Healthy Banana Bread Recipe with Nuts

Banana bread sounds much more interesting than regular bread as a side dish for your guests. Still, it takes no extra time or complicated preparation. If you know how to bake traditional bread, you know how to bake banana bread. And if you don’t know how to prepare either of them, we’re here for you with an easy recipe and its explanation, step by step.

Banana bread won’t take over 10 minutes, a bowl, a balloon whisk to prepare the blend, and around one hour to bake. But it tastes fantastic and will give an exciting twist to your dinner. Just take a look at the pictures, and you will likely agree.

How to make banana bread recipe with nuts

This is a very simple banana recipe that will take only 10 minutes to mix and 60 minutes to bake. It is not time-consuming and requires no special preparation. But we’re breaking it down for you in easy-to-follow steps.

The end result will look like this:

It may look challenging, but it is not. It’s just the nuts making it look fancy and unique. Here’s how to prepare it:

Step1: Add the basic ingredients to make bread

The first step looks very similar to what you do to bake any other bread type. It’s about mixing the basic ingredients you need to make bread. We recommend using a bowl, adding 1 and ½ cups of flour, ¾ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, ½ tablespoon of salt, and ½ cup of chopped pecans. As you can see, the only added ingredient here is chopped pecans, which should be chopped into small pieces.

Step 2: Mix the ingredients

You can use a balloon whisk or another tool to mix the ingredients. When you’re doing that, make sure that they turn into a homogeneous blend. Chopped pecans will always stand out, though.

Step 3: Prepare the banana blend

In a separate bowl, take 3 medium mashed bananas. Add ½ cup of dressing or mayonnaise and 1 egg. Stir until the mix is homogeneous.

Step 4: Add the bread blend and mix

In this step, we need a thick mixture. Adding the basic bread ingredients with chopped pecans will do the trick. It is very important to mix the blend until you get a very homogeneous blend.

Step 5: Take it to the oven

After the blend is done, you can take it to the bread baking tray. Turn on the stove at 350ºF and bake your banana bread for 60 to 70 minutes.

Banana Bread Ingredients

As you can see, the ingredients to prepare banana bread are almost the same as those required for regular bread. However, you may want to know about certain variations and important aspects to consider:

What type of banana should I use for banana bread?

This is one of the most common questions because banana can taste different if you try different variations. But the only recommendation we have is to use ripe bananas. If you don’t have ripe bananas, let them ripen for a long time until the skin turns very dark.

When the fruit is too soft and falls apart as you peel it, that is an excellent banana for banana bread. Ripe bananas have a stronger taste, and it is easier to create a paste with them.

So, next time you’re thinking about throwing your ripe bananas, why don’t you prepare banana bread instead?

What type of flour should I use for banana bread?

If you prefer a simple answer without going to the detail, go for all-purpose flour. This bread gets the job done, and it is very versatile. The most common type of bread for people to bake at home. But if you’re particularly fussy about food, you may find a more refined and tender texture with other types of flour. We recommend these:

• Cake flour: This flour gives you a fine texture if you mix the ingredients well. You could also find a subtype of cake flour known as pastry flour, which has more protein.
• Whole wheat flour: It is more nutritious, and the texture is denser. If you’re trying to make it more nutritious, we recommend mixing whole-wheat flour with cake flour or all-purpose flour.

You may also want to consider this table to choose the best flour for you:

Type of flour	Pros	Cons
All-purpose	It is easier to find and works for almost anything else	It won't give you a fine texture or the tenderness you want for a delicious banana bread
Whole-wheat	Nutritious and more dense texture	It won't be tender, either. But you can mix whole-wheat flour with all-purpose flour or cake flour if you're after the extra nutrition
Cake flour	Superior texture and lightweight feel	It is useful for cakes and banana bread but not for regular bread
Bread flour	It blends easier with other ingredients, and you can brown the crust as much as you want	It may become too thick, and you need to have some experience in baking to use it appropriately
Gluten-free flour	The most appropriate choice if you have a gluten intolerance. It adds an additional nutty flavor if you choose almond flour	It won't taste the same and might overshadow the expected flavor of banana bread

How to Mash Bananas

This is also a very common question we get from people who want to prepare banana bread. That’s because mashed bananas do not always acquire a fluid feel to them. Sometimes you get a lumpy mass instead, and it won’t blend appropriately with the rest of the ingredients. But that’s mainly because you’re not using ripe bananas, as discussed above. So, first, make sure your bananas are black on the outside and not too soft on the inside.

After that, you need to peel your bananas and use one of three methods:

• You can take a potato masher and start doing the job. Here, we recommend using a wavy type instead of the potato masher that has many little squares to it. Bananas often slip when you use the small square type, so the other one is easier.
• You don’t need a special tool to mash bananas for banana bread. If they are ripe, a fork will do the job. It just takes more time, but forks are convenient tools for this purpose.
• Another option is to use a food processor. This is useful if your bananas are not ripe and the perfect solution if you tried other methods and still get a lumpy mass that’s not fluid or easy to blend. Just be prepared for some extra clean-up when you’re done.

How to Freeze Banana Bread

If you’re preparing banana bread to avoid taking your ripe bananas to the trash, disposing of banana bread leftovers is probably not an option, either. But banana bread loses its texture after some time, and that’s why you need to know how to freeze banana bread.

If you’re using the freezer, remember that it might take away the moisture, and your bread won’t have the same texture. But there’s a way around, and you can wrap your banana bread in foil or plastic wraps. Then, place it in conveniently sized zip-top bags removing as much air as possible.

If you follow this method, you can keep banana bread for months, and it will have a very similar texture. Sure, nothing compares to freshly-made bread, but it won’t become stiff or lose significant moisture.

Thawing is easier still. You can place the frozen banana bread in the microwave for a few seconds or simply leave it on the countertop. After 30 minutes, it will be ready to enjoy.

How do you keep banana bread moist?

Banana bread is great if you don’t want to dispose of your ripe bananas, but you need to keep it moist. Otherwise, it won’t be appetizing. This is no problem if you’re eating what you just prepared, but it may become a problem if you leave it for later.

If you’re thinking about eating the leftovers tomorrow, you can store banana bread on the countertop. Just make sure that it is carefully wrapped in plastic. That will keep them moist if you leave them outside of the fridge.

Another option would be storing it in a plastic container. Through this method, banana bread will stay fresh and moist for one day or two. If you need to keep them stored for a longer time, it is better to freeze banana bread, as shown above.

What makes this banana bread healthy?

Bananas are cheap and very healthy. They have many nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6. Ripe bananas turn starch into sugar, so they can be a great snack if you’re about to go out for a workout or when you come back from the gym. Potassium is a highlight nutrient of bananas, and it contributes to your heart function, blood pressure, and much more. Besides, bananas contribute to your gut microbiota by fueling good bacteria and helping them thrive.

This recipe is very versatile, and it contains no butter or oil. You can use different types of flour and sugar. To make it healthy, choose a whole-wheat flour or almond flour, and you can use coconut sugar, too. If you’re going one step forward, you can also replace mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.

Sure, these replacements will make it taste different and change the texture. But some of us would do anything to keep it healthy.