Cookbook Recipes

Cookbook

Walnut banana bread

Banana bread made with 2 ripe bananas and toasted walnuts, baked in an 8×4-inch loaf pan.

Cook
1 h
Total
1 h
Yield
Makes about 8 slices
Steps
14

A smaller loaf of walnut banana bread, scaled for 2 ripe bananas and baked in an 8×4-inch pan. The walnuts are toasted first, and some go on top with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar for crunch.

Use bananas with heavily spotted or mostly black peels. Two should give about 1 cup mashed.

If you only have a 9×5 pan, the loaf will bake up shorter and faster, so start checking around 40 minutes. For a variation, fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips along with the walnuts.

Method 14 steps

  1. Preheat the oven

    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

  2. Toast the walnuts

    Spread the chopped walnuts for the batter and for the topping on a baking sheet. Toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden, then let them cool.

    Toasting makes the walnuts crunchier and gives the bread a deeper, nuttier flavor.

  3. Prep the pan

    Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.

    The overhang lets you lift the loaf out easily.

  4. Mix the dry ingredients

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

  5. Mash the bananas

    In a large bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth.

    Leave a few small lumps for texture.

  6. Add the wet ingredients

    Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, yogurt, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until well combined.

  7. Combine the batter

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain.

    A few lumps are fine. Overmixing makes the bread tough.

  8. Fold in the walnuts

    Fold in the toasted walnuts set aside for the batter.

  9. Fill the pan

    Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

  10. Add the topping

    Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and the turbinado sugar over the batter.

  11. Bake

    Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

    If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil after about 35 minutes.

  12. Cool in the pan

    Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

  13. Cool on a rack

    Use the parchment overhang to lift the loaf onto a wire rack. Let it cool for at least 30 more minutes before slicing.

    A cooled loaf cuts cleanly.

  14. Store the bread

    Wrap the loaf tightly. Keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze it sliced for up to 3 months.