Moist Banana Nut Bread

Moist banana bread perfect for snacking, breakfast, and lunchbox treats.  Try making into smaller loaves and sharing with friends and neighbors.  

This my favorite banana bread recipe.  It isn’t too dense, or too fluffy. It’s just right! I think the best way to eat it is warmed up a bit with a pat of butter or strawberry butter.

Instructions

Step 1 – Preheat an oven to 325⁰F. and prepare a bread pan by spraying with baking spray and covering the long sides and bottom of the pan with parchment paper then coat the parchment paper with additional baking spray.

Step 2 – Lightly mash 2 1/2 large or 3 medium bananas and set aside.

Step 3 – In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and mix until well combined.

Step 4 – Add one egg, 3 tablespoons of sour cream, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract then mix to combine.

Step 5 – Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the mixture and mix just until there are no white streaks left. Try not to overmix.

Step 6 – Add the mashed bananas and mix just until combined.  Overmixing will make your baked bread tough.

Step 7 – Add 1/2 cup of walnuts and stir in by hand.

Step 8 – Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and top with additional walnuts (or cinnamon sugar) if desired.

Step 9 – Place into the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  The time to bake will depend on the size of the bread pan you used and the moisture in the bananas.  Some pans are a little taller than others and the center takes longer to bake.

Step 10 – Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Step 11 – Slice and serve.  For a special treat, try spreading with homemade strawberry butter.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Overripe bananas can be substituted with ripe bananas that have been frozen and allowed to thaw.  To prepare ripe bananas, peel the bananas, place them into a baggie, seal, and freeze until the bananas are solid. Remove from the freezer and allow to thaw.  Once the bananas have thawed, squeeze them while in the baggie and add to the banana bread batter.

Replace half of the white sugar with brown sugar for a deeper flavor.

Sour cream can be substituted with Greek yogurt.

Walnuts can be replaced with nuts of your choice, chocolate chips, or can be omitted.

Nut topping can be replaced with a cinnamon crunch topping, just combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Use decorator’s sugar for an extra big crunch!

Vegetable oil can be replaced with melted butter.

Mini Loaves

To make mini loaves place the batter into 3 5.75-inch X 3-inch loaf pans that have been prepared by spraying with baking spray.  Bake in a preheated 325⁰F oven 5 for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean.

Freezing

Baked banana walnut bread can also be frozen in whole loaves, half loaves, or even individual slices.

Whenever I freeze it, I wrap the cooled bread in waxed paper, followed by aluminum foil, and then place it into a large baggie. This method prevents freezer burn.  I have safely stored mine for 3 months.

Strawberry Butter

Finely dice strawberries, or give them a few pulses through a food processor. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup of softened salted butter until light and fluffy.

Add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and beat until no lumps of sugar remain. Add strawberries and mix well.

Taste and add more sugar or strawberries if necessary.

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