This easy banana walnut bread recipe is the perfect quick bread recipe to add to your repertoire! Chock full of flavor from those overripe bananas going to waste on your counter, a touch of ground cinnamon, and lovely toasted walnuts - it’s a delicious snack that’s ready in no time!
Everyone needs that one recipe. That recipe they can fall back on when the craving strikes. That recipe they can whip up in practically no time at all. A recipe that’s easy and fool-proof and doesn’t require fancy equipment, special steps, or intensive amounts of work. This banana bread recipe is that recipe!
What's in Easy Banana Walnut Bread?
- Bananas (doy)
- Flour
- Baking Soda & Powder
- Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg
- Salt
- Walnut Pieces
- Oil
- Brown Sugar
- 1 egg
- Vanilla
- Sour Cream (my secret weapon when it comes to banana bread!)
- Raw Sugar (for that crinkly, crunch top!)
Is Banana Nut Bread Healthy?
In my personal eating and professional baking opinion - yes! Easy Banana Walnut Bread can be considered a healthy alternative to other baked goods or even processed, store-bought snacks. Yes, it has oil and flour and sugar in it, but! It also has...
- Bananas - which we all know are a good source of potassium!
- Walnuts - which are full of "good" fats and a great source of omega-3! They also contain iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin E and B.
- Cinnamon - which in anti-inflammatory and contains magnesium and zinc!
Like any sweet treat, moderation is key. Eating a slice of this amazing quick bread with a fresh cup of coffee won't totally derail any health goals you're trying to achieve. Of course, there are ways to make this easy banana walnut bread recipe even healthier, if you're interested!
- Substitute half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour.
- Use whole-fat greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
- Omit the raw sugar from the top (if you dare).
Why is this recipe so good?
It creates a loaf that is so perfectly dense and perfectly sweet! It's studded with walnuts and lightly scented with cinnamon. It is ready in practically no time! It’s that late afternoon, “I want something sweet, but something homemade, but something easy” recipe.
In short – it’s the only banana bread recipe you need.
Fo’ realz.
Just typing this up and looking at the photos is making me wish I had some crummy old bananas in the freezer. And maybe a little leftover cream cheese frosting to slather on top? Wouldn't that be divine? Yes, yes it would!
Easy Banana Walnut Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup chopped walnut pieces lightly toasted
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 4 overripe bananas mashed
- ¼ cup raw sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, spices, and salt. Gently toss walnuts in flour mixture to coat (this keeps them from sinking in the batter!).
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth.
- Stir in bananas before pouring liquid into dry ingredients. Gently stir to combine, being sure not to over-mix the batter without leaving any streaks of flower.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and top with raw sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes, or until bread is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out of pan and letting cool completely to room temperature.
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