Classic Banana Nut Bread (With Streusel Topping and a Gluten-Free Version)
This classic banana nut bread recipe is a traditional bread-style banana bread that has a delicious streusel topping and can be made with gluten-free flour.
Whether you’re looking for a delicious addition for your brunch menu or you have a couple of too-ripe bananas you want to use up, this classic banana nut bread recipe is perfect!
It’s a traditional bread-style banana bread that is a little denser and not as sweet as some versions (that are more like a cake).
But the streusel topping adds just the right amount of sweetness and a little crunch.
Served with butter, it goes great with coffee, milk or tea.
Or just eat it by itself.
Either way, there’s never any left by lunch around here.
Ingredients
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Here is your shopping list:
- sugar – brown sugar for the streusel, regular white sugar for the bread
- rolled oats – for the streusel. If you are making this gluten-free, make sure the oats are certified as such since they are often processed in factories that handle other grains.
- dairy – butter
- flour – either regular all-purpose flour or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour will work
- baking supplies – baking powder, baking soda, salt
- fruit and nuts – ripe bananas, pecans or walnuts (optional), you can also add chocolate chips if desired
- eggs
- flavoring – vanilla
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- two knives or a pastry blender
- small sauce pan or microwave-proof bowl
- small mixing bowl
- Electric mixer and bowl
- mixing spoon
- parchment paper
- loaf pan
- wire cooling racks
How To Make Banana Nut Bread
Make The Streusel Topping
The streusel topping is optional, but it tastes delicious and I love the little bit of crunch that it adds to the banana bread.
It also keeps the top of the banana bread from getting too brown.
Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup uncooked oats and 1/3 cup cold butter in a mixing bowl.
Using two knives (or a pastry blender), cut the butter into the oats and brown sugar until it is in pea-sized pieces, and is well mixed with the oats and brown sugar.
Set it aside.
Put The Batter Together
Melt 1/3 cup butter in a small saucepan on the stove or in a microwave-proof bowl in the microwave. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt). Set aside.
Mash 2 bananas with the electric mixer.
Start on a slower speed to get bananas softened. Then speed up and mix until they are pureed.
Add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar and the melted butter.
Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
With a mixing spoon, stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Do not mix too much or the bread will be tough.
Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup pecans or walnuts (if desired). You can also use chocolate chips either in place of or in addition to the nuts.
Stir just until combined.
Prepare The Pan
Cut a piece of parchment paper that is the same width as the long side of your loaf pan but is long enough to cover the bottom, the sides and fold over the top edge of the pan.
Insert the parchment paper into your loaf pan so that it covers the bottom and the sides, and is sticking up over the top on both sides.
Spoon the banana bread mixture into the loaf pan.
Sprinkle the streusel over the top.
Bake The Bread
Bake in the oven at 350F for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before taking the bread out.
Loosen the bread from the sides of the loaf pan with a knife.
Use the excess parchment paper as handles to pull the banana bread out of the pan.
Let it cool completely on the wire rack.
Serve plain or with butter.
How To Store Banana Nut Bread
Banana bread can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
To freeze it, wrap the loaf in foil or plastic wrap. Then put it in a freezer bag or air tight container.
If you slice the banana nut bread before you freeze it, you can take out individual pieces when you need them and they will thaw quicker.
Other Brunch Recipes You Might Like
- Old-fashioned date nut bread
- Strawberry rhubarb bran muffins
- Maple pecan scones with cinnamon butter
- Traditional buttermilk scones
Classic Banana Nut Bread (With Streusel Topping and a Gluten-Free Version)
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- two knives or pastry blender
- small sauce pan or microwave-proof bowl
- small mixing bowl
- Electric mixer and bowl
- mixing spoon
- parchment paper
- loaf pan
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup uncooked regular oats
- ⅓ cup cold butter cut into pieces
Banana Bread
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 bananas
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F.
Streusel
- Combine the brown sugar, oats and cold butter in a mixing bowl.
- Using two knives (or a pastry blender), cut the butter into the oats and brown sugar until it is cut into pea-sized pieces, and is well mixed.
Banana Bread
- Melt the butter. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- With your electric mixer, beat the bananas until they are mashed up.
- Mix in the eggs, sugar and melted butter.
- Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
- With a spoon, stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
- Add in the vanilla and the nuts (if desired)
- Cut a piece of parchment paper that is the same width as the long side of your loaf pan but is long enough to cover the bottom, the sides and fold over the top edge of the pan.
- Insert the parchment paper into your loaf pan so that it covers the bottom and the sides, and is sticking up over the top on both sides.
- Spoon the banana bread mixture into the loaf pan.
- Sprinkle the streusel over the top.
- Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Pull the banana bread out of the pan using the excess parchment paper as handles.
- Let cool completely on the wire rack.
Notes
- Streusel is optional but it keeps the top of the banana bread from getting too brown.
- Don’t mix flour too much or the bread will be tough. (Since gluten is what makes this happen, this tip doesn’t apply for gluten-free flour.)
- To mash the bananas in the mixer, start on a slower speed until the bananas are softened. Then speed up until they are well mixed.
- Cut the parchment paper larger than the pan so it can be used as “handles” to remove the banana bread from the loaf pan when it is finished baking.
- Chocolate chips can be used instead of or in addition to nuts
Gluten-Free Option
- To make this recipe gluten free, substitute measure-for-measure gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour using the same measurements
- If you are making the streusel, make sure the oats you are using are certified to be gluten-free. While oats don’t naturally contain gluten, they are often contaminated because they are processed in factories that also handle other grains which are not gluten-free.
How To Store
- Banana Nut Bread can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- To freeze, wrap it in foil or plastic wrap and put it in a freezer bag or air tight container.
- Slicing it before you freeze it will make it easier to take out individual pieces and they will thaw quicker.
Have comments or questions about our classic banana nut bread recipe? Tell us in the section below.
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This post was originally published on May 19, 2020 but was updated with new content on March 12, 2022.