Best Ever Banana Nut Bread
I've had SO many requests from numerous people to post a recipe for banana nut bread and today is the day y'all! I know it's pretty bold of me to name this "Best Ever" Banana Nut Bread, but it's SO dang good and I just couldn't resist! It took me making it about 10 different times to perfect it (through lots of trial & error). But it was BEYOND worth all the time & effort! ;)
Okay, so I know people have different criteria and "must haves" for a perfect slice of banana bread. Here are mine:
It has to be SUPER moist!
Doesn't crumble apart. (Huge pet peeve of mine)
Has to have major depth of flavor!
Each piece should cut very clean & be able to stand up by itself when sliced thick enough (think Starbucks).
Now that y'all know my criteria -- here are all of the secret ingredients I used to perfect this recipe:
Dark brown sugar - the difference in dark vs. light brown sugar is the amount of molasses. AKA additional moister & depth of flavor.
Rum extract - rum + bananas = bananas foster (enough said lol)! The rum extract deepens and intensifies the banana bread & makes it beyond delicious!
Sour cream - again it's all about the MOISTURE y'all! Sour cream is perfect for this and the tartness balances out the dark brown sugar.
Vanilla - most recipes only use 1 teaspoon but I really wanted to turn the volume up so I decided to double mine and use 2 teaspoons.
Butter - it's all about the flavor y'all! I chose butter over oil and it was by far the BEST decision.
Coarse kosher salt - y'all probably notice that I use coarse kosher salt in pretty much everything! Not kidding -- when I started using this simple but super IMPORTANT ingredient I promise my baking reallyyyy improved! Think about it though, salt draws out all of the flavors and blends them together so it makes complete sense!
Want to know one of my favorite things about banana nut bread?! It's the PERFECT baked good to make as we anxiously await the FALL season - AKA my absolute favorite time of year! Now y'all know that I love me some pumpkin -- but it's still WAY too early to be making pumpkin bread. That's where banana nut bread comes in! It's the perfect transition. I seriously cannot WAIT for y'all to make this recipe! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @petitesouthernkitchen. Seeing y'all's stories & posts always makes my day! 🤗
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Best Ever Banana Nut Bread
Yields 1 loaf
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 70-80 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups mashed bananas, about 3 bananas – (see instructions for the easiest way to mash bananas)
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature
¾ cup chopped walnuts, or pecans (optional)
NOTES
It’s SUPER important to use the right size loaf pan — 9×5 to be exact. I made the mistake of using and 8×4 and let’s just say that it was not pretty and spilled over in my oven!
Double wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.
**If you want to serve this as a decadent dessert, top it with some cream cheese icing! I whip it up in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment & use 1/2 package cream cheese (softened) + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature) + 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar + 1/4 teaspoon vanilla + teenie tiny pinch of coarse kosher salt! Whip it up & that’s it — just gently spread on the top of the bread.
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INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add bananas and beat on low and gradually increase the speed to medium-high until the bananas are completely mashed. Using a spatula, scrape the mashed bananas into a separate bowl & set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed until light & fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Turn the mixer down to medium-low speed and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Then add the sour cream, mashed bananas, vanilla, and rum extract. Beat until combined.
Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the dry ingredients until combined. Do not overmix! 🙂
Using a spatula, fold in the chopped walnuts by hand.
Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth out evenly with a spatula.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Then loosely cover with foil to prevent the bread from getting too brown on top.
Bake for another 40-50 minutes.
The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.