Description

This Walnut Banana Bread is a moist and flavorful quick bread featuring ripe bananas and crunchy toasted walnuts. Sweetened with a combination of granulated and brown sugar, and enriched with buttermilk and butter, this easy-to-make bread has a tender crumb and a delightful crunchy crust thanks to a sprinkle of turbinado sugar. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, it’s baked to golden perfection using simple pantry staples.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter (melted; can substitute with neutral oil like canola or avocado)
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 ½ cups mashed bananas (3–4 medium ripe bananas)
½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste

Dry Ingredients

½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup chopped walnuts (lightly toasted)
¼ cup turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)
¼ cup chopped walnuts (lightly toasted, for topping)

Instructions

Prep work: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 8″x4″ metal loaf pans or one 9″x5″ metal loaf pan, and line them with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of your banana bread once baked.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar: Evenly sprinkle half of the turbinado sugar over the greased pans, including the sides. This step creates a deliciously crunchy outer crust on the bread.
Mix butter and sugars: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted unsalted butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir well until fully combined and smooth.
Add eggs and vanilla: Whisk in the two room temperature eggs and vanilla extract (or paste) until the mixture is smooth and free of streaks.
Incorporate wet ingredients: Stir in the mashed bananas and buttermilk until fully combined, ensuring an even batter.
Mix in dry ingredients: Gently fold the all-purpose flour, baking soda, fine sea salt, and three-quarters cup of lightly toasted chopped walnuts into the wet ingredients. Mix just until no dry flour remains, taking care not to overmix.
Pour into pans: Pour the prepared batter evenly into the loaf pans. Optionally, sprinkle the remaining turbinado sugar and chopped walnuts on top for extra crunch and flavor.
Bake: Bake the banana bread in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking to keep the bread moist.
Cool and serve: Remove the pans from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Enjoy: Serve the walnut banana bread fresh, or store it properly for later enjoyment. See notes for storage recommendations.

Notes

For best flavor, use ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots—they’re sweeter and mash easily.
Lightly toasting the walnuts enhances their nutty flavor and adds crunch to the bread.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute ½ cup milk with ½ tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice; let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
The turbinado sugar on the crust adds a lovely texture contrast and subtle caramel notes.
Store leftover banana bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
You can freeze the banana bread tightly wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
For a nut-free version, omit walnuts or substitute with seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Avoid overmixing the batter once the flour is added to maintain a tender crumb and prevent toughness.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Baking
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: walnut banana bread, banana bread recipe, quick bread, homemade banana bread, toasted walnuts banana bread, moist banana bread, breakfast bread