Banana Pecan Bread (Beginner-Friendly Recipe)
Banana pecan bread is a moist, flavorful quick bread packed with ripe bananas, crunchy pecans, and a hint of sweetness that makes every bite irresistible. It’s the perfect way to use up overripe bananas while creating a bakery-style loaf right at home.
Whether you enjoy it warm with butter for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or as a cozy dessert, this banana pecan bread delivers the ideal balance of soft texture and nutty crunch. Simple to make and rich in flavor, it’s a family favorite you’ll want to bake again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unique flavors: This banana pecan bread recipe won’t be like any other banana bread you’ve tried! Toasted pecans and bananas mixed with brown sugar and seasonings make a taste you won’t forget.
- Soft, Moist, and Tender: Thanks to the ripe bananas and just the right amount of moisture, each slice of this banana pecan bread stays soft and tender, never dry, even a day after baking.
- Great Way to Use Ripe Bananas: Instead of letting overripe bananas go to waste, this recipe transforms them into a deliciously moist, flavorful bread that everyone will love.
- Simple, Everyday Ingredients: This recipe uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, making it an easy, stress-free bake.
Key Ingredients
All you need are some incredibly simple ingredients to make the tastiest banana pecan bread you’ve ever had! Let’s look at each of them in more detail:
- Flour: We’re going to use all-purpose flour for the base of our dough. It will help bind the ingredients together for an even taste in every bite.
- Baking powder: Next we need some baking powder. It will make our dough rise and help the bread be light and fluffy.
- Baking soda: We’ll also need a little bit of baking soda. It works with the baking powder to give the bread a crumb that is tender and airy.
- Salt: Some salt will bring out the taste of all the other ingredients. I prefer to use sea salt, but regular salt works as well. We’ll be using half teaspoon salt in this recipe.
- Cinnamon: We’re going to use cinnamon to add flavor and complexity to our banana pecan bread. It has a sweet and slightly spicy flavor that pairs well with bananas.
- Sugar: We need sugar for our bread dough also. I like to use organic sugar in my bread, but regular sugar will work if you don’t have organic.
- Brown sugar: We’ll be using some brown sugar as well as regular sugar. It adds a caramel-like flavor and helps keep the bread moist.
- Eggs: Let’s grab a couple of large eggs for the dough as well. They will make our bread rich and tender when mixed with flour.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract will add a warm taste and floral scent to our banana pecan bread. It makes a delicious flavor when paired with vanilla and bananas. We’ll be using one teaspoon vanilla extract in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter: We are going to use butter for this bread also. Be sure to use unsalted so we can control the amount of salt in our banana nut bread recipe.
- Unsweetened apple sauce: We’ll use apple sauce to keep our bread moist and add a delicious flavor. Be sure to use unsweetened so the bread doesn’t come out too sweet.
- Mashed bananas: Make sure to use slightly overripe (but not rotten) bananas for this recipe. They have a stronger banana taste and are sweeter than unripe bananas. They’re also a great source of potassium and vitamin C.
- Chopped pecans: We’re going to use roasted chopped pecans to add a bit of crunch to our bread. Their nutty flavor is also scrumptious when mixed with the rest of the ingredients.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, please check the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Make Banana Pecan Bread
Making this delicious banana pecan bread is incredibly easy and rewarding. Here’s how to make it step by step:
How to Make Banana Pecan Bread Batter
Start out by preheating your oven to 350 ℉, then grease a 5-inch loaf pan with butter and it set aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper or use cooking spray.
Next, sift all the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, in a medium bowl. Whisk these ingredients together until they’re well combined. Set this bowl aside until later.
Mash the bananas in another bowl with a fork or spatula and set this aside for later also.
In the bowl of an electric mixer add eggs, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on high mixing speed for 5 minutes or until the mixture is pale in color.
Reduce the mixing speed to low and add vanilla, melted butter, apple sauce, and mashed bananas. Mix for 1 more minute. You want the mixture to be a light and fluffy cream texture.
Leave the mixing speed on low and stir in the dry ingredients a cup at a time.
Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and add ¾ cup of chopped pecans into the batter. Fold the batter over itself until the pecans are mixed in well.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle ¼ cup more chopped pecans over the top.
How to Bake Banana Pecan Bread
Bake the banana pecan loaf in your preheated oven for 50 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the loaf continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Check if it’s done cooking by inserting a toothpick in the center of the loaf. The toothpick should come out clean with no dough on it.
Remove it from the oven and let the loaf cool for 5 minutes before transferring the bread loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, slice and enjoy with a cup of cold milk or a hot cup of homemade latte.
Your delicious Banana Pecan Bread is ready to be served!
Recipe Tips
- Use the right bananas: Ripe bananas are sweeter and more flavorful than unripe ones, so make sure you use overripe bananas for an extra tasty loaf.
- Roast the pecans: Be sure to lightly roast your pecans before adding them to the dough. It really helps bring out their nutty flavor. You can also switch out the pecans for walnuts if you prefer.
- Let the bread cool: Let the bread cool completely before slicing it. This will help ensure that your bread slices nicely and doesn’t fall apart.
Recipe Variation Ideas
This delicious Banana Pecan bread recipe is perfect as it is, but if you’re looking to change things up here are a few simple ideas you can try:
- Try some chocolate chips: Add in some semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips for a decadent treat.
- Add shredded chocolate: Swap out the pecans for some shredded coconut for a tropical twist.
- Make it sweeter: Mix in some pure maple syrup or maple extract to give your bread a delicious hint of sweetness.
- Add apples: Add ½ cup diced apples to the batter and mix in. The apples will add a sweet tartness to the bread that goes great with the banana and pecans
How to Store Leftovers
Once your banana pecan bread has cooled completely, you can store it in an airtight container or wrap it up tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The bread will last up to 5 days at room temperature or up to a week when kept in the refrigerator.
If you want to freeze it, let it cool completely then cut it into slices and wrap each slice individually before storing them in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Walnuts, almonds, or even hazelnuts work beautifully. Toasting the nuts first enhances their flavor and adds extra crunch.
Yes! Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour. The texture may be slightly denser but will still be moist and delicious.
Yes! Bake at the same temperature, but reduce the baking time to about 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Definitely. Chocolate chips, raisins, or dried cranberries can be added for extra flavor and texture. Fold them in gently to avoid overmixing.
Banana Pecan Bread (Beginner-Friendly Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ cup organic sugar
- ½ cup organic brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup organic unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup overripe mashed bananas
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
Instructions
How to Make Banana Pecan Bread Batter
- Start out by preheating your oven to 350 ℉, then grease a 5-inch loaf pan with butter and it set aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper or use cooking spray.
- Next, sift all the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, in a medium bowl. Whisk these ingredients together until they’re well combined. Set this bowl aside until later.
- Mash the bananas in another bowl with a fork or spatula and set this aside for later also.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer add eggs, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on high mixing speed for 5 minutes or until the mixture is pale in color.
- Reduce the mixing speed to low and add vanilla, melted butter, apple sauce, and mashed bananas. Mix for 1 more minute. You want the mixture to be a light and fluffy cream texture.
- Leave the mixing speed on low and stir in the dry ingredients a cup at a time.
- Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and add ¾ cup of chopped pecans into the batter. Fold the batter over itself until the pecans are mixed in well.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle ¼ cup more chopped pecans over the top.
How to Bake Banana Pecan Bread
- Bake the banana pecan loaf in your preheated oven for 50 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the loaf continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Check if it’s done cooking by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. The toothpick should come out clean with no dough on it.
- Remove it from the oven and let the loaf cool for 5 minutes before transferring the bread loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, slice and enjoy with a cup of cold milk or a hot cup of homemade latte.
Notes
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