Walnut Banana Bread
A golden banana loaf with crunchy walnut pieces on top and a tender middle, made for thick slices.
Let’s make something lovely.
The walnut-studded loaf in the photograph inspired a simple banana bread with a little yogurt for tenderness. The bananas should be soft and heavily speckled so they mash smoothly into the batter.
Save a handful of walnuts for the top. That small finishing step gives every slice a crunchy edge and makes the loaf look as good as it smells.
Walnut Banana Bread
What you’ll need
Loaf
Let’s do this
- 1
Prepare
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 × 5-inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving overhang along the long sides. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and optional cinnamon together.
- 2
Mix the wet ingredients
Mash the bananas in a large bowl, leaving only small lumps. Whisk in the brown sugar, cooled melted butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla until evenly combined.
- 3
Fold gently
Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture just until almost combined. Add 60 g of the walnuts and finish folding until no dry flour remains. Avoid beating the batter after the flour is added.
- 4
Bake
Scrape into the pan, smooth the top and scatter with the remaining 30 g walnuts. Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and no wet batter. If the top is browning too quickly after about 40 minutes, cover loosely with foil.
- 5
Cool before slicing
Leave in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift onto a rack using the parchment. Cool for at least another 60 minutes before slicing. A warm loaf is fragile and may look gummy if cut too soon.
Wheat, Eggs, Milk, Tree nuts: walnuts. Check every ingredient and substitute for your own needs.
Before the happy first bite.
Weigh the peeled bananas. Too much banana can leave the center wet even when the outside looks done.
Use the stated pan size; a smaller pan may overflow or need a much longer bake.
A crack along the top is normal for a quick bread. It gives the walnuts somewhere to settle.
Wrap the fully cooled loaf and keep at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze individual wrapped slices for up to 2 months.
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