My Nanna Towgood has been making this loaf bread for over 40 years, and its a family favorite--moist, flavorful, and just the right amount of sweetness. You may substitute chocolate chips for the walnuts if you desire.
UPDATE: 12/18/11 This is my go-to banana bread recipe. it is always super moist without being gummy, and is always a great way to use up buttermilk and those dark bananas. the darker the banana, the bigger the flavor. perfect recipe when wanting to use up bananas and buttermilk. The flavor and texture were superb. I added 1 extra banana, replaced applesauce for the oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt. They were wonderfully moist with a great banana flavor. I think 3 bananas is the way to go...most recipes call for 3 ripe ones. I didn't have nuts or choc. chips but had butterscotch chips. Oh wow! These really made the recipe. The combination of flavors was great. 1 tsp. of cinnamon is just enough to add a layer of flavor...it enhances the bananas and does not overpower. Because the batter is nice and thick, nuts or chips won't sink to the bottom. Came out beautifully golden brown. Made these into muffins and made 18.
Read MoreCinnamon added a new twist to this recipe. Disappointed that the bread didn't have more of a banana flavor. Hint: add black walnut flavoring to nuts the night before to get a REAL black walnut taste.
Read MoreUPDATE: 12/18/11 This is my go-to banana bread recipe. it is always super moist without being gummy, and is always a great way to use up buttermilk and those dark bananas. the darker the banana, the bigger the flavor. perfect recipe when wanting to use up bananas and buttermilk. The flavor and texture were superb. I added 1 extra banana, replaced applesauce for the oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt. They were wonderfully moist with a great banana flavor. I think 3 bananas is the way to go...most recipes call for 3 ripe ones. I didn't have nuts or choc. chips but had butterscotch chips. Oh wow! These really made the recipe. The combination of flavors was great. 1 tsp. of cinnamon is just enough to add a layer of flavor...it enhances the bananas and does not overpower. Because the batter is nice and thick, nuts or chips won't sink to the bottom. Came out beautifully golden brown. Made these into muffins and made 18.
This was an excellent recipe. The cinnamon really added extra flavor. I used 3 large bananas for more banana flavor and used 1/4 tsp of salt. This bread did not last long!!
I added 4 bananas instead of two and also included 1/2 tsp of cardamom. This by far, was the best banana bread I have ever made!! It came out quite moist and just oozing with goodness!!
Cinnamon added a new twist to this recipe. Disappointed that the bread didn't have more of a banana flavor. Hint: add black walnut flavoring to nuts the night before to get a REAL black walnut taste.
Great recipe. I added an extra banana and divided the batter. I also folded in re-hydrated cranberries into half of it. I made muffins instead of a loaf and used apple sauce instead of oil. The muffins were moist and flavorful. They weren't as "rich" as my grandmother's bread but I liked them better this way. They weren't heavy on my stomach and still gave me the banana flavor I wanted. I was planning on freezing half of them but they disappeared so fast I didn't get a chance too. My Mom and Husband loved them. Thanks for recipe!
definitely one of the better banana bread recipes i've tried from this site. i only had soymilk on hand and i had no walnuts and vanilla so i omitted those. i also cut the sugar and oil in half but i didn't notice much difference in the taste--maybe just not as sweet. i also added a third banana as someone suggested. and i mixed it by hand and the bread turned out just fine. the cinnamon adds a great flavor!
Tried this recipe using the chocolate chips instead of walnuts...turned out a very tasty, moist bread.
Came out very moist and very good. I made the chocolate chip variation, which went well with the banana and cinnamon flavors. I like that it uses just two bananas, which is usually how many overly ripe bananas I end up with out of a bunch.
I've had better success with the Banana Sour Cream Bread on this site. I added semi-sweet chips (a first for me) so perhaps it's a taste thing. However, this one wasn't as moist and just didn't compare to the other recipe.
I have made this recipe several times w/ the chocolate chips, and it always comes out perfect. Plus it never last too long because my family and I love it so much. This is a keeper!
I made this banana bread for a bake sale. I followed the recipe and also added 1 more banana as others said. I used my electric mixer, I mashed the bananas using a fork, then added it into egg/sugar mixture. I also blended the flour/cinnamon mixture into the batter. After scrapping the bowl I licked the spoon and was amazed how it tasted. I used 2 small loaf pans. They are in the oven now and can't wait for them to come out. Thank you Sharon for sharing this recipe.
This is the ONLY recipe I ever use to make Banana bread, and I make it once a week. I'm so appreciative to have discovered it!
Oh my goodness! This is now my favorite. Nice and tasty and moist!!! I omimited the cinnamon and used the entire zest of a very large lemon instead--to brighten the flavor. Wet batter that results in moist mini muffins, which took 25 minutes to bake. Oh, used 3/4 C chopped pecans and topped each mini muffin with a pecan half. Yield? 48 - 60 mini muffins. A crowd pleaser. Husband's coworkers went crazy over these. Also good with orange zest in place of lemon zest. Or add almond extract rather than vanilla and top with whole almonds. Bottom line? I have found "my" banana bread recipe! Thank you, Nanna Towgood and Granddaughter Towgood for sharing. That's what it's all about. Now Nanna lives on in the hearts and mouths and stomaches of dozens of new admirers. God bless her--and you, too!
This banana bread came out beautifully for me. It has just the right balance of texture, light and moist at the same time, not at all heavy. There is plenty of banana flavor as well. I love cinnamon in banana bread, so I doubled it. A lot of banana breads I have to bake longer than 60 minutes, but this one was done on time. Not wanting to get my blender dirty, I mixed it by hand and it was plenty easy enough. Beautiful recipe!
I gave this banana bread recipe 5 stars because it is the best one I've ever made. The banana bread consistently comes out moist unlike other recipes I've tried. My family loves it and I have made it numerous times for ourselves and potlucks. The only ingredient I altered was using Saigon cinnamon instead of regular cinnamon. This was delicious!
I made this bread because I had buttermilk I wanted to use up lol. I loved the bread...I substituted 1/2 c applesause for the oil to try to make it a little more healthy. It still came out great (a beautiful loaf) but was a little chewy because of the substitution I think.
This is such an easy recipe! I mashed the bananas before adding and used a hand mixer to blend it all together. I did forget to add vanilla but it was still awesome.
I did not care for this banana bread. I just realized though that I forgot to put the sugar in...it still tastes sweet though, just very bland. I don't think the sugar can fix that the extreme lack of flavor. Even though I can smell the banana, I can't taste it at all. I used half whole wheat/half regular flour and 2 med-large overripe bananas. The bread was moist and dense, but unlike any other banana bread I've made as its somewhat cake-like, not bread-like. Maybe I'll try it again with the sugar (oops!), but I've had other recipes that far exceeded the flavor of this one already, so I think I'll stick with those. Sorry, this one just didn't do it for me.
i didn't have any buttermilk so i substituted it for the same amount of peach yogurt. I didn't feel like digging up a loaf pan either so i put it into a 9x13 jelly roll pan and cooked it for about 20 minutes, and it came out amaaazing and super moist. definitely making this again! instead of blending the ingredients together i just mashed the bananas into a plastic bag and cut a corner to squeeze it out; saves some dishes to clean and it was still yummyyy.
This is an absolute winner! So easy to make with very little prep involved. I added more walnuts and about 1/2 cup of pounded macadamia nuts to the mix too. Just awesome! The smell of this cooking wafted throughout the house and really hammered-home that fall feeling.
I had to come and rate this right away. It's still warm from the oven but I had to have a slice. This is a great bread. It's texture is cake-ish but it's not over sweet. I really wanted a banana bread that was really a bread and not just an oversized cupcake. I didn't have 2 small bananas. I only had 1 large but it worked just fine. I was looking for a mild banana flavor and it is just perfect. The only modifications I made was I had to make a substitution for the buttermilk with milk/lemon juice. And, I used pecans instead of walnuts. I like the milder flavor of pecans. Good recipe. Definately saving this one for future use.
I really liked this recipe alot! I'd tried a different one, recently, and it came out tasting more like bread than anything. The only changes I made was I used 3 medium-sized over-ripe bananas, instead of 2 small and I used 1/2c. brown sugar and 1/2c. white sugar, instead of 1c. white sugar. I made this in my bread machine and my family LOVES it!
Delicious! Even my husband loved it (and he hates everything). I also used 3 large bananas instead of 2, turned out perfect.
I doubled the recipe, used two cups of banana puree, 2 T. of rum, a dash of maple flavoring then poured into 3 loaf pans, which I topped with a crumble and dusted with cinnamon sugar. They are beautiful!
perfect just the way it is. I scaled the sugar back to 3/4 cup and had a 3rd banana so I added it. Dense, chewy and perfect! Next time I will increase the cinnamon for a more cinnamon-y wow!
I was looking forward to a great tasting banana bread.. I used about three or four small, but very very ripe bananas, and mashed them with a fork. The end result wasn't how I expected it to be. I actually thought it wasn't sweet enough. Suprisingly, my 6 year old picky brother actually liked it. Everyone else hated it. I felt sad because I hate to give low reviews. Nonetheless, I will find a way to tweak this!
Really easy! I made muffins to shorten the baking time (25 minutes). As other reviewers suggested, I added an extra banana for more flavor. Yum.
My husband says this is what Banana Bread is supposed to taste like! My minor adjustments were to use 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar and instead of buttermilk I used plain yogurt. Looking forward to trying it with the chocolate chips. Next time I would like to try with butter rather than oil.
Family & friends gave this a thumb's up! Instead of 1 large loaf, I made 9 miniloaves which only takes 25 minutes to bake. I was a bit generous with the cinnamon. Overall hit!
This is the first banana bread recipe I have ever had success and is it ever great! I upped the bananas to two extra large ones plus extra cinnamon. Wow!
Awesome banana bread! i made homemade butter and used the homemade buttermilk i also used 4 normal to large bananas, I needed to bake it alittle longer than an hour.
This is a great basic banana bread recipe. I have used nonfat milk (with vinegar added), soy milk and eggnog in place of the buttermilk and they all have turned out great! I freeze my bananas when they are brown, so I can make banana bread when I want. Just thaw them before use. I also add a couple spoonfuls for ground flaxseed, just to sneek it in my kids bellies!
Wonderful recipe! I added and extra tsp of vanilla and used 3 bananas instead of two, otherwise the recipe is perfect. I take this to church often and everyone loves it.
I tried using applesauce instead of oil and they turned out too fluffy and dry. I'll probably try one more time and follow the recipe to the T to see if that was the problem. However my 2 year old daughter LOVED them.She's a bit of a pasty lover just like her her mama =)
I tried using several banana bread recipes to get the moist banana bread i wanted. I used this recipe and it came out exactly how i wanted it!! Delicious!!!
I used brown sugar instead of white and all of my ripe bananas on hand, which happened to be 5. I tossed in some butterscotch chips as well. It turned out great. It is the best banana bread I have ever made! I really think that the blending of the wet ingredients makes all the difference. This was delicious! It will go in my permanent file for sure.
Yum! This was my first banana bread and it was great! I didn't even bother with sifting or using a blender. Just mushed up the bananas and dumped everything else into the bowl. Very easy and made the house smell so good. I used chocolate chunks instead of walnuts.
Very good. My husband says it's definately a keeper! I used 3 bananas and added raisens. Baked it in muffin tins; took about 25 minutes. Thanks for the recipe.
This is the best banana bread I've made on this website. The texture is moist and perfect, and it's a pretty loaf, to boot. The only change I made was to add an additional banana, as others suggested. Wonderful!
I like this recipe because whenever I have old bananas and need to make banana bread I only have one or two, so this recipe allows me to make great tasting bread with only a few bananas. Plus its so easy to use the blender!
This is a really great banana bread recipe and everyone at work loved it. I'm hanging onto this one! I love that you blend the liquid ingredients together with the bananas. My modifications were to reduce the sugar to 1/2 a cup and I added 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the dry ingredients. I used 1 cup of white and 1 cup of whole wheat flour as well. I also made a crumb topping out of walnuts, about 1 T each flour, cinnamon and then cut in some butter. I made 2 batches (had that many old bananas) and made 1 loaf of bread and 12 muffins. 325 convection oven for exactly 55 min worked perfect!
It's in the oven right now and I just realized I forgot to put the vanilla extract in. But it LOOKS and smells great!
This banana bread is insanely good. I did make some adjustments though. I used vanilla soy milk mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar to make it sour, because I didn't have regular milk... and I used almonds instead of walnuts. It smells amazing when it's cooking. It makes a lot of bread. I filled up 12 muffin tins, AND a loaf pan. I will definitely be keeping this recipe to make again and again. Thanks Nanna, whoever you are!
I have made this many times, for family and gifts. I have had giftees throw away their family recipe for banana bread when confronted with this one. Everyone always wants more, and I cannot keep enough bananas in the house to satisfy the wants. Highly recommended.
Really happy with how this came out. Moist and flavorful. I used 3 over ripe bananas instead of 2 and added a little nutmeg. I still wish there was a way to make sure the outside doesnt cook faster and get crusty..cuz I'm one of the ones that hates the crust on the bread! But all in all it was fantastic.
Even after over cooking this banana bread it was delicious. I think that should say something about how good this is.
Very tasty...I asked my son 4 or 5 stars, he said 4, because there isn't enough of it! lol. I used equal parts whole wheat and white flour, next time may try all whole wheat, as I like a dense texture anyway. Also 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1/2 oats is a nice combo. Cut back on the sugar, about 3/4 cup, and used 3 good sized over ripe bananas. Excellent! Update: I have also made this using coconut oil and about 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup. Yum.
I really liked this recipe. My husband doesn't care for banana bread with chunks and the blender did the trick. I did add more bananas and a bit of cake spice. I will definitely make this again. Thank you!
I probably devoured a quarter of the loaf myself so must give it a high rating. I substituted milk + apple cider vinegar for the buttermilk & added a ripe avocado (didn't know what else to do with it!). Delicious.
I changed a few things...I did not put the bananas in a blender I just mashed them. Then I only used 3/4 cup of sugar. The vanilla I put one tablespoon and one teaspoon of rum flavor extract.
I love this recipe for so many reasons! I was looking for a banana bread recipe that called for oil so I could replace it with applesauce to make it healthier. I love processing it in the blender- it makes it so easy to mash the bananas and mix the ingredients. Yummy!
Just used this recipe this morning. I am always looking for recipes that use buttermilk and this one fit the bill. I try to use more whole wheat when baking so used 1 cup wheat and one cup all purpose. Also cut the oil in half substituted cinnamon applesauce. It was the best banana bread I've ever baked. My search for the best banana bread recipe is over!
This was my first time ever making banana bread, and I will forever keep this recipe! It was so moist and delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly :)
I'd never made banana bread before and this recipe was simple and tasty. My kids loved it and now we make it all of the time. Thanks for sharing!
Very nice banana bread - I made two loaves, so I doubled everything except the oil, used egg substitute and half whole wheat "white" flour, and didn't quite double the sugar as it seemed like a lot. I also had a total of 6 small bananas to use up, and I noticed that a lot of reviewers used three instead of two when making one loaf, so I used them all. Great banana flavor, nice moist texture - the hint of cinnamon is just right for this if you use a little more banana. I did skip the whole blender part and just mushed everything up instead. Thanks Sharon!
This is a great recipe. I've tried it many times and I always use 3-4 bananas. I cover with foil for the last 10 mins or so to ensure the bread doesn't get too dark. Very moist and delicious. My co-workers are always surprised at how moist it is.
I lost my own Grandma's recipe a few years back and since she has passed I couldn't exactly get it from her again. So I have tried so many recipes these past few years in an effort to find a yummy one.. And I do believe I have found a winner. I did add an extra banana and 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar because I remembered that much from my previous recipe. Since finding this recipe, my family has demanded it become a Sunday ritual in our house. I would recommend this to anyone needing an excellent recipe. Thank u so much for sharing
This is the best banana bread I've ever made! I used Splenda instead of sugar. Really tasty! I'll make this a lot!
My kids loved this recipe. They keep asking me to make it again. Thanks so much - it's a keeper!
OH MY MY! This was incredible! The only enhancement I made was to use an additional banana. Perfect flavor and texture. Each time I've made it its devoured within the hour!
This bread came out really good! I didn't have buttermilk so I substituted plain lowfat yogurt and added 1/4c flaked coconut instead of walnuts (didn't have any on hand). It came out very tropical!
From Bev in CT I do not normally like banana bread but my husband does so I made this recipe. It was fantastic. I make it at least once a week and make sure I always have ripe bananas in the freezer. My only variation is that sometimes I add chopped dates or chocolate chips. This recipe is truly a keeper.
I didn't have buttermilk, so I used 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar. I also cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup, other than that, this is a great banana bread.
I liked the cinnamon, and the general flavor, and it was very easy to prepare. However, I thought the texture was a bit rubbery. I substituted applesauce for oil, so maybe that was the cause, but I prefer more of a traditional crumb. A side note -- butterscotch chips are great in it!
This is the best banana bread I have ever made. It is moist and just tastes great! Really simple to make and did I mention DELICIOUS?!? Really impressed with this recipe!
I have used the same banana bread recipe for years (it was my Nana's) but recently I wanted to make some bread and I didn't have all of the ingredients. I found this recipe and tried it out and it was delicious!! I was skeptical about the cinnamon but it adds a really nice flavor. Very subtle. I also used 3 bananas and it turned out great. I will make this bread over and over. I made this to feed to the coaches and officials at a track meet a couple seasons ago and now the coaches request it every season.
Tried this recipe today and loved it. The touch of vanilla and cinnamon added to it. I also added extra walnuts as my husband loves baked items with walnuts. Next time I may try half regular sugar and half brown sugar and more banana if I have some to use up. Excellent!!
this is very good! the only thing i did different is add an extra banana, used applesauce instead of oil and put in a tiny bit of nutmeg. the bread is moist and delicious but i think you should use 3 bananas.
Great recipe! I subbed sour cream for the buttermilk (same amount) since I didn't have any. Didn't seem to affect the texture or taste at all. Just need something acidic to use with the baking soda. Made muffins and baked at 325 degrees (convection) for 25 minutes.
This recipe was ok, but I have made better banana bread. There isn't much banana flavor just mostly bread like with cinnamon
Pretty good, although it could be a bit sweeter for my taste. Chocolate chips would be perfect! Also, be sure to remember the vanilla!! It's listed in the Ingredients list, but the directions forget to tell you to add it.
Baked in an 8X8 glass and came out fantASTIC! added carob chips (all I had on hand) used the 4 bananas like other recomm. Also used safflower oil to make it healthier, subd. 1/2 sugar for brown sugar, 1/2 flour is wheat and accidentally used 2 t of baking soda and no powder (I have one brand of deceptive baking soda that looks just like powder in the round container... grrr SNEAky!0 Raised well above my expectations maybe THAT was a good switch? sifted all dries and did wets in the blender. The bread is beautiful, will make again!
I made this recipe exactly as written with the exception of adding 3 bananas instead of 2 and it was the best banana bread I've ever had. Very moist!
I made this recipe with 2 large, very ripe bananas. I added mini choc chips and walnuts. This was very easy to make and had delicious flavor. Will definitely be making this banana bread regularly. Thank you!
I have made my share of banana breads over the years and thought I would try this one. I always read reviews for I write reviews as well and normally do a little something different to a recipe. I used a total of 6 VERY ripe bananas. (Some may call them rotten) I also added a small individual container of apple sauce. (I would guess abut a half cup) Put in about a 1/3 cup more walnuts than recipe and I lightly roasted with a little oil on top of the stove. I find it always gives such a better flavor and is so quick to do for much better results. Doubled the recipe which then made 4 small loaves and 1 medium loaf. Cooked 45 minutes. Greased and floured and put parchment paper on bottom of pans which makes them come out very easy and not brown at all. My toothpick came out clean but when I took them out of pan I wondered if they were cooked enough. The answer is yes.....they were just very moist. So many times banana bread can be dry and crumble which I hate. Not this one!! This is not a heavy banana bread but light and moist.
Turned out perfectly, moist, not too sweet, good texture and yummy! I used chocolate chips instead of walnuts.
Excellent flavor, moist consistency. One of the better banana bread recipes that I've tasted.
My mother has declared this the best banana bread she's ever had. I substitute brown sugar for white and either use 2 large bananas or 3 small. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.
Very good banana bread that's a little lighter than others I've made and not quite as sweet.The buttermilk makes it really moist.I added a little cinnamon because I love the flavor it gives.I'm sure I'll be making this one again.
Good recipe, soft bread, not too sweet, I did not have buttermilk so used 1/2 cup regular milk with one tsp of white vinegar added to it. Will be making this recipe again.
This is a good banana bread. Bakes up nicely, it's moist, and was enjoyed. I did double the banana's, as I read in the suggestions, and I'm glad I did, because with 4 banana's it had just enough banana taste. But it's missing ... something in the overall flavour. It's a little too plain, kinda bland. I'm thinking this recipe needs some other spices. Maybe some more cinnamon? An addition of nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves? Not sure what, but something ... In any case, as a base recipe, this is wonderful, and it will be enjoyed if you decide to go with it. Again, definitely double the banana's. :) Bake time doesn't change or anything with the additional ... liquid? ... it would be a liquid I'd think, after all that blending. Anyway, took me 55 minutes in a glass bread dish, just as prescribed. Thanks for the recipe.
Loved this recipe! I made a double batch, and instead of using all of the nuts, I did half nuts and half semisweet chocolate chips. We loved the results! Thanks for sharing your Nanna's recipe! :)
Oh my! This recipe is pure banana bread goodness. I did not have any buttermilk so I just used the 2% milk I had on hand--it's late night and I was desperate. This is THE best banana bread I have ever had. This one is a definite keeper. I am going to gather all of my other banana bread recipes, set them alight and dance around them. Thank you soooooooo much for sharing this!
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I added an extra banana a tiny bit more salt and it came out perfect!
