Description
This easy one-bowl banana walnut bread is moist, tender, and packed with crunchy walnuts. No mixer required, just a bowl and spoon for a perfect loaf every time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center. Grease your loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
- Mash the bananas. In your large bowl, mash those spotty bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine—they add texture. You should have about 1½ cups.
- Add the wet ingredients. Pour in the melted butter (make sure it’s not hot), sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir with your wooden spoon until everything is combined. Don’t overmix—just until you don’t see streaks of egg anymore.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt over the wet mixture. Stir gently, about 10-12 strokes, until just combined. A few flour streaks are okay—they’ll disappear.
- Fold in the walnuts. Add the chopped walnuts and fold them in with 3-4 gentle strokes. Reserve a handful to sprinkle on top for a prettier loaf.
- Pour into the pan. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Spread it evenly with your spatula. If you reserved some walnuts, sprinkle them on top now and press them gently into the batter so they stick.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. Place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown and cracked. If the top is browning too fast after 40 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Set the pan on a cooling rack. This lets the bread set up so it doesn’t fall apart when you remove it.
- Remove and cool completely. Use the parchment overhang to lift the bread out of the pan. Place it directly on the cooling rack. Wait at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Don’t overmix the batter to avoid tough bread. Let bananas get very ripe (black skins) for best flavor. Toast walnuts for 5-7 minutes at 350°F to deepen flavor. Check doneness with a thermometer (center should reach 200-205°F). Let cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 220
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
Keywords: banana bread, walnut bread, easy banana bread, one bowl banana bread, no mixer banana bread, moist banana bread