Banana loaf with walnuts
Moist, banana-packed loaf using overripe bananas, light brown sugar and walnuts. Simple, forgiving mix-and-bake loaf for tea or lunchboxes.
Got overripe bananas staring at you from the fruit bowl? This banana loaf turns those soft, sweet bananas into a reliably moist, slightly caramelised loaf that’s brilliant for afternoon tea or lunchboxes.
It’s forgiving: a simple mix, a quick bake and a little patience while it cools. Walnuts add crunch; leave them out if you prefer a tender, nut-free crumb.
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour
- 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
- 10 ml baking powder
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter — melted and cooled slightly
- 50 ml sunflower oil
- 2 eggs — large
- 450 g overripe bananas — about 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 5 ml salt
- 75 g chopped walnuts — optional, toasted for extra flavour
- 30 ml milk — optional — only if batter is very stiff
Equipment
- 900g loaf tin (23 x 13 cm)
- wire rack
- electric whisk (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin (about 23 x 13 cm) with baking paper, leaving a little overhang to lift the loaf out later.
Peel and mash the overripe bananas in a bowl with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, sunflower oil, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until combined and the sugar begins to dissolve.
Fold the mashed overripe bananas into the wet mixture until evenly distributed. Sift in the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt, then fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
If the batter looks very stiff and dry, stir in up to the milk listed until the batter is spreadable but still thick.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and level the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50–60 minutes — aim for about 55 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly after 35–40 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
Remove the loaf from the oven and leave it in the tin to cool for 10 minutes, then use the paper overhang to lift it out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for about 60 minutes before slicing.
Tips
- Use fully brown, spotty bananas — the riper they are, the more banana flavour the loaf has.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until fragrant; cool before chopping to keep them crunchy in the loaf.
- If the top browns too quickly while the centre is still raw, tent loosely with foil for the remaining bake time — do not press the foil onto the cake.
- Make ahead: the loaf improves after a few hours and can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for 2 days or frozen whole (well wrapped) for up to 3 months.
- To get neat slices, chill the loaf for 30 minutes before slicing or use a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion.
Substitutions
chopped walnuts → chopped pecans in the same quantity (75 g)
Stays closeunsalted butter and sunflower oil → 150 ml sunflower oil in total (replace both butter and oil)
Noticeably differentlight brown sugar → golden caster sugar in the same quantity (150 g)
Stays closeeggs → for a vegan attempt: 2 flax 'eggs' (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water, rest 5 minutes) — texture differs
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 315
- Calories
- 5 g
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 21 g
- Sugar
- 120 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use fewer bananas?
You can reduce to 2 bananas (about 300 g) but the loaf will be less banana-forward and the crumb slightly drier; you may want to add the full 30 ml milk.
How do I know when the loaf is cooked?
Insert a skewer into the middle: it should come out with a few moist crumbs but not raw batter. The top should be springy to the touch and a skewer test is the most reliable.
Can I make this in a cake tin instead of a loaf tin?
Yes — use a 20 cm round tin and reduce baking time to about 35–45 minutes, checking from 30 minutes onwards.
How should I store leftovers?
Keep wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or slice and freeze portions for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven.
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