Cinnamon Walnut Banana Bread: The Moist, Golden Loaf With a Whole Banana Baked on Top

How to Make Cinnamon Walnut Banana Bread

1. Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over the sides for easy lifting.
2. Mash the bananas. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth, with a few small lumps.
3. Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the melted butter, then the brown sugar, egg and vanilla until well combined.
4. Add the leaveners and spices. Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg over the batter and stir them in.
5. Fold in the flour. Add the flour and stir gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. A few lumps are fine. Fold in the walnuts.
6. Fill the pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
7. Add the banana topping. Lay the two banana halves cut side up on the batter, sprinkle with brown sugar and scatter the remaining walnuts around them.
8. Bake. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the loaf is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil after 40 minutes.
9. Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Tips for the Best Banana Bread

• Do not overmix. Stirring too much develops gluten and makes the bread tough.
• Test the center, not the banana on top, which will always feel soft and moist.
• Let it cool before slicing. Warm banana bread crumbles; cooled bread slices cleanly.
• For a bakery-style crust, sprinkle a little coarse sugar over the batter before baking.

Variations

For chocolate chip banana bread, swap the walnuts for ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

For an almond flour version, replace the all-purpose flour with 2 cups of almond flour and add 1 teaspoon baking powder. The loaf will be denser and more delicate, so cool it completely before cutting.

For banana muffins, divide the batter among 12 lined muffin cups and bake 20 to 24 minutes.

How to Store Banana Bread

Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Banana bread freezes beautifully: wrap individual slices and freeze for up to 3 months, then toast them straight from the freezer.

Nutrition Information

One slice provides approximately 260 to 300 calories, depending on the size of the slice and the amount of walnuts.

Final Thoughts

Banana bread is proof that the simplest baking is often the most loved. A few overripe bananas, one bowl and an hour in the oven, and you have a warm, fragrant loaf to share.

Cut a thick slice, pour a cup of coffee and enjoy every bite.

With love, from Grandma's kitchen ❤️