A moist banana bread made with very ripe bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and toasted walnuts.
Recipe details
- Yield: 1 loaf, about 10 slices
- Pan: 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
- Preparation time: About 15 minutes, plus walnut toasting
- Baking time: 65 to 75 minutes
- Cooling time: At least 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total time: About 2 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (85 g) walnut pieces
- 2 cups (454 g) mashed very ripe banana, about 5 medium bananas
- 1/2 cup (120 ml or 99 g) neutral oil
- 3/4 cup packed (160 g) light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and line the long sides with a parchment-paper sling.
- Spread the walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast for 6 to 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool, chop, and reserve 2 tablespoons for the top.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the chopped walnuts, leaving the reserved portion aside.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the reserved walnuts.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then loosely tent with foil if the top is browning quickly. Continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes, until a tester comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter. The center should register about 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C).
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift the loaf onto a rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Storage and substitutions
- Store the fully cooled loaf airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days; the flavor and texture often improve overnight.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage. Thaw the loaf or slices while wrapped.
- Omit the walnuts for a nut-free loaf, or replace them with the same weight of pecans.
- For a whole-grain option, replace 1 cup (120 g) of the all-purpose flour with 1 cup (113 g) white whole wheat flour.
- Measure the mashed banana by weight or volume rather than relying only on the number of bananas.