This moist banana nut bread is made with sour cream for an incredibly tender crumb and packed with chopped walnuts for crunch. Mix it up in one bowl with just 10 minutes of prep!

Sliced moist banana nut bread with walnuts.

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This Banana Walnut Bread Recipe is So Incredibly Moist

This banana nut bread is based on our wildly popular easy banana bread recipe, and honestly, I think the walnut version might be even better. The secret is the sour cream banana bread batter itself. It makes every slice incredibly tender and moist, even days later.

The overripe bananas bring sweet flavor, and the chopped walnuts add buttery crunch in every bite. Everything gets mixed in one bowl, so cleanup is a breeze. If you love my cake mix banana bread, you’ll love making this one from scratch!

XO - Jamielyn

Recipe Ingredients

Overripe brown bananas ready for banana nut bread.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Salted butter: We use salted butter even though we’re using a bit of extra salt. This is to balance out the added sugar as well as the sweet banana.
  • Granulated sugar: Used to sweeten the banana nut bread. I like to use white sugar but brown sugar can be used and results in a darker colored bread.
  • Sour cream: The acid works well with the baking soda to give the bread a bit of extra rise and a soft tender crumb. Swap sour cream for Greek yogurt.
  • Baking staples: Vanilla extra, all-purpose flour (learn how to measure flour), large eggs, baking soda and sea salt.
  • Mashed bananas: Look for bananas with lots of brown spots or fully brown peels. The riper they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. You’ll need about 4 bananas for 2 cups mashed. Not ripe enough? Bake them at 300°F for 15 minutes until the peels darken, or peel and freeze overripe bananas for later.
  • Chopped walnuts: If you have a little extra free time, feel free to toast them first. Otherwise, just chop them up with a knife or use a food processor

How to Make Banana Nut Bread

Cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. This step matters, so don’t rush it. It builds air into the batter and gives the bread a softer crumb. Mix in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.

Butter, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla mixed in a bowl for banana nut bread.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the same bowl. Stir until just combined and stop there. Overmixing is the number one reason banana bread turns out dense. Fold in the bananas and walnuts with a spatula.

Banana nut bread batter with chopped walnuts folded in.

Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake at 325°F for 55 minutes. I always keep an eye on it around the 40-minute mark. If it’s browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil.

Banana nut bread batter in a loaf pan ready to bake.

Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before moving it to a wire rack to cool completely. I like to run a knife around the edges as soon as it comes out of the oven so it releases easier when you remove it from the pan.

Baked banana walnut bread cooling in a loaf pan

Tips for the Best Banana Bread with Nuts

  • Checking for doneness. The bread is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
  • Low and slow at 325°F. Most banana bread recipes call for 350°F, but baking at 325°F gives the center more time to cook through without drying out the edges. It’s the reason this loaf stays so moist.
  • Add-ins. Walnuts are my go-to, but pecans are a close second. A sprinkle of cinnamon is always a good call, and if you want chocolate chips, try our chocolate chip banana bread which was tested for that variation.
  • Dense bread? That usually means the batter was overmixed. Once you add the flour, stir just until the dry streaks disappear and stop. Let the fold-in with the bananas and walnuts do the rest.
  • Muffins. This batter makes great muffins too, just like our banana bread muffins. Or try mini banana muffins which are perfect for toddler snacks.
Sliced banana walnut bread showing moist crumb and walnuts.

Here are more quick bread recipes to try! Zucchini Bread, lemon blueberry zucchini bread and banana blueberry bread.

More Banana Recipes You’ll Love

Sliced banana nut bread showing moist texture and yellow bananas in background.

Moist Banana Nut Bread

5 from 9 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Cool Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 16
This moist banana nut bread is made with sour cream for an incredibly tender crumb and packed with chopped walnuts for crunch. Mix it up in one bowl with just 10 minutes of prep!
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Video

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup salted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup sour cream , or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups mashed very ripe bananas
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 1 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper to line the bottom, if desired.
  • Cream wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Mix in 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. 
  • Add dry ingredients. Add in 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until just combined. Fold in 2 cups mashed bananas and 3/4 chopped walnuts. 
  • Bake. Spread batter in an even layer in the pan. Bake 55 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted int he center comes out clean. If using a 9×5-inch loaf pan, bake an additional 10 minutes. If browning too fast, cover lightly with foil. 
  • Cool. Let cool in the pan until slightly cool before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Pan size: You can also use 2 8×4-inch loaf pans.
To make muffins: Pour batter into muffin tins. This recipe makes 24 regular-sized muffins. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
To make small loaves: This mixture will fill 4 small loaf pans. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days. To freeze it, wrap it in plastic wrap (whole or sliced) and transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. 

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Sodium: 235mg, Potassium: 128mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 269IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.