Banana Nut Bread
This is a classic banana nut bread, but with a twist! Black sesame seeds coat the edges for a uniquely different taste. It’s a fabulous breakfast or snack that elevates the traditional.
This recipe hails from the popular brunch spot Augusto in Lisbon, Portugal. I visited there recently and snagged one of their recipe postcards on the way out—I just knew I was going to have to recreate the recipe at home! While at the restaurant the banana slices and walnuts are inside the bread, here (as in their printed recipe) they are added on top for a beautiful finish.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread
Frankly, you never need an excuse to bake a fragrant loaf of banana bread, but just in case, here’s a few!
Perfect texture: A combination of butter and vegetable oil makes this banana bread both moist and fluffy for the best bite.
Quick and easy: Quick breads like this one are just that: quick! The batter mixes up in a flash so you can have it ready for the oven in minutes.
Crowd-pleasing: Banana bread is a classic for a reason. No one can resist a slice of this tender favorite!
Not too sweet: Just enough brown sugar is used to make the bread sweet without overwhelming the banana flavor, which is complemented by the walnuts and sesame seeds.
Ingredients for this recipe
This is just an overview. For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card. It’s all there waiting for you!
You’ll need:
For this banana bread, we add both mashed banana to the batter and sliced banana on top. This means you’ll need bananas at different stages of ripeness. But don’t worry! You can quickly “ripen” your bananas in the oven so they’ll be soft enough to mash.
Set the oven to 325°F and place the bananas you need to mash on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the peels are black and shiny. Let the bananas cool and mash away!
How To Make Banana Nut Bread
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until frothy. Mash 2 bananas and add to the bowl along with the melted butter and vegetable oil. Mix well.
Step 3: Mix Together
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together just until combined. There should be no pockets of flour, but you don’t want to over mix or the bread can turn out tough.
Step 4: Prepare the Pan
Lightly coat a loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter. Add the sesame seeds and carefully turn the pan to coat the bottom and up the sides with the seeds, as though you were coating with flour.
Step 5: Add the Batter
Pour the batter into the pan, using a spatula to smooth the top and make sure it spreads all the way into the corners.
Slice the remaining banana and arrange on top of the batter. Fill in the gaps with chopped walnuts.
Tip: Prefer the walnuts in the batter? Instead of adding on top, just fold them into the batter before pouring it into the pan.
Step 6: Bake
Bake the banana bread for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Tips and Variations
- Tempting as it may be, do not cut into the banana bread until it is completely cooled! Cutting into the bread while it is still warm can make the texture gummy on the rest of the loaf. The crumb needs time to settle, so make yourself an oat milk latte to sip while you wait.
- Add chocolate chips to the batter for a chocolatey burst in each bite.
- To make this recipe dairy free, replace the butter with more vegetable oil.
- Don’t like walnuts? Try chopped pecans or pistachios.
- Make banana muffins with this recipe, increasing the oven to 375°F and baking for about 20 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
Banana bread keeps very well—if it lasts long enough to worry about storing!
Once cooled to room temperature, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can also store it in an airtight container like a cake keeper. Banana bread will keep at room temperature for about a week.
Want to freeze for later? You can either freeze the entire loaf, or cut and freeze individual slices. Wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, then tuck into a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. Label, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or pop individual slices into the microwave for 30 seconds, or until warm.
Leftover banana bread is excellent for making banana bread french toast!
Make this banana nut bread recipe for your next grab-and-go breakfast treat!
Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 to 3 very ripe bananas, to yield 1 cup mashed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 1 ripe but firm banana
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar until foamy.3 large eggs, ¾ cup brown sugar
- Mash bananas (you should have about 1 cup) and add to the eggs along with the melted butter and vegetable oil. Mix well.2 to 3 very ripe bananas, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined and no dry pockets remain. Do not overmix.
- Lightly coat an 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter. Add the sesame seeds, turning the pan carefully to stick the seeds to the bottom and up the sides.3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- Pour in the batter, using a spatula to smooth the top and spread batter to the corners. Slice the remaining banana and arrange on top, then fill in the gaps with the walnuts.1 ripe but firm banana, ⅓ cup roughly chopped walnuts
- Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- To quickly “ripen” bananas, bake in a 325°F until the peels are black and shiny. Let cool, then mash.
- If you prefer, the walnuts and sliced banana can be folded into the batter just before pouring into the pan, rather than placed on top.
- Make sure to let the loaf cool completely before slicing to prevent a gummy texture.
Megan Myers has been sharing her favorite recipes online for 20 years. She has worked for companies like Whole Foods Market, Texas Co-Op Power, and Good Catch Foods. Her favorite breakfast food is waffles with plenty of maple syrup.