flour(don't have to use name brand),1tsp.baking soda,1tsp.salt,1 cup chopped nuts(whatever is your preference such as pecans,or walnuts-which is most commonly used,or get creative maybe pine nuts). Preheat oven to 350 degrees,butter loaf pan then flour,mix sugar and butter well,and eggs mix,add bananas,milk,vanilla,mix well again,add flour,baking soda and salt,mix well again then add nuts(you do not have to use nuts if you don't want or have them or cannot eat them)Pour into loaf pan bake for approx. 40-45 mins. or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. I mix everything in stone ware baking dish or bowl and actually just bake it in same dish,stoneware is nonstick so you don't need to buuter and flour it. Just dump everything together mix well and bake in same dish less clean up! Just be sure to cream butter and sugar well first and then add everything else. YUMMY !!!! Best and easiest Banana Bread ever

    11. Pat

      January 12, 2016 at 11:32 pm

      I have been looking for this old recipe for over a year! I no longer have the cookbook, but I recognize the picture of it. This bread is the best!

      Reply
    12. Margaret Ann Cooper

      December 17, 2015 at 11:23 am

      I need to know if the small t's mean teaspoons and the T tablespoon? I think it does, but not sure. I am also totally confused and can figure out the baking soda/powder. I want to make it right. Right? LOL. Thanks,

      Reply
      • DrDan

        December 17, 2015 at 11:50 am

        You have it right. It is kind of the old way. t=teaspoon T=tablespoon I have it covered in FAQ and I now spell them out but the older posts like this still have them.
        This is baking powder. Baking powder has some baking soda in it but also another ingredient to give longer rise. Do not exchange them.

        Hope that helps
        DrDan

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