Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth but slightly chunky. Add the mashed bananas to the wet ingredients and stir gently to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just completely blended. Don't overmix the batter.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chopped walnuts until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the loaves begin to get too dark before they are done in the middle, cover with aluminum foil.
- Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Storage: Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing: This bread freezes exceptionally well. Wrap in plastic wrap, then tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Single Loaf Option: If you don't have two 8-inch loaf pans, add all the batter to one 9-inch loaf pan. The baking time will increase to around 55-65 minutes.
Banana Tips: Use the ripest bananas you can find - they should be covered in brown spots. The riper the banana, the sweeter and moister the bread will be.
Nut Variations: Try chopped pecans, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, or peanuts instead of walnuts. You can also omit nuts entirely for nut-free banana bread.
Muffin Conversion: To make banana muffins, line 18 muffin cups with paper liners and fill each about ¾ full. Bake at 350°F for 24-28 minutes.