Walnuts add crunch and tangy sharpness in this healthy banana nut bread recipe. Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots, or even black bananas, as they will provide more sweetness. The banana nut bread is tender, with a caramelized crust.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 very ripe large bananas, mashed (1 1/4 cups)
- ¼ cup whole-milk plain yogurt
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided (see tip)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides.
- Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg together in a small bowl.
- Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until the butter is lightened in color and fully incorporated into the sugar, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until combined, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add oil and vanilla; beat until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in bananas until combined, about 1 minute. Add yogurt and the flour mixture alternately, in batches, beating until just combined, about 30 seconds per batch.
- Use a spatula to fold in 1/2 cup walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts evenly on top. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to remove the bread from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.