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Easy One-Bowl Banana Bread with Walnuts (Kid-Approved)

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This easy one-bowl banana bread with walnuts is moist, tender, and packed with crunchy walnuts. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it’s a kid-approved recipe that comes together in just 10 minutes of prep and bakes into a perfectly sweet, comforting loaf.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 medium ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) chopped walnuts, plus extra for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides. Lightly spray the exposed ends with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Melt the butter. Place 1/2 cup (113 grams) of unsalted butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second bursts until fully melted. Set it aside to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
  3. Mash the bananas. In your large mixing bowl, add 3 ripe bananas. Use a fork or potato masher to mash them until they are mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients. Pour the slightly cooled melted butter into the bowl with the mashed bananas. Add 3/4 cup (150 grams) of granulated sugar, 2 room-temperature eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
  5. Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon over the wet mixture. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Stir just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
  6. Fold in the walnuts. Gently fold 1/2 cup (60 grams) of chopped walnuts into the batter. Stir only 3-4 times to distribute them evenly. Reserve a handful of walnuts to sprinkle on top before baking.
  7. Transfer to the pan. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use the spatula to spread it evenly into the corners. Sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top, pressing them gently into the batter so they stick during baking.
  8. Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top is browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.
  9. Cool. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then lift it out using the parchment paper overhang and transfer it directly to the cooling rack. Let it cool completely before slicing—at least 1 hour.

Notes

Use the ripest bananas you can find for the best flavor and sweetness. Measure flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off. Do not overmix the batter to avoid a tough loaf. Let the bread cool completely before slicing for clean pieces. Toast walnuts lightly in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes to enhance their flavor. For substitutions: replace walnuts with pecans or chocolate chips; use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with 1 extra tablespoon of milk or water for a gluten-free version.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, easy banana bread, one-bowl banana bread, walnut banana bread, kid-approved banana bread, moist banana bread, simple banana bread

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/easy-one-bowl-banana-bread-with-walnuts-kid-approved/