Banana Nut Bread with Pecans
This Banana Nut Bread with Pecans is the ultimate classic quick bread — ultra-moist, warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and loaded with toasty, buttery pecans in every single bite. Made with very ripe bananas, a splash of sour cream for extra tenderness, and a handful of pantry staples, this one-bowl recipe comes together in just 15 minutes before the oven does the rest. The pecan-studded top bakes up golden and gorgeous, making it as beautiful as it is delicious.
Equipment
- 9x5 inch loaf pan Standard size
- Large mixing bowl For wet ingredients and mashing bananas
- Medium mixing bowl For dry ingredients
- Fork or potato masher For mashing bananas
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon For folding batter
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wire cooling rack
- Parchment paper For easy loaf removal
- Dry skillet For toasting pecans
- Kitchen scale Optional but recommended for accuracy
- Toothpick or wooden skewer For testing doneness
- Aluminum foil For tenting loaf at 45-minute mark
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe large bananas about 1½ cups (340g) mashed; the more brown spots the better
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter 75g, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt 60ml; adds moisture and tenderness
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 190g; spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Pecans
- ¾ cup chopped pecans 85g, toasted; folded into batter
- ¼ cup chopped pecans 30g, toasted; for topping
Optional Topping
- coarse sugar pinch; for sparkling crust on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan, then line with parchment paper leaving overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
- Toast all 1 cup of chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from heat, cool completely, then divide into ¾ cup (for batter) and ¼ cup (for topping).
- Peel the 3 ripe bananas and mash thoroughly in a large mixing bowl with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth — you should have about 1½ cups of mashed banana.
- Whisk the melted butter and sugar into the mashed banana, then add the eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream, whisking until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in the ¾ cup of toasted pecans with a few final strokes.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Scatter the reserved ¼ cup of toasted pecans over the top, pressing them down lightly, and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake on the center rack for 60–65 minutes, tenting loosely with foil at the 45-minute mark to prevent over-browning. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment handles and cool for an additional 30–45 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Use the ripest bananas possible: Black-spotted or mostly black bananas produce the sweetest, most flavorful bread. The riper, the better.
- Speed-ripen bananas: Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet at 300°F for 15–20 minutes until skins turn black. Cool completely before using.
- Don't overmix: Fold the batter just until no dry streaks remain. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to a tough, dense loaf.
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off with a straight edge. Scooping directly packs in too much flour and dries out the loaf.
- Room temperature eggs: Pull eggs from the fridge 30 minutes before baking so they don't cause the melted butter to seize and clump.
- Toast the pecans: Don't skip this step — toasting deepens the pecan flavor significantly and is worth the extra 5 minutes.
- Walnut substitution: Swap pecans for toasted walnuts in equal amounts for a slightly more earthy, bitter nut flavor.
- Storage: Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or freeze (whole or sliced) for up to 3 months.
- Reheat from frozen: Microwave individual slices for 60–90 seconds, or warm in a 325°F oven for 10 minutes to restore a fresh-baked texture.
- Make it muffins: Divide batter among a greased 12-cup muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 180mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 8mg
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