Nonna's Banana Bread Recipe

Prepare oven and loaf pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with a parchment sling leaving an overhang for easy removal; lightly grease the parchment.

Mash bananas

Peel and place ripe bananas in a bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups mashed per 2 bananas; use 3 bananas to yield ~1 1/2 cups - we list 3 cups to account for measuring by volume).

Combine wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, granulated sugar and brown sugar until sugars begin to dissolve. Whisk in the eggs until combined, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Slowly whisk in the melted butter until incorporated.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.

Fold batter

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, folding gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix. Fold in half of the toasted chopped walnuts, reserving the rest for topping.

Fill loaf pan

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the reserved walnuts evenly over the top and, if using, sprinkle the demerara or turbinado sugar for a subtle crunch.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 55–70 minutes, or until the loaf is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs (avoid raw batter). If the top browns too quickly after about 35–40 minutes, tent loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking.

Cool

Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan and cool completely on the rack (at least 45 minutes) before slicing to prevent a gummy center.

Toast walnuts before incorporating: spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350°F for 6–8 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool, then chop to the desired size. Fold half into the batter and reserve half for topping as directed in the Batter section.

Make roasted honey butter

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the honey and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces slightly and takes on a deeper, toasted aroma (about 3–5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in sea salt and lemon zest if using. Taste and adjust salt or honey if needed. Let cool slightly; mixture will thicken as it cools.

Serve

Slice the cooled banana bread. Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous smear of the roasted honey butter and an extra sprinkle of chopped toasted walnuts if desired.

Storage