Banana Bread
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Sometimes a recipe starts with a plan. And sometimes you look at four very ripe bananas sitting on your counter and think, I really need to do something with these.
That’s exactly how this banana bread came about.
I wanted to use all four bananas, so I went with a loaf that would be extra moist, lightly sweet, and have a little something special on top. The monk fruit sweetener gives it just enough sweetness, while the walnuts add a little bit of crunch.
And honestly, sometimes the best recipes are the ones you make because you don’t want to waste what you already have.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 65–80 minutes
Pan: 9 × 5-inch loaf pan
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 4 large bananas, very overripe and well-mashed
- ½ cup coconut oil (paid link), melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cup plain FAGE 0% Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated 1:1 Monk Fruit Sweetener (paid link)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (paid link)
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (paid link)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (paid link)
- ½ teaspoon salt (paid link)
- ½–¾ cup chopped walnuts (paid link), divided (optional)
Make It Your Own
These are the ingredients I used for my loaf, but don’t feel like you have to have the exact same products in your kitchen.
You can use any plain Greek yogurt you have on hand. Full-fat, low-fat, or nonfat will all work.
For the sweetener, I used 1:1 monk fruit sweetener, but regular granulated sugar works just fine if that’s what you have. You can use the sweetener you prefer.
The fun part about baking is making a recipe your own. Use what you have, make a few little changes, and see what works best for you.
What I Used
These are the kitchen tools I used to make this loaf:
- Bamboo cutting board (paid link) — I love the one I use. It comes in a set of three different sizes and has become one of my kitchen favorites.
- 9 × 5-inch loaf pan (paid link)
- Electric hand mixer (paid link)
- Silicone spatula (paid link)
- Measuring cups (paid link)
- Measuring spoons (paid link)
- Large mixing bowl (paid link)
- Small bowl for the walnuts
- Fork or potato masher (paid link) for mashing the bananas
- Wire cooling rack (paid link)
- Aluminum foil (paid link) for tenting the loaf
- Bread knife (paid link) for slicing
Instructions
1. Get everything ready.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Before adding the batter, prepare your 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. I like to butter the bottom and sides of the pan really well, then sprinkle in a little flour. Tilt and turn the pan until the flour lightly coats the bottom and sides, then tap out any excess.
I find this extra step really helps with a moist, heavy banana bread like this one and makes it much easier to get the loaf out of the pan when it’s finished.
I also like to have my eggs and Greek yogurt at room temperature before I start. This helps everything blend together nicely, especially once you add the melted coconut oil.
Get your measuring cups, measuring spoons, large mixing bowl, small bowl, silicone spatula, and electric hand mixer ready. Having everything out before you start makes the whole process a little easier.
2. Prep the walnuts.
If you’re using walnuts, chop them into small pieces.
Measure out about 1 teaspoon of the flour and toss it with the walnuts in a small bowl. This little trick helps keep the walnuts from sinking to the bottom of the bread while it bakes.
Set a small handful of the walnuts aside for the top of the loaf.
3. Start with those bananas.
In your large mixing bowl, mash your four bananas really well.
Add the monk fruit sweetener. Using your electric hand mixer, mix everything together until it’s well combined.
Now add the melted coconut oil, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.
Mix again with your hand mixer until everything is smooth and creamy.
At this point, your kitchen should already be smelling pretty good.
4. Add the dry ingredients.
Put the electric mixer aside for a minute and add the remaining flour, baking soda, and salt.
Using your silicone spatula, gently fold the flour into the wet mixture by hand at first. This keeps flour from flying all over your kitchen when you turn the mixer back on, and it also helps keep you from overmixing the batter.
Once most of the flour has disappeared, use your electric hand mixer for one quick final mix. You just want everything nicely combined and smooth.
5. Add the walnuts.
Add your flour-coated walnuts to the batter.
Using your silicone spatula, gently fold them in until they’re distributed throughout the batter.
This is where I stop mixing. You don’t want to overwork the batter.
6. Into the oven it goes.
Pour the batter into your prepared 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and spread it out evenly with your silicone spatula.
Sprinkle the walnuts you saved right over the top.
Place the loaf in your 350°F oven and bake for approximately 65–80 minutes.
Every oven is a little different, so start checking the loaf around 60 minutes.
At the 60-minute mark, take a look at the top. If it is already a beautiful golden brown and the walnuts look nicely toasted, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil.
This will protect the top and walnuts from getting too dark while the center continues to bake. It also helps keep the loaf from drying out while it finishes.
Continue baking and check the center with a toothpick around 65 minutes. If the toothpick comes out with wet batter, give it another 5-10 minutes and check again.
Depending on your oven and how moist your bananas are, your loaf may take closer to 75–80 minutes.
You want the toothpick to come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
7. Let it rest.
Once it’s done, let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Then carefully transfer it to a wire cooling rack and let it finish cooling.
A Little Taste
Once the bread has cooled enough to slice, cut yourself a piece and enjoy it.
It’s delicious just as it is, but I also love it with a little butter. And if you want to make it a little extra special, try spreading some Philadelphia cream cheese on top.
Honestly, it doesn’t need much. This is one of my absolute favorite breads to bake, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
If you love baking bread as much as I do, you might also want to try my Homemade Oat Bread. It’s actually one of my favorites—and apparently my granddaughter agrees. She’s 2 1/2 years old and has decided she doesn’t want store-bought bread anymore, so Gammy now bakes her a loaf every week!