BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans

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Written ByDorothy Kern

Published OnApril 18, 2023

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This is the BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe: it’s easy and moist and full of pecans, but you could also use walnuts. It’s my mom’s banana bread and I even gave it a cinnamon glaze. With or without the glaze, this seriously is the best banana bread – it’s even better than Starbucks!

BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans - Crazy for Crust (2)

BEST Easy Banana Bread
Ingredients Needed
How to make Banana Nut Bread
Variations
Storing and Freezing Banana Nut Bread
Expert Tips
Banana Nut Bread Recipe Recipe

BEST Easy Banana Bread

It’s no secret that I lovebanana bread. I absolutely LOVE adding nuts to my recipe – the crunch of the nuts and moist bread are the perfect combination – this is a super moist banana nut bread recipe!

Why you’ll love this recipe

The original recipe uses butter and sour milk. You can swap buttermilk for the sour milk or you can use plain old milk and vinegar. You can also make it with nondairy milk and add some vinegar to activate the baking soda.
You can substitute oil for butter as well, which makes this bread the perfect bread to turn dairy-free.
This easy banana nut bread is so decadent and moist, and I loaded it with cinnamon and nuts and so much banana flavor.

BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans - Crazy for Crust (3)

Ingredients Needed

Vegetable Oil: I go back and forth between using butter or oil. I find that oil keeps the bread extra moist, but you can really swap it equally for softened butter in this recipe.
Bananas: make sure to use overripe bananas. I call them tired; that is, they’re brown spotted. The more brown spots on your ripe banana, the sweeter it is.
Baking Soda: This is the leavening agent that is activated with the vinegar/sour milk/buttermilk.
Milk: you can use ANY kind of milk: buttermilk, regular milk, OR nondairy milk.
Vinegar: if you’ve used regular or nondairy milk, you must add vinegar. The recipe needs acid to activate the baking soda.
Cinnamon: this is optional but I love adding it to banana bread – the cinnamon flavor is so good.
Nuts: I love making banana pecan bread but you can use walnuts too!

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

Recipe Swaps

If you use buttermilk, skip the vinegar.
If you use cow’s milk, you can use nonfat, 2% or whole. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the milk and let it sit 5 minutes, while you mix the other ingredients.
If you use non-dairy milk (i.e. soy, almond, cashew, oat), just add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the mixture when you’re mixing.
Swap 1/2 cup unsalted butter for the oil for a rich buttery taste.
Make walnut banana bread with chopped walnuts or banana pecan bread with chopped pecans!

BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans - Crazy for Crust (4)

BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans - Crazy for Crust (5)

How to make Banana Nut Bread

Add oil, sugar, mashed bananas, eggs, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl. Stir or whisk or mix with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add all purpose flour with milk and vinegar to the batter and stir until the batter is combined (will be slightly lumpy).
Place batter in a loaf pan. I used either an 8×4-inch loaf pan or a 9×5-inch loaf pan. See all my pan substitutions for size equivalences.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean alongside the crack. (If you put the toothpick in the crack it will come out with just a little batter/crumbs sticking to it.) The edges will be a dark brown and there will be a nice crack down the center.
Optional Frosting: whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk, adding more milk as needed for consistency (up to 2 tablespoons). Frost banana bread and top with toasted pecans.

BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans - Crazy for Crust (8)

Variations

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – You can omit the nuts and use 1 cup chocolate chips, or reduce the nuts and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips for chocolate chip banana nut bread.
Peanut Butter Banana Bread – Make it a banana nut bread recipe with peanuts.
Make 12 banana bread muffins instead of a loaf.
You can omit the glaze if you want a basic quick bread but if you do want to amp up your bread, be sure to add it!

Storing and Freezing Banana Nut Bread

Storing: store covered on the counter for up to 3 days.

Freezing: you can freeze the entire loaf, frosted or unfrosted, just wrap it well in plastic wrap. I also like to freeze slices in plastic bags for easy snacks.

BEST Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans - Crazy for Crust (9)

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

My mom always floured and sugared her banana bread pan: Grease it first, then add about 2 tablespoons sugar to the pan and move the pan side to side until the bottom and sides are coated with sugar. This adds a nice crunch to the outside.
You know banana bread is done baking when a toothpick tested in the center of the crack comes out with just a few crumbs.

FAQs

What kind of nuts go in Banana Bread?

You can use any kind of nuts you like, but I especially love pecans or walnuts.

How do you keep banana bread moist?

I find that oil keeps it more moist than butter, and the key is to not over bake it.

Why does my banana nut bread fall in the middle?

Because it’s not baked all the way. Banana bread rises and cracks down the center and finishes baking in that crack. If you take it out too soon it can collapse. I suggest testing with a toothpick in the crack and remove it when there are a few crumbs stuck but it’s not wet looking.

Can you make banana nut muffins instead of bread?

Banana Nut Bread Recipe

5 from 23 votes

The BEST Banana Nut Bread with pecans is an easy recipe adapted from my mom's banana bread. It's filled with chopped pecans and cinnamon and topped with a cinnamon glaze!

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Yield 10 servings

Serving Size 1 serving

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Ingredients

For the bread:

▢ ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
▢ ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ 2 overripe bananas
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 7 tablespoons milk see note
▢ 1 teaspoon vinegar
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
▢ 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
▢ 1 cup chopped pecans

For the glaze:

▢ 1 ¾ cups (198g) powdered sugar
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
▢ 2 tablespoons milk, nondairy milk, or heavy whipping cream
▢ ¾ cup toasted chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8×4 or 9×5-inch loaf pan with shortening or butter and coat it with sugar. You can also just use nonstick cooking spray (but if you use the spray don't add the sugar; it'll burn the outside of your bread).
Mash bananas in a large bowl using a fork or a potato masher.
Add oil, sugar, eggs, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir until combined.
Add flour, milk and vinegar and stir until batter is combined (will be slightly lumpy). Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean alongside the crack. (If you put the toothpick in the crack it will come out with just a little batter/crumbs sticking to it.) The edges will be a dark brown and there will be a nice crack down the center. (There is a wide range of cooking time because all ovens bake differently, as do all pans. My banana breads never bake in the same amount of time!)
Cool completely before removing loaf from pan and frosting.
To make the frosting: whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk, adding more milk as needed for consistency (up to 2 tablespoons). Frost banana bread and top with toasted pecans. Chill to set. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or slice and freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

If you use buttermilk, skip the vinegar.

If you use cow’s milk, you can use nonfat, 2% or whole. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the milk and let it sit 5 minutes, while you mix the other ingredients.

If you use non-dairy milk (i.e. soy, almond, cashew, oat), just add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the mixture when you’re mixing.

Swap 1/2 cup unsalted butter for the oil for a rich buttery taste.

Make walnut banana bread with chopped walnuts or banana pecan bread with chopped pecans!

Recipe Nutrition

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

The BEST Banana Nut Bread with pecans is an easy recipe adapted from my mom’s banana bread. It’s filled with chopped pecans and cinnamon and topped with a cinnamon glaze!

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Last Updated on April 18, 2023

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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56 Comments

Best banana nut bread I’ve ever had
Reply
Questions:
1. Does this banana bread recipe work in a Bread maker?
2. Based on this recipe, what’s the weight of the banana bread?
Reply
You wouldn’t use a bread maker for this – it’s not yeast bread, but quick bread, like cake. I am not sure the total weight.
Reply
By far the best pecan banana bread recipe I’ve found. I don’t use the glaze on top and it is still amazing! Don’t hesitate…make this today!
Reply
I halved the flour recipe and put in cocoa powder.
Reply
My daughter is vegan so how do I substitute the egg?
Reply
Do u know I see no where …where u said to add pecans so I did when I poured the blend into the flour. Hope I did it right bc we are so looking toward to this.
Reply
I found this recipe because I wanted a banana bread that was designed to have pecans in the flavor profile. Followed the directions as written and it came out great! It is like a gourmet version of traditional banana bread. I anticipate making this again.
Reply
I’ve made this banana bread three times now. Love this recipe. Like that it is dairy free.
Reply
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