Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread

Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread is super moist with a crunchy sweet topping.

Put those ripe bananas on your counter to good use and make a batch of this delicious quick bread. You can easily double or triple the recipe and then freeze the loaves!

I never like running out of bananas, so I always end up with a ton that are too ripe to eat. This bread is one of my favorite ways to use them up.

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Why This Recipe Works

If you love a good baking recipe, you’re going to be thrilled with this banana walnut bread recipe.

• It’s super moist because the recipe uses sour cream and a lot of ripe mashed banana.
• There’s a sweet and crunchy topping.
• There are tons of walnuts and loads of smashed ripe banana in this recipe which means tons of flavor and great texture.
• It’s not overly sweet. There’s only 1/2 cup of sugar in the bread, and readers who look for a lower-sugar banana bread tell me that’s why they picked this one.
• This banana bread freezes exceptionally well, so plan on making a lot if you have extra bananas.

What You’ll Need

One of the things I love most about banana bread is that I almost always have everything I need in my pantry and refrigerator.

• Butter: make sure it’s nice and soft.
• Granulated sugar and golden brown sugar: I find using both instead of one or the other yields the best results.
• Eggs: I always have them at room temperature when baking.
• Large ripe bananas: my ideal banana bread banana is yellow with lots of dark brown spots. Three large bananas give about 1 1/2 cups mashed.
• Vanilla: make sure you use pure vanilla extract and not imitation.
• Sour cream: not lowfat.
• All-purpose flour: unbleached recommended. If you’re looking for a gluten free recipe, you can check out my friend Erin’s gluten free banana bread.
• Baking soda: make sure it’s reasonably fresh when you use it for cooking.
• Cinnamon: I almost always replace with Pumpkin Pie spice when I bake.
• Salt: every sweet recipe needs salt.
• Walnuts: when I bake, I always use raw (not dry roasted) nuts.

Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread

The batter comes together in about 20 minutes. The bake is the part to be patient with.

1. Cream the Butter and Sugars

First step is to cream together the butter and sugar, then mix in all of the remaining wet ingredients: the eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla and sour cream.

2. Add the Dry Ingredients

The dry ingredients are sifted together and then mixed into the batter. Stir just until there are no dry streaks of flour left.

3. Fold in the Walnuts

Finally, the walnut pieces are stirred in.

4. Make the Streusel Topping

Next you will prepare the streusel topping. Mix the brown sugar, flour, softened butter, cinnamon and chopped walnuts together until crumbly.

5. Fill the Pan and Add the Topping

Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and cover with the streusel topping mixture.

6. Bake Until the Center Reads 200°F

Bake the loaf for about an hour at 350°F, and start checking it at 55 minutes. It’s done when the center reads 200°F to 205°F. Lift it out of the pan to cool.

PRO TIP: Don’t trust the timer or a toothpick alone. I have a history of pulling banana bread out too early, and then the middle sinks as it cools. An instant-read thermometer pushed into the center of the loaf is the only sure test.

Why Is My Banana Bread Wet in the Middle?

This is the problem readers tell me about most in the comments: the timer goes off, the top looks done, and the middle is still wet. Here’s what’s usually going on.

1. It needs more time. Ovens, pans and altitude all change the bake. Some readers’ loaves were done right at 60 minutes, and others needed 70 minutes or more. Go by the temperature in the center, not the clock.
2. The pan is too small. This recipe makes one full 9×5-inch loaf with a thick layer of streusel on top. In a smaller 8.5×4.5-inch pan the batter sits deeper, takes longer to bake and can run over the sides. If your pan is smaller, fill it no more than about three-quarters full and bake the extra batter as a few muffins.
3. It’s in a glass or ceramic pan. Those bake more slowly than metal. I use a metal loaf pan.
4. The top browns before the middle is done. If the top appears to be too brown, you can set the loaf lower in the oven to allow it to finish cooking without getting too browned on top. You can also lay a piece of foil loosely over the top for the rest of the bake.
5. Your oven runs cool. Let it preheat fully, and if your bakes always run long, an inexpensive oven thermometer will tell you whether 350°F is really 350°F.

Why did my banana bread sink? If the middle sinks as it cools, it almost always came out of the oven too early. A dense, gummy line along the bottom usually means the same thing, or that the batter was mixed too hard after the flour went in.

Why is my banana bread flat? It’s a dense bread, so it won’t rise a ton, but it should rise. If it doesn’t, check the date on your baking soda.

Recipe Tips

• Bananas: The ideal banana is mostly yellow and just starting to brown. I will actually squeeze them while they’re still in the peel because it makes it easier to mash up the ripe banana once it’s in the bowl.
• Nuts: This recipe calls for walnuts but you can easily substitute with a different nut if you prefer. I’ve used pecans as well as macadamia nuts.
• Pan: You can either grease the loaf pan or use parchment paper. I prefer parchment so that as soon as it’s done cooking, you can lift the loaf out of the pan and pull the loaf out of the paper to cool. This will prevent it from getting soggy.

★★★★★

“This is, without a doubt, the best that I have had. Very balanced in the flavor profile and sweetness.”

Ways to Change It Up

Readers have come up with some great twists on this one.

• Chocolate: swap half the walnuts for chocolate chips.
• Cranberry orange: stir in dried cranberries and a little orange zest. If you love that combo, try my cranberry orange bread too.
• Extra spice: add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice with the cinnamon.
• Streusel in the middle: layer it: batter, crumbs, more batter, then crumbs on top.

Love a crunchy streusel on your quick bread? My pumpkin banana bread with walnut streusel is the fall version, and my carrot cake banana bread is another way to use up ripe bananas. And if you’re a sour cream baker like me, don’t miss my sour cream coffee cake.

How to Store and Freeze Banana Nut Bread

Let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it tightly and keep it at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.

• The loaf or loaves (if doubling recipe) must be fully cooled before freezing.
• Wrap in foil or plastic wrap to eliminate air and prevent freezer burn. I actually now wrap the loaves in freezer paper and then in foil.
• It tastes best within about 3 months in the freezer. To enjoy, allow to fully thaw before slicing.

Got a loaf that’s starting to dry out? Turn it into banana bread pudding with rum sauce.

Can I make muffins instead of a loaf?

Yes. Fill lined muffin cups about three-quarters full and bake at 350°F. They bake much faster than a loaf, so start checking early and take them out when the centers read 200°F to 205°F.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

Yes. Readers who swapped in plain Greek yogurt loved how it turned out. Use plain, not flavored, and full-fat if you can.

Can I use frozen bananas?

Yes. Just thaw them first, then mash them like fresh bananas.

Can I bake it in a cake pan?

Yes. Readers have made it in a cake pan with great results. The batter is shallower in a wider pan, so it bakes faster. Start checking early.

Can I skip the streusel topping?

Yes. Plenty of readers leave it off for a less sweet loaf, and it still bakes up moist.

Related Recipes

There are so many things you can make with ripe bananas. Here are some of my favorite recommendations.

Banana Bread Brownies

Banana Cake

Brown Butter Banana Bars

Banana Zucchini Bread