Buttery Walnut Crusted Banana Bread

Organic Granola → 

Raw Honey → 

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This banana bread gets its bakery-style edge from a crunchy cinnamon-walnut crust pressed into the pan and over the top. Moist, spiced, and made with ripe bananas and a touch of sour cream, it's an easy one-bowl loaf that freezes beautifully for make-ahead mornings.

Yield: 1 loaf (10 slices)Prep time: 20 minutesBake time: 55–65 minutes

Ingredients

Banana Bread

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional, but delicious)

• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened

• ¾ cup (150 g) sugar

• ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)

• ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (helps keep it moist)

Walnut Crust

• 1½ cups finely chopped walnuts

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

1. Prepare

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

2. Make the Walnut Coating

Mix together the chopped walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Spread about half of the mixture in the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared loaf pan.

3. Mix Dry Ingredients

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

4. Mix Wet Ingredients

Beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas and sour cream.

5. Combine

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.

6. Assemble

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnut mixture generously over the top and gently press it into the batter.

7. Bake

Bake 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the nuts begin browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the last 15 minutes.

8. Cool

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Freezer Instructions

This freezes beautifully.

Freeze the whole loaf: Cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again in foil or place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Freeze individual slices: Slice after cooling, place parchment between slices, and freeze in a freezer-safe bag.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or microwave a slice for 20–30 seconds.

Optional Cinnamon Sugar Finish

For an even more bakery-style loaf, brush the top with 1 tablespoon melted butter during the last 10 minutes of baking and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coarse sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. This gives the loaf that lightly sparkling, crisp finish often seen in bakery banana breads.

Nutrition (per slice, 1 of 10)

• Calories: 330

• Protein: 5 g

• Carbohydrates: 37 g

• Fat: 18 g

• Fiber: 2 g

• Sugar: 20 g

Recipe from Vera Life — real food for real families.