This BEST Banana Bread with Pecans is an easy recipe to make, tastes amazing, and will earn you raves from your family and friends.

If you’re looking for more bread recipes, Rosemary Balsamic Bread Dipping Oil and Rustic Bread Salad with Tomatoes will help you find the perfect appetizer recipe.

If you’ve been hunting for the perfect banana nut bread recipe, you can rest now because the hunt is over.  

I found the original recipe in one of the Food Network cookbooks.  It had lots of good reviews, so I decided to try it.  

My mom always made an excellent loaf of banana bread, but the recipe has shortening, so I’ve been looking for a replacement. 

Do you know what the most searched-for bread recipe online is?  It’s not white bread, not wheat bread, and it’s not sourdough. The number one online search for bread is banana bread.

This yummy bread is one of those classic recipes that continue to stay as popular as it always has been.  

My mom always made our banana bread with pecans – so any banana bread that doesn’t have them isn’t real banana bread to me. 

Everyone loves to show off their homemade breads in our cozy living group. There’s something so soothing about baking your own bread and knowing every ingredient that goes into it. 

This banana nut bread with pecans recipe is good enough to become a family favorite and is perfect to hand down future generations.

History of Homemade Banana Bread:  

When baking soda and baking powder became popular in the 1930s, that’s when banana bread made its way into cookbooks like Pillsbury’s 1933 Balanced Recipes Cookbook, according to Wikipedia. 

Banana bread also became popular during this time because of the Great Depression. Every scrap of food was used because any type of food waste was unacceptable.  

For more information on the history of banana bread, check out this fun article on King Arthur Flour’s website.  

Fun Facts About Bananas

1) When the banana is green, it has a high starch content.  As the banana turns yellow, the starches turn to sugars.  

2) In Ecuador, each person eats 218 pounds of bananas yearly.  Americans, on average, eat 27 pounds of bananas per year.  

3) Hawaii is the only place in the United States where bananas are grown commercially.  

4) Bananas are thought to grow on trees. The plants they grow on are classified as an herb. (Ok – I think most people don’t know that little tidbit.) 

5) Bananas are a great source of potassium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6.

What you can do with leftover banana skins

Don’t throw out those banana skins. There are quite a few uses for them. 

• Did you know that the oils inside the banana skin can help with itching and inflammation caused by bug bites?  
• Bury banana skins next to your rose bushes.  They love the nutrients in their skins.  
• You can use the inside of the banana peel to shine your houseplant leaves. 
• Chickens, rabbits, and pigs all love banana peels.  Make sure you buy organic bananas if you’re going to feed them to your livestock.
• Rub the inside of the banana peel on your face for a natural way to exfoliate and nourish your skin.  

How to ripen bananas faster

Place bananas in a brown paper bag and seal. If you want to speed up the process further, add another fruit, like an apple. 

Creating a Cozy Life Group

Since you found this recipe on how to make banana nut bread with pecans, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 123,000 like-minded souls.

It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug.  Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

Imagine coming home after a long day at work.  You kick off your shoes, light a fire and sink into your cozy chair with a slice of warm, moist banana bread with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.  

The problems of the day will disappear.  At least, that’s my theory. Banana bread makes everything better. Much better. 

It’s time to gather the ingredients you need for the best banana bread.  

• All-purpose flour 
• baking soda 
• salt 
• overripe bananas with brown spots
• sugar 
• unsalted butter 
• large eggs 
• pecan pieces
• vanilla 
• confectioners sugar

Here’s the Banana Nut Bread with Pecans Recipe

Ingredients for Banana Bread with Pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

4 overripe bananas 

1 cup sugar 

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cool 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped 

Confectioners sugar (for dusting the bread after cooking – optional) 

How to Make Banana Bread Recipe with Pecans

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2) Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan. 

3) Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside the flour mixture.

4) Mash two over-ripe bananas with a fork in a separate medium bowl.  Make sure they still have a bit of texture.  

5) Mix the remaining two bananas and sugar together for at least 3 minutes in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. You want the mixture to be a light and fluffy cream.  

6) Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla to the banana mixture. Using the hand mixer, beat well, and scrape down the bowl’s sides of the wet ingredients.  

7) Fold in the dry ingredients with the wet mixture, until everything is mixed together (don’t over-blend). Add the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula.  

8) Pour batter into the greased loaf pan. 

9) Tap the prepared loaf pan on the counter to get the bubbles out of the dough.  

10) Bake time is 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Rotate the bread regularly to make sure it browns on every side. Bake until the top of the bread is golden brown. Use the toothpick test. Put a clean toothpick in the middle of the bread, and if it comes out clean, it’s ready.  

11) Let the delicious loaf of banana bread cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack for the best results.  When you’re ready to serve the banana bread, toast the bread slices and sprinkle them with confectioners’ sugar.  

Tips for Making the Banana Nut Bread with Pecans

How long does the simple banana bread recipe last? 

This quick bread recipe will last 3-4 days at room temperature. If the banana bread is refrigerated and secured in plastic wrap, it will last up to one week.

Can you freeze this easy banana nut bread recipe with pecans? 

For longer storage, banana bread freezes well. If properly stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, banana bread can last 2-3 months in the freezer.  

• If a crack forms down the middle of the bread, don’t worry – that’s normal.  
• You don’t want to cover the bread while cooking because it won’t brown.  
• You can substitute chopped walnuts for pecans if you prefer.  
• Check on the banana bread after an hour of baking. Every oven is different.  
• Make sure you rotate the bread for even browning.
• Add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to the batter to make chocolate chip banana bread.
• You can add this easy banana bread recipe to a bundt pan or make banana muffins.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon if you want to change up this recipe.

Printable Recipe Card Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans with Nutrition Information

We’ve reached the end of Banana Nut Bread with Pecans. I hope you enjoyed it. It’s my most popular recipe. I think it will become your go-to banana bread recipe.

Let me know in the comments below how you liked this Best Banana Bread.

Make sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life – Hygge Style facebook group.  You’re not going to believe how amazing it is.  Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

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Thanks for stopping by. I’m so happy you found us!  

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