Easy Banana Nut Bread Recipe
One of the best quick breads to ever hit the American table, banana nut bread screams cozy comfort food and it’s made even more moist with my special ingredient.
Quick breads are one of the best ways to bake without needing a lot of fancy cooking skills or tools.
This banana nut bread is a perfect example–literally just mix and bake, there’s no yeast to rise or fancy folding to do. (Not to mention it’s a great way to use up those over ripe bananas).
This bread makes a great breakfast when you toast it and slather on a little butter. But, now that I think of it, that sounds like something I’d want all day long. Danger Will Rogers! Danger!
To give this bread even more moistness and a deeper flavor, I add a package of instant vanilla pudding mix to the bread. I’ve had a few other quick breads that have pudding in them and aside from being sinfully full of sugar and carbs, it was some of the best bread I’d ever eaten.
So we’ll just carry that on here. If you have other quick breads you enjoy feel free to try experimenting with a little bit of pudding mix in them. Just take note: don’t mix the pudding with milk here–we’re only going to add the powder to our other dry ingredients.
Easy Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening I use refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup sugar coconut sugar would also work
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3 3/4 ounce instant vanilla pudding
- 2 medium bananas very ripe
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Set aside.
- In a small bowl sift the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Stir in the dry pudding mix. Set aside
- In a separate small bowl, peel and mash the bananas with a fork until very smooth.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to shortening, sugar and eggs alternating with 1/3 of the bananas, until everything is just mixed and you don't see any pockets of flour. Try not to over mix it.
- Transfer to your loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan then turn out on to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Hello
This is my first visit to your website. Wondering, what is the banana mixture that is to be mixed alternately with the flour mixture? Are the bananas being added to the egg mixture before adding any flour and then each being mixed together alternately in another bowl or are the mashed bananas and flour being added alternately to the egg mixture?
Thank You for your time.
Hi Linda, sorry about that. The bananas were supposed to be mashed before starting so you’d have three bowls: one with the shortening, sugar and eggs, one with the dry ingredients and one with the mashed bananas. You add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the sugar/egg mixture, stir, then add 1/3 of the bananas, stir. Repeat until everything is incorporated. This recipe needed a spruce up for sure so I’ve updated the recipe to be more clear. Go check it out now and see what you think. –Rachel
I’m in the process of making it now and have never made banana bread. It says dry pudding mix- as in dont make the pudding? Just use the dry mix? It seems very very thick. Did I do something wrong?
Hey Christina, sorry for the delayed reply but you’re doing it right. The pudding goes in dry and the batter is thick but bakes up really moist. Hopefully you stuck it out and baked it. –Rachel
I just made the banana bread recipe. It is so much better than my old faithful recipe. Love IT thanks
Hey Hope! I’m so glad to hear that! I think that little addition of the pudding mix is just magical. 😉 I’m glad it worked for you. –Rachel
Hi Rachel I am a huge fan of your recipes ! I just recently made your mac and cheese its the best recipe ever ! You’re now my goto for recipes 🙂 anywho is there something I can use in place of instant vanilla pudding mix ?
Hey Amanda! Thank you so much for your kind words! That makes me so happy. 🙂 And to answer your question, just leave the pudding out. It will still be great. Enjoy! And come back soon. –Rachel
Thank you… It’s in the oven now. I think I may have to leave it in another 15min. It’s been in for 50min so far but it’s sticking to the fork
Every oven is different. Even though they may all “say” they are at 350 or 400, they can easily be 50-75 degrees (or more) cooler or hotter. If you think you’ll bake often, it’s a good idea to get an oven thermometer and put it inside while you heat your oven. It will tell you if your temperature is accurate and you’ll know how to adjust it. I hope you loved the bread! –Rachel
Hi Rachel!!!!! Just wanted to give you ab update:)… The bread came out YUMMY FOR OUR TUMMY!!! It’s really good and moist. My husband loves it…. I can’t wait to make it again… Thank so much for the recipe and all your help. You’re wonderful…
YES! Your cheerleader is so happy for you Shea! I’m glad you liked it (and your husband did too). It’s just one of those great classics to have on hand and so easy to make. I’m here anytime you need a hand. 🙂 –Rachel
Can you please help… this is my first time making thus bread. The ingredients says
1 3 3/4 ounce vanilla instant pudding.. I was able to find the pudding in 3.4 ounces so I brought 3 of pudding is that correct? Should I use 3 boxes of the 3.4????
Shea I literally just ran to my computer to help you! Not 3 boxes. I probably need to clarify that recipe. Obviously I do. You want one 3.75 ounce box of pudding. A 3.4 will be fine. So just one box. Not 3. 🙂 Phew! That was a close one! You can do it–let me know how you like it.–Rachel
One of my favorites!
There are no eggs listed in the ingredients. How many eggs?
Hey Bonnie–so sorry about that! It’s 2 eggs. I’ve updated the recipe.
My 3 yr old grandson and I just made this Banana Nut Bread and it turned out wonderful!! It really is the best Banana Nut Bread I have ever made. I loved it, and it really is easy!!
I’m so glad you liked it Lea! If a dish brings a child and an adult together to cook it’s worth it to me. I always enjoy teaching my children and letting them help. I’d never lie to you–when it’s good, it’s good! Thank you for letting me know.
–Rachel
I’m not a tablet person either, but I do have an iPhone, and I’ve “gunked it up” a good many times, trying to scroll down to see the rest of a recipe! 😉 I’m in the mood for some fall baking, and I think I have all the ingredients on hand for this one, so hopefully I’ll try it out tonight! It’s printed and ready to go! Thanks for sharing!
Yep–I know what you mean. My computer has been a mess! (Especially after bread and gooey things) so maybe being able to print some of these will help. I love fall baking. I’ve got a ton of ideas coming up. Thanks for coming by!