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Grandma’s Banana Bread
My grandma’s recipe for banana nut bread – a classic banana bread recipe packed full of chopped walnuts that bakes up super moist and dense. A family favorite!
Growing up, there was never a lack of things to eat at my grandma’s house. There were tins filled with pizzelle and biscotti that were never empty. I mean, never. They were always sitting, filled to the brim, on the last step near the dining room.
My favorite days were the ones when I would walk in and see my grandma in the kitchen, surrounded by loaves upon loaves of pepperoni bread. My second favorite day was banana bread day. Smelling the air infused with bananas and warm bread was intoxicating. These also got churned out many at a time. And nothing could beat a thick slice slathered with soft butter. Divine.
This bread is super moist, packed full of banana flavor, and best of all – it’s my grandma’s recipe. Which makes it the best banana bread ever, naturally.
Watch How to Make Banana Nut Bread
As you might be able to tell, this banana bread recipe doesn’t make a super-high loaf, but it’s one of the things I love most about it. It’s condensed, moist and packed full of flavor. It makes a perfect breakfast bread, and is also an amazing dessert to have with coffee.
Once the bread is cool, wrap it tight in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature. I actually think that the bread is better the second day. And the third. And the fourth… If it lasts that long! It also freezes really well if you want to keep a stash for emergency situations.
I feel so fortunate that I was able to spend so much time with my grandma as I grew up, and that I have so many incredible memories tied to her house and to the food that she made.
Each time I make one of her recipes and have a simple smell bring me back to her kitchen, I know she is thrilled that I’ve carried on making so many of the recipes that our family has loved over the years, including this banana bread.
One year ago: Baking Basics: Common Baking Substitutions
Five years ago: Cheddar, Jalapeno and Chive Biscuits
Six years ago: Basic Pesto Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
My grandma's recipe for banana nut bread - a classic banana bread recipe packed full of mashed bananas and chopped walnuts. A family favorite!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the bananas and stir gently to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until completely blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the walnuts.
Divide the mixture into the two loaf pans. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the loaves begin to get too dark before they are done in the middle, cover with foil. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The bread can be stored, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 219kcal
Fat: 10g
Saturated fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 18mg
Sodium: 100mg
Potassium: 144mg
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 14g
Protein: 3g
Vitamin A: 45%
Vitamin C: 2.4%
Calcium: 13%
Iron: 1%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I have my grandma’s recipe, but since the last time I made it, I misplaced it! I used your recipe this morning and it’s a pretty good runner up to Grandma’s!! :) I omitted the walnuts just as I do with her’s. I doubled the recipe and loaves came out perfect at about 41 minutes. Thanks!
Did this messed up on baking soda i put in baking powder but fixed my boo left out salt aลd added baking soda turned out good
This has become my favorite banana bread recipe. So easy, but the big surprise for me was that there’s no butter, yet it’s very moist and flavorful! I also love that I don’t need to use a mixer.
Made this banana nut bread and it was so good. Needless to say it did not last long enough to put any away for a rainy day. Thank you for sharing.
I made this today and I was pleasantly surprise it really taste I will be making again .It was not overly sweet..I also cut the recipe in half because I only wanted 1 loaf.
I baked two loaves according to your recipe. I didn’t have any baking soda on hand so I substituted 6 teaspoons of baking powder. It was out of this world! I used bananas that I had for a few days. I am going to bake two loaves this evening and try to do everything exactly the same, as it was perfection! Thank you for sharing this heavenly recipe.
My banana bread came out perfect! First of all, I had all the ingredients and I loved that I just had to use a whisk and spoon to mix. It was so easy. Just like the video. It is so moist and everyone loved it! I was happy to use it since my son is lactose intolerant and your recipe called for oil instead of butter.
Thank you!
Very easy recipe, and delicious.
I made this today and it was delicious , will definitely be making it again.
Is it just me? This didnt come close to making 2 loaves?
I only got one loaf, but my pan was a bit bigger. I think smaller loaf pans would make two.
Omg so delicious..i made a double batch. Everything at room temp.and let sit 10 min before baking in convection oven.it was gone in 10 hrs lmao.
I used apple sauce instead of oil I hope they turn out ok in the oven now..
I made this banana bread with and without walnuts and ohhh si easy and delicious, thank you and best of all no mixer needed ย yesssss โค
Delicious recipe for banana nut bread! I enjoyed how easy the recipe was to follow. Will make it a permanent recipe.๐๐๐
I would like to make one loaf and then some muffins. How do I adjust the oven temp and time for muffins? Thank you
Hi Dolly, I would keep the temperature at 350 degrees, but start checking the muffins around 20 minutes or so and go from there. Enjoy!
I made this ย for Christmas, and took it over to my sister house fr Chrstmas. ย Everyone loved it. ย Thans, and Happy New Year
You’re welcome, so happy to hear it was a hit! Happy New Year!
Made Grandma’s banana bread today, it turned out exceptionally tasty and soft. Thank you very much for the recipe.
This banana bread tastes just like my grandmother used to make! ย It is so easy and so moistdelish!
Awww yay!
Can you add cranberryโs or any other fruit to this recipe ?
Hi Tami, Yes definitely!
Recipe turned out just as it says. Dense and moist. Not very sweet, which I like and delicious with butter. I might add some chocolate chips next time for a sweeter batch.
This is a moist, delicious bread, with just the right amount of sweetness. So happy to find this recipe.
This is by far the best banana bread I have ever tasted! I made 2 loaves and gave 1 to a friend! Wish I didnโt now. I will definitely make this again!!!
Kid tested kid approved. I have some pretty picky kids that absolutely love pumpkin muffins. I used to make banana muffins for them and they love them until I tried a totally different recipe that involved a yellow cake mix from that time on they would not eat a banana muffin until today. I was told that I should make these banana muffins instead of pumpkin muffins because these are so yummy in their words
Yay! I definitely understand how it feels to get approval from picky kids!
Was looking for a banana bread recipe that was good and not too time consuming. I stumbled upon this recipe and thought sounds simple enough. I love this recipe. It is delicious. I actually made two batches. One plain and one with chocolate chips. I had planned on adding walnuts but found my walnuts weren’t any good. Kind of glad they weren’t because just the chocolate chip added was the bomb. The true test will be if the kids will eat them.
Hi Betty, Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review; I’m so thrilled you enjoyed my grandma’s banana bread and love your addition of chocolate chips!
Could this be made in one bundt pan?
Thanks
Gail Scudieri
Hi Gail, I think you’d need to double the recipe to bake in a traditional Bundt pan.
I love this recipe! I just prefer mine a bit sweet so I doubled the sugar. It turned out delicious. I used muffin pans instead of loaf pans. Muffins were more convenient for my husband’s lunch box.
I made this recipe a few days ago, using only half of the ingredients to make one loaf. The instructions were perfect and easy to follow. During the baking process, our kitchen was filled with a lovely and intoxicating aroma. Our glass loaf pan wasn’t ideal (prefer metal), so we definitely watched for over-browning on the sides. It was really hard to wait for the loaf to cool properly, so we cut into it while still slightly warm and slathered Kerry Gold Irish Butter on our slices. WOW, so delicious. So here it is, a few days later, and I am making another loaf! I think this would freeze very well. Can’t wait to bring this to a pot luck party at work. Thanks for a sharing your excellent family recipe.
Hi Paula, I’m so glad you enjoyed my grandma’s banana bread! Thanks so much for stopping back to share your review!
Can you use dates?
Hi Norine, dates would be delicious!
It’s very delicious but made it in a 9 x 9 pan enjoyed it very much
I haven’t made banana bread in years, so I was looking for a killer recipe. In this one I found a recipe that used less sugar than most, so, since my GF has a slight digestive issue with sugar, I gave it a try. It is an EXCELLENT recipe to keep on hand! True, the next time I make it, I will undoubtedly tweak it in some small way (don’t ALL of us experiment a bit?), but it could not be a better way to begin! Thank you for providing this recipe!