How to Make Delicious Banana Bread

If you’re looking for a moist banana bread recipe, look no further—this is our best banana bread recipe! It’s easy to make and includes tips from our test kitchen experts on how to make your banana bread even tastier. The secret is to roast the bananas before adding them to the batter. Once you master this banana bread method, try making the included variations (such as dark chocolate raspberry, mango ginger, and peanut butter jam). The crunchy nut filling adds a fun texture, but if you’re not a fan of nuts, you can skip it and still make a delicious loaf—perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

For the Banana Bread:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium bananas)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Crunchy Nut Topping (Optional):

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 teaspoons butter

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

For the Banana Bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan (or two 7-1/2×3-1/2×2-inch pans) with butter or oil, about 1/2 inch high. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, mashed bananas, sugar, and oil.

4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Stir until just combined (the batter will be lumpy). Fold in the walnuts.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. If desired, sprinkle with the crunchy nut topping.

6. Bake a 9x5x3-inch loaf for 55 to 60 minutes or a 7-1/2×3-1/2×2-inch loaf for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (If needed, loosely cover the loaf with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.)

7. Let the loaf cool in the pan on a metal rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight before slicing. This recipe makes 1 loaf (16 slices).

For the Crunchy Nut Topping:

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and flour.

2. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

3. Stir in the chopped walnuts.