Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like banana bread taken up a notch with ultra rich, buttery, sweet, and nutty flavors. Be sure to use overripe bananas for the sweetest banana flavor.
Texture: I know people hate this word, but this banana bread is super moist, there’s no other way to say it! It’s ultra soft yet rich with crunchy bites of pecans throughout.
Ease: Buttering the pecans does dirty an extra dish but it only takes 5 minutes. We also use an electric mixer in this recipe to get the lightest yet richest texture. So just a bit more work than your average banana bread recipe.
Pros: The perfect balance of textures, not too dense and not too light. Plus the flavors are just wonderful. Such comfort food!
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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I think you’re going to adore this Butter Pecan Banana Bread recipe.
I cannot type the word banana without think of Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback song. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. I remember listening to that song far too many times in junior high school with my neon blue first-generation iPod mini.
That’s… bananas.
If I got that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day, my apology is this super moist Butter Pecan Banana Bread recipe.
Yes, I did just use the word moist so maybe I should apologize again. But it’s only because this is my favorite banana bread recipe.
This loaf is ultra-rich and buttery, without being too dense. It’s super soft and moist with perfect crunchy bites of pecans throughout. It’s weird because I’m usually not a huge fan of nuts in baked goods, but for some reason, I adore them in banana bread recipes.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy a slice of this Butter Pecan Banana Bread with some fresh butter slathered on top.
How to Make Butter Pecan Banana Bread
Ingredients for Butter Pecan Banana Bread:
- Butter – You’ll need butter for both the loaf and the buttered pecans. Use unsalted butter in baking so you control the amount of salt used.
- Pecans – Chopped pecans are one of the star ingredients of this recipe! You’ll love the crunchy pecans studded throughout this moist banana bread.
- Salt – Also used in the buttered pecans, fine salt balances out the sweetness of the loaf.
- All-purpose flour – Make sure your dry ingredients are measured correctly, so you don’t end up with dry or dense banana bread.
- Baking soda – Learn more about the differences between baking soda and baking powder here.
- Cinnamon – Pairs perfectly with the nutty flavors in this loaf.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens as well as moistens this banana pecan bread recipe.
- Eggs – Helps bind everything together and provide structure.
- Bananas – It’s not banana bread without mashed bananas. Use very overripe bananas for the best texture and sweetness.
- Sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt – Helps achieve a tender, moist texture.
- Vanilla extract – Stir in a splash of vanilla to help make this the most flavorful banana bread recipe.
Can I Add Chocolate Chips to This Recipe?
Yes! Add a scant cup of semisweet chocolate chips, folding in with the flour and pecans as written in the recipe.
How Ripe Should Bananas Be for Banana Bread?
- Be sure to use very overripe bananas.
- Overripe bananas should be very soft and covered with dark brown speckles.
- Appropriately overripe bananas not only provide a sweet flavor but also help to add more moisture to banana bread.
- If you have more overripe bananas than you need for this recipe, you can always peel them, mash them, then freeze them for baking later. Or use them in smoothies!
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly:
- To speed up ripening, place bananas in a paper bag and store in a warm area for a day or two. The peels create ethylene gas, which fills up the bag and helps them ripen faster.
- To ripen bananas today, place whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the skins are darkened and the fruit is soft. This doesn’t quite yield the same effect as allowing the bananas to ripen naturally, but it’ll work in a pinch.
How to Mash Bananas for Banana Bread
Place overripe bananas on a cutting board and mash very well by hand with a fork or potato masher. I find mashing with an electric mixer or hand mixer makes the batter too thin to rise well, often leading to bread that’s slightly mushy in the center or even slightly sunken in the center.
How to Make Banana Bread MOIST
Besides using overripe bananas, also be sure to measure your flour correctly. This makes a world of difference between moist banana bread and dry banana bread. Lastly, avoid overmixing the batter once the wet and dry ingredients have been combined, otherwise you’ll end up with dry and rubbery banana bread.
The Best Banana Bread Pan
The pan I recommend using is a METAL 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
- Glass and ceramic pans can take MUCH longer to bake.
- Not just banana bread, but brownies and sheet cakes too – see my experiments on this here!
- You also risk the banana bread collapsing in the center and being underbaked in the middle.
- If you only have a glass or ceramic pan, add anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes to the baking time and use my tips below for judging when banana bread is done cooking.
Additionally, use the correct size loaf pan for best results: 9 by 5-inches.
- I know that an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch pan seems practically identical, but the difference in volume capacity is 15%, and that has a surprisingly large impact on the final loaf.
- If you use the smaller pan size, you may end up with a loaf that spills over the edges and sinks into an underbaked sad crevice in the center.
- If that’s all you have, remove about 15% of the banana bread batter from your bowl before pouring into the pan (feel free to bake the excess in a muffin tin instead, following the baking temperature and time from my Bakery Style Banana Muffins recipe).
How Long to Bake Banana Bread
- Bake your butter pecan banana bread until it registers an internal temperature of 200 to 205°F.
- Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.
- This is the best and easiest way to ensure your bread is perfectly cooked through but not overdone.
- You could also insert a toothpick; the loaf should be done baking when there are a few moist crumbs still attached.
Why is my Banana Bread Gummy?
Banana bread can get gummy if the batter was overmixed or the loaf was underbaked.
How to Store Butter Pecan Banana Bread
Cover and store cooled banana nut bread at room temperature for 2 days. The flavors will actually intensify as the bread sits! If your bread has started to stale, brush both sides with butter and toast in a skillet until slightly caramelized before serving.
How to Freeze Butter Pecan Banana Bread
Tightly wrap the completely cooled loaf or slices in aluminum foil and place in a resealable freezer bag. Butter Pecan Banana Bread can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. If thawing an entire loaf, you can also refresh the loaf by popping into a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes.
More Banana Recipes You’ll Love:
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Banana Nut Muffins
- Dulce de Leche Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
- Banana Walnut Cake
- Bakery Style Banana Muffins
- Bananas Foster French Toast
Butter Pecan Banana Bread
Ingredients
For the butter pecans:
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (113 grams) pecan halves, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
For the banana bread:
- 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 cups (354 grams) mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)*
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the butter pecans:
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pecans and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is lightly browned, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
For the banana bread:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan (don’t use an 8 ½ by 4 1/2-inch pan, the batter will overflow).
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reducing to low speed, gradually add in the melted and cooled butter. Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla, beating until just combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until golden brown on top and the center springs back when gently pressed. Bake time for glass or ceramic pans may be longer.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing from loaf pan to cool completely.
- Banana bread can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic for up to 3 days at room temperature or 2 weeks frozen (thaw overnight at room temperature before serving).
Recipe Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2022 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
I have been using the same banana bread/muffin recipe for nearly a decade so I was nervous to try something new. This recipe did not disappoint. The top is crunchy, the inside is moist, and it has a perfect amount of pecans. This is definitely going into my rotation of banana based bakes.
Yay! So happy to hear that, Alyssa!
After 1.20 it’s not ready.
Are you sure about 325 F?
Hi Ksenia! Yes, that’s the correct temperature. It sounds like something may be off for it to be taking so long to bake! What type of pan are you using? The pan Tessa recommends using is a metal 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Glass and ceramic pans can take MUCH longer to bake – and will dry out the exterior of the loaf in the process. The wrong size pan can also throw off the bake time. I also suspect your oven could be running cold. Ovens are almost always lying to us about their real temperature, and can be off as much as 40 degrees! Check out Tessa’s full article on oven temperature, and the importance of using an oven thermometer! Lastly, if you are using the correct type and size of pan, and you are using an oven thermometer, perhaps something in the recipe was mis-measured? If you measure by volume, rather than weight, it’s super easy to accidentally add too much flour or sugar, which can throw off the chemistry of the entire recipe. Tessa talks about how to measure accurately in this article here! I hope something here helps, and please feel free to reach out for further assistance in troubleshooting – we are always happy to help!! Happy baking 🙂
AMAZING. Literally the best banana bread I have EVER MADE!!!
Yay!! So thrilled to hear you enjoyed this banana bread so much, Gwen!!!
Hello From Ontario Canada…just to clarify if you want to put the banana on the top..is it a ripe banana or fresh?
Hi Margherita! (and hello to Canada!) You could use a just-ripe or overripe banana on top, but we typically use overripe on top (as well as in the banana bread itself) just for that extra hit of banana flavor, since overripe bananas carry so much more flavor. Hope that helps! 🙂
This is going to be my “go to” recipe from now on!
So happy to hear that!
Do you think this would sink in the middle if several individual paper loaf pans /or copper loaf pan/were used to bake this recipe??
Hi Nora! We haven’t tried either of those, so I can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you give them a try.
All I have is glass loaf pans!!! Do you need to adjust time and temperature?
Hi Judy! Check out the pink tip box above the recipe for more details, Tessa explains the adjustments needed when using glass pans 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe!
I like this banana bread. Beginners luck. It came out great first time. Next three times not so much. Underdone every time. Checked my oven temp with thermometer. It was 25 degrees low. So I compensated and added some extra cook time. Still underdone and collapsing while cooling. Measured and followed recipe perfectly. But then I read Handle the Heat tutorial on why cakes collapse and read the magic words 200F -205 F degrees and bought an instant read thermometer for the cakes internal temperature. What a difference that knowledge has made in the results of my baking. Wish I’d known sooner.
Sorry to hear that you had issues, but I’m so glad you found our article on collapsed cakes/loaves! This recipe is actually one that we’re currently in the process of updating (was originally published in 2014) with additional tips as well as updated photographs. I’m so glad that you were able to confirm that your oven temperature was low and compensated for that. What size baking pan are you using and what type? This recipe works best in a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan. We have experimented using a slightly smaller size (8 1/2 x 4 1/2), and needed to increase the baking time by about 5-10 minutes. Glass and ceramic pans would need even longer time to bake (about 10-15 minutes extra), and some did result in collapsed loaves. We plan on publishing the updates within the next couple of months, so I encourage you to try this recipe again then 🙂
Can I substitute brown sugar instead?
Hi Aimee! Granulated and brown sugar are two very different sugars. You’re more than welcome to experiment, but especially with such a large amount of sugar, know that the outcome will be different! Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try.
Can I omit the yogurt?
We haven’t tried omitting completely! You’re welcome to experiment, but the sour cream/yogurt does add extra moisture and a bit of flavor.
So goooodd but a bit too sweet for my liking
Can you please tell me if I can make this eggless? Is so, what can I substitute the eggs with?