October 2020 | Cook Now

Easy Banana Nut Bread

This easy classic banana nut bread is everything a banana bread should be: moist, warm spiced, and studded with crunchy toasted walnuts.

Do you like your banana bread…nutty? A few dark brown bananas are an ordinary sight on our counter (yours too?). Usually our go-to banana recipes are healthy muffins or banana oatmeal pancakes, but this time we wanted something new. Meet this ultra Classic Banana Nut Bread! This one is just like Grandma’s: moist and cinnamon-scented, with bursts of crunchy walnuts throughout. To take it over the top, toast the nuts in a skillet to bring out their nutty undertones before gently folding them into the batter.

Ingredients in this banana nut bread

This banana nut bread is a straightforward take on the classic! We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve, so here are a few notes on what you’ll need:

Bananas: Make sure they are ultra ripe! Spotty and brown is good and black works too!
Walnuts: You can use any type of nut in banana nut bread. Walnuts and pecans are the most classic: but you can get creative (see below).
Neutral oil: We prefer oil in our quick breads because it doesn’t require melting like butter: one less step!
Light brown sugar: Color matters here! Dark brown makes the bread a very dark color
Eggs, baking soda & salt: The regular players for a quick bread.
Cinnamon and allspice: Allspice gives it just the right unique intrigue in flavor!
Vanilla: A hefty dose of vanilla gives it a smooth flavor.
All purpose and whole wheat flour: A mix of flours adds a nuance to the flavor a pinch of nutrients.

How to make banana nut bread

Banana nut bread is like any quick bread recipe. If you’ve made pumpkin bread or zucchini bread, you know the drill! There’s one extra step you’ll need in the beginning:

Toast the nuts in a dry skillet. This brings out their nutty flavor (see below).
Mix the wet ingredients. Mash that banana with a fork or potato masher first.
Mix the dries in a separate bowl.
Stir to combine, then gently fold in the nuts.
Bake for 45 minutes, then add foil and bake 15 more. Add the foil to make sure the nut topping doesn’t get too brown.

Why toasting the nuts makes a difference

The first step to this banana nut bread is toasting the nuts. Why do you toast nuts? Toasting nuts brings out at beautiful nutty essence that’s otherwise undetectable. You have to taste it to believe it, but there’s a huge difference between a raw nut and a toasted nut.

Over here, we always toast our nuts (yep!) before adding them to salads and desserts. So why not do it before folding into a quick bread? You can toast nuts on the stovetop or in the oven. Here’s How to Toast Nuts (2 Best Ways!).

Alternate nuts & mix-ins for banana nut bread!

Walnuts and bananas are a classic combination. But you can get creative with other types of nuts or add-ins! Here are a few ideas of mix-ins for banana nut bread:

Pecans
Hazelnuts
Cashews
Almonds
Chocolate chips
Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Dried cherries or cranberries
Shredded coconut

The most fun part is combining them to make interesting flavors! Try chocolate hazelnut banana bread, cashew cherry, or coconut butterscotch.

Banana nut bread storage

Here’s the great thing about this banana nut bread: it’s seriously moist and keeps very well! You’ll find it’s even softer and moister the second day. We like to keep it at room temperature because it’s so beautifully moist and you can eat it right away. But here are a few options for storage:

How long does banana bread last at room temperature? 4 to 5 days, covered in aluminum foil.
Can you refrigerate banana bread? You can! Keep in mind that it does dry out a bit in the fridge. It also tastes a little better at room temp, so you may want to leave it on the counter for a few minutes before eating.
Can you freeze banana bread? Yes! Slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer safe bag or container. It stays good for about 3 months.

Vegan variation

Do you eat plant-based? It’s easy to make this banana nut bread vegan: just substitute flax eggs for the eggs. Flax eggs are simply ground flax seed mixed with water: it combines to make a gel-like substance that’s great as a binder in vegan baked goods.

Want another option? This Vegan Banana Bread is extremely delicious.

More banana recipes (bread, muffins, oh my!)

What else can you make with ripe bananas? So many things. Our favorite are our healthy muffins (many variations below), but there are lots of options. Here are our favorite banana recipes:

Bake up a pan of this fan-favorite Banana Baked Oatmeal
Blend up a creamy Chocolate Banana Smoothie or Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Spring for a treat with Chocolate Banana Muffins
Make a big pan of Healthy Banana Bread Muffins or Banana Blueberry Muffins
Opt for Healthy Banana Bread instead

This banana nut bread recipe is…

Vegetarian and dairy-free. For plant-based and vegan, substitute flax eggs for the eggs.

Easy Banana Nut Bread

(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

5 from 5 reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 10 to 12 slices
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

This classic banana nut bread is everything a banana bread should be: moist, warm spiced, and studded with crunchy toasted walnuts.

Ingredients

1 cup walnut halves and pieces
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 or 5 very ripe bananas)
1/2 cup neutral oil (organic vegetable, canola or grapeseed)
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs (or flax eggs for vegan)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan.
Toast the walnuts: Place the nuts in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat. Heat, shaking the pan and stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the nuts are fragrant and slightly darker brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stay at the stove because the nuts can easily burn! Remove immediately from the heat and transfer to a plate to stop the cooking. Then chop the walnuts: it should be enough for about 3/4 cup.
Make the batter: Mash the bananas in the bottom of a large bowl, enough for 1 1/3 cup. Whisk in the oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
Add the baking soda, kosher salt, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour to the bowl and stir together with a spoon. Gently fold in the 1/2 cup walnuts.
Bake: Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Bake 45 minutes, then add foil loosely on the top. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean (or the internal temperature is 200 degrees): the exact timing will depend on the size of the pan.
Cool: Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and invert the loaf onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Storage info: The bread lasts 4 to 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for 3 months (slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container).

Category: Bread
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Banana nut bread

More quick bread recipes

Quick breads are breads that don’t use yeast, like banana bread and pumpkin bread! They bake right after mixing up the batter. Here are a few more quick breads to try:

Pumpkin bread: Try Healthy Pumpkin Bread, Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread or Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Cranberry bread: Try Easy Cranberry Bread
Zucchini bread: Try Best Zucchini Bread, Easy Zucchini Bread or Vegan Zucchini Bread
Cornbread: Try Best Homemade Cornbread or Easy Vegan Cornbread

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SFA Trendspotter Panel Reveals Top Trends for 2021

Replicating restaurant and travel experiences in the home kitchen; values-based shopping; and functional ingredients to support and maintain health, top the list of 2021 trend predictions from the Specialty Food Association's Trendspotter Panel.

The panel, composed of retailers, chefs, food writers and educators, and market analysts, considered drivers like the continuing coronavirus pandemic keeping a record number of people close to home, growing social awareness affecting purchasing decisions, and a maturing Gen Z population, in predicting the food trends that will dominate in the coming year. See full list of trends here.

“COVID-19 has a massive impact on trend predictions heading into 2021, as a record number of consumers cook and eat at home more, turning to everyday meals and special treats to comfort and support their mental and physical well-being,” says Denise Purcell, director of content for the Specialty Food Association. “We’re seeing several trends around experimenting with flavors and ingredients, as well as turning to functional or plant-based foods and twists on classic products to avoid menu fatigue.”

The Specialty Food Association 2020 Trendspotter Panelists

Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, global food analyst, Mintel, Chicago
Monifa Dayo, consultant, chef, The SupperClub
Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D., professor, Department of Food and Hospitality Management and Founding Director, Drexel Food Core Lab
Andrew Freeman, founder of af&co./co-founder of Carbonate
Illyanna Maisonet, first Puerto Rican food columnist in the country
Clara Park, corporate chef of Culinary Innovation for Chelten House Products, head of the Chefs' Council for C-CAP, member of the Advisory Board for The Food Lab at Drexel University
Chef Tu David Phu, Top Chef Alumni, TDP Enterprises LLC, founder, Tumami Spices
Wendy Robinson, buyer, Market Hall Foods
Leith Steel, account strategist and trendwatcher, Carbonate
Chris Styler, culinary producer/product development chef, Freelance Food, LLC
Bryant Terry, author, educator, and chef-in-residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora SF (MoAD)

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Our Best Butternut Squash Soup

This classic vegan butternut squash soup recipe has just the right fall flavor! Creamy and cozy, serve it with crusty bread for an easy meal.

When the air gets that certain chill, it’s like a flip switches. Suddenly the name of that pale orange, oblong squash is on everyone’s lips. It’s butternut squash season! Here’s a recipe that morphs this tough-to-cut squash into a silky orange puree. Meet our go-to Butternut Squash Soup recipe! To put a modern spin on the classic, it’s a plant based and vegan butternut squash soup. You’ll find the flavor is so lusciously creamy, it makes all your fall dreams come true.

All about butternut squash

The squash that everyone’s talking about is more than just a trendy craze. Butternut squash is a pear-shaped winter squash with pale orange skin. Its flavor is sweet and subtly nutty, almost like a mild sweet potato. Popular ways to eat it are in soup recipes, as a pasta sauce, or in risotto. Is butternut squash healthy? Here’s a little breakdown on the nutrition info of butternut squash:

Butternut squash is a good source of fiber. It’s got 7 grams per 1 cup diced, or about 28% of your daily need (source). You’ll get that in one serving of this butternut squash soup, along with more from the other ingredients.
Butternut squash is also high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The same serving size also provides 457% of your daily Vitamin A and 52% of your daily Vitamin C. (Source)
Butternut squash is a low calorie food. 1 cup has 82 calories.

Ingredients in this butternut squash soup recipe

Our go-to butternut squash recipe happens to be vegan and plant-based: which is fitting as a modern spin! Instead of rich and heavy butters and creams of the past, butternut squash soup of today can feature beautiful flavors that are fully made of plants. Here’s what we included in this vegan butternut squash soup recipe:

Yellow onion
Garlic
Fresh ginger: this is key to the nuanced fall flavor profile!
Carrot
Butternut squash
Olive oil
Vegetable broth
Cumin
Chickpeas: this trick adds protein to the vegan soup, making it more filling than most!
Coconut milk

What’s the best way to cut butternut squash?

The longest lead time item in this soup? Cutting the butternut squash! This squash is notoriously difficult to peel and chop. We recommend using a fresh butternut squash in this recipe for best results (though you can use frozen in a pinch). Here are some tips for best way to cut butternut squash:

Slice off the neck first. Peeling and chopping the base and neck separately makes its oblong shape easier to handle.
Peel with a serrated peeler. It’s easier to peel tough-skinned vegetables with a squash peeler because the serrated edges grip the skin. (Here’s the serrated peeler we use.)
Slice into planks, then chop. Cut the base and neck into planks, then dice them. Here’s a video to show the process.

How to make butternut squash soup

This butternut squash soup recipe is easy to make, once you’ve gotten past the cutting part! Here are the basic steps to a butternut squash soup:

Prep the ingredients. Chop your onion, ginger, carrot and garlic. Specific instructions are in the recipe below!
Saute the onion. Cook until it’s translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir until it’s just fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Simmer until the veggies are tender.
Blend! Add the chickpeas and coconut milk and blend until pureed. We used a large high speed blender, so the entire soup fit. If you have a standard blender, you’ll have to do it in batches.

Chickpeas add body, protein and fiber to a vegan soup

A unique ingredient in this vegan butternut squash soup helps it stay filling by giving it a boost of protein and fiber: chickpeas! Don’t worry if you’re not a chickpea fan. You’ll puree them right into the body of the soup, so the flavor is barely perceptible and the texture is non-existent. You can omit the chickpeas if you like, but we love adding a boost of nutrients and keeping the soup as filling as possible.

What to serve with butternut squash soup

Once you’ve simmered and blended, let’s get to eating this tasty soup! There are lots of ways to serve a butternut squash soup recipe, but remember: you’ve got to add something to make it filling! Here are some options we love:

Crusty bread. Grab and artisan loaf or try homemade.
Cornbread. Try our favorite classic cornbread or vegan cornbread.
Grilled cheese. Add a spinach artichoke grilled cheese, or one with brie and apple.
Crackers. Try homemade crackers or nut-based crackers.
Salad. Add arugula salad, spinach salad or arugula beet salad.

What else to do with butternut squash?

There are so many ways to use this tasty squash! Here are a few more ideas for fall:

Grab Thai curry paste and make Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Cube it up and make Roasted Butternut Squash
Throw it into a Butternut Squash Curry
Add Parmesan and sage for Butternut Squash Risotto

This butternut squash soup recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.