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Bakery-Style Banana Nut Bread

banana nut bread
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup [100g] coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup [240 g] mashed banana from about 3* very overripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup [105 g] canola oil or olive oil
  • 2 large eggs**
  • 2/3 cup [130 g] sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
  • 1 1/2 cups [200 g] all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ripe banana, split lengthwise (optional, for decorating)
  • Finely chopped raw walnuts (optional, for decorating)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F [180° C].
  2. Place the walnuts in a 8×4 inch [20 x 10 cm] loaf pan*** and shake out into an even layer.
  3. Roast for 12 to 14 minutes****, just until the walnuts have slightly browned (keep an eye on them after 10 minutes). Remove the walnuts to a plate to cool. Do not wash the pan; do not turn off the oven.
  4. Dust out the empty loaf pan with a paper towel and grease the pan with butter or oil.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mashed bananas together with the olive oil until very well combined. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt, and whisk together until completely incorporated.
  6. Place a fine mesh sieve directly over the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients (careful not to let it fall in), and add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the sieve. Sift onto the wet ingredients without stirring. Once you’re done sifting, add the walnuts and stir to combine. Do not over-mix.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan.
  8. Place the banana halves cut-side-up on top of the loaf (if using).
  9. Bake for about 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out with batter, it needs more time, but if it comes out with just some crumbs, it’s ready to take out.
  10. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

* For a better loaf, measure your bananas in cups/grams rather than by number of whole bananas. Adding too few yields a dry loaf, while adding too many yields a pudding-like consistency. If you have leftover bananas, you can always freeze them for the next loaf. They will keep in a tightly sealed plastic bag for about 3 months.

** See note above recipe on turning this into vegan banana bread.

*** To make this into muffins instead of a banana bread loaf, place 9 muffin liners in a muffin tin (homemade parchment liners or store bought paper ones). If using parchment ones, drizzle them lightly with olive oil. Evenly distribute the batter between the 9 liners, then top each with a 1/2 in [13mm] banana slice. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

**** If you choose to roast them spread out on a larger pan, they will take more like 10 to 12 minutes.

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Note on the pan size: This recipe has never overflowed during testing and it should not overflow on you if you use a standard 8×4 inch pan. But if yours does overflow, something has gone wrong with your ingredient ratios, oven temperature, or pan depth. If you’re making this for the first time and worried it might overflow, you can place a baking sheet on the rack one level down from the rack you’re baking on.

Find it online: https://cardamomandtea.com/62086/bakery-style-banana-nut-bread/