Cardamom and Tea

Bakery-Style Banana Nut Bread

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I wanted to create a loaf of banana nut bread that tastes like the kind you’d get at a café specializing in house-made baked goods. And I think I’ve done it! Here’s what this recipe features:

  • Walnut-forward intensity, which comes from toasting them first.
  • That bakery-style flavor, thanks to vanilla extract. It’s the key to baking *banana nut bread* instead of just a loaf of banana bread that just happens to have walnuts.
  • A perfect texture that’s simultaneously moist and sturdy. No one wants a pudding-like loaf. But you also don’t want a dense doorstoper. My recipe uses oil instead of butter, and I give an actual measurement for the bananas, which yields a consistently good texture.
  • Fewer dishes! Yay! I’ll have you strategically reusing pans and bowls. It’s a 1-bowl recipe.

More tips for success below, or jump to the recipe if you’re ready to bake.

banana nut bread
banana nut bread from overhead

Why this banana nut bread recipe works:

A bit more context about why this recipe is great. Or skip to the recipe of you’re like “okay, okaaay, I get it!”

1. It includes an accurate banana measurement.

A consistent banana bread recipe starts with an accurate amount of mashed banana. One banana can be literally twice as large as another, so just specifying the number of bananas is not enough. One 3-banana-loaf will turn out great, while another will turn out gummy and soggy.

I tested this recipe using the cup/gram amount, which means that your banana nut bread will turn out great whether your bananas are giant or tiny. Just use a measuring cup or scale and you’re good to go.

2. I’ve opted for oil rather than butter

There’s nothing wrong with butter, but oil yields a loaf of banana bread with a perfectly moist texture. If you love the taste of butter in a banana but loaf, you can always serve slices with a pat of butter on top.

3. Vanilla extract + toasted walnuts = the best flavor

Toasting walnuts is an extra step, but hear me out! First, you have to preheat the oven to 350 anyway—so why not pop those walnuts in while you’re mixing up the rest of the ingredients? Second, I have you roast them in the same loaf pan you plan to use. That way you won’t have to dirty a second pan.

And while I don’t add vanilla to every single loaf of banana bread I bake, vanilla extract is essential in banana nut bread. I find it distracting in most banana breads, but it’s a non-negotiable here.

banana nut bread, sliced

A few quick tips:

  • Freeze any leftover bananas tightly sealed in a plastic bag for about 3 months. Microwave or leave in the fridge to thaw once you’re ready to use them. They will give off a liquid, but do not strain them before using. Just mash and measure them exactly as you would if they were fresh.
  • To veganize it, just replace the eggs with 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp [that’s 90g] additional mashed banana along with 2 tsp [10g] additional olive oil. It may take a little longer to bake-through (about 7 minutes).
  • Do not overmix it. As soon as the dry pockets of flour disappear, stop mixing. Overmixing will result in a dry, tough loaf.
  • Make this recipe as written. Every detail is there for a reason…. and often that reason is: “to save you time and annoyance!” Roast your walnuts in the loaf pan to save on dishes. Sift the dry ingredients directly into the wet ingredients to save on dishes. Wait for it to cool so you get clean slices. Keep that oven on so you don’t have to preheat it twice. I’ve got your back.
  • Check out my other banana breads + loaf cakes!

Enjoy!

banana nut bread, the crumb
banana nut bread slices
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Bakery-Style Banana Nut Bread

banana nut bread
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5 from 1 review

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
  • 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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Rainbow Red Cabbage Slaw

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This rainbow red cabbage slaw is super colorful, and it tastes just like it looks, with lots of citrusy flavor. The dressing has a generous amount of orange zest, a bit of lemon zest and juice, and a few other little accents. And you can make it with just about anything you’ve got on hand, as long as you have a head of red cabbage.

Read on for a few tips for success, or jump to the recipe to hit the ground running.

rainbow red cabbage slaw
drizzling dressing over rainbow red cabbage slaw

A few tips for rainbow slaw success:

(and this goes for pretty much any slaw, not just this red cabbage one!)

Salt your veggies ahead (if you have time):

  • If you have time, salting your veggies first is always a good idea. The salt will draw some of their moisture out, ensuring that you don’t end up watering down the dressing. Instead, you just drain away that excess moisture, and dress your veggies from there.
  • I recommend 10 to 15 minutes for the full effect, but even 5 minutes makes a big difference. I recommend prepping your ingredients, salting them, and then mixing up the dressing—that’ll buy you at least 2 minutes of salting time, even if you’re in a hurry.
  • If you don’t have time, you can easily skip this step, no worries. I’ve made it both ways, and the slaw will be tasty either way. It’ll just be tastier if you don’t skip it.

Use a food processor (if you own one):

  • This is such a time saver, especially if your knife skills aren’t the best.
  • You might be most used to using your food processor with the blade attachment, but dig out the slicer and grater attachments whenever you have to prep a lot of ingredients for something like a slaw.
  • Don’t bother rinsing out the food processor between ingredients—just swap out the attachment from slicer to grater and continue on.
rainbow red cabbage slaw
rainbow red cabbage slaw

Don’t let anything go to waste!

  • Bell peppers:
    • You can simply make this with a single bell pepper, but if you want the full rainbow slaw effect, you can use thirds or halves of an orange, red, and/or yellow bell pepper.
    • Make sure you slice up the leftovers and store them in the fridge for dipping in hummus or adding an extra veggie side to lunches.
  • The orange:
    • This dressing includes lemon zest and juice, so you’ll probably end up using the whole thing. But it only calls for orange zest, because orange juice tends to water down a dressing.
    • But don’t let that orange go to waste after zesting it! It’ll keep for another couple days in the fridge—just slice it up and eat it as a snack.
  • Red onion and carrots:
    • If you opt for red onion instead of green, you’ll probably have some left over.
    • You probably also have some carrots left in that 16oz bag you bought. Slice a carrot up along with the leftover onion, throw them all a plastic bag, and freeze for next time you need to make anything that calls for mirepoix (if you have celery on hand, even better—add that too, and you won’t need to add it later).
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Rainbow Red Cabbage Slaw

rainbow red cabbage slaw
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Ingredients

For the slaw:

  • 1 small red cabbage [1lb / 455g]
  • 1 bell pepper, optional*
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 small bunch green onions or 1/2 of a small red onion
  • 1 small bunch cilantro
  • Salt, as needed

For the citrus dressing:

  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice (zest it first!)
  • 1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients—choose whichever way you’d like!
    • BY HAND:
      • Thinly slice the red cabbage, bell pepper, and red onion (if using).
      • Grate the carrot with a box grater.
      • Chop the green onions (if using) and cilantro.
    • WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR:
      • Cut the cabbage into wedges that will fit through your food processor’s feed tube. Set up the slicer attachment. Process the wedges.
      • Cut the bell pepper into quarters, remove the stem, pith, and seeds. Stack them together and process with the slicer attachment. If you’re using a red onion, cut into smaller wedges and process it too.
      • Replace the slicer attachment with the grater attachment. Process the carrot.
      • Chop the green onions (if using) and cilantro by hand.
  2. Optional salting step**: Place the veggies in a mixing bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, toss together, let sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain them, discarding the liquid.
  3. Whisk or shake together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, orange zest, lemon zest, garlic, pepper, and 1/2 tsp more salt. Drizzle the dressing over the veggies, and toss to combine.

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Notes

* I used 1/2 of a yellow and 1/2 of a red for more of a rainbow effect. But you can even just use 1 green if that’s what you have on hand. If you don’t have a bell pepper, feel free to use extra carrot and/or cabbage, or omit it and cut back on the dressing.

** You can skip this step if you’re short on time, but if you have even 5-10 extra minutes, I recommend it. It will keep your salad from getting soggy and watering down the dressing. But I’ve made it both ways, and it’s great either way.

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