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Cozy Molasses Walnut Banana Bread – Easy Homemade Recipe

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This cozy molasses walnut banana bread is incredibly moist with a deep, complex flavor from molasses and a toasty crunch from walnuts. It’s the perfect comfort food for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
  • ⅓ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • Extra walnut halves for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple inches of overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the exposed ends with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Toast the walnuts. Spread the chopped walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast them in the preheating oven for 5-7 minutes, until they smell warm and nutty. Watch them closely—they can burn quickly. Set them aside to cool while you prepare the batter.
  3. Mash the bananas. In a large mixing bowl, mash your ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine—they add texture. You should have about 1 ½ cups of mashed banana.
  4. Add the wet ingredients. To the mashed bananas, add the melted butter, molasses, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined. The mixture will look glossy and dark—that’s the molasses doing its thing.
  5. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps. Whisking also aerates the flour, which helps create a lighter crumb.
  6. Combine wet and dry. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together gently. Stir just until you no longer see streaks of flour. A few small lumps are okay. Overmixing will make your bread tough and dense.
  7. Fold in the walnuts. Gently fold the toasted walnuts into the batter. Reserve about 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top if you want. The batter will be thick and slightly sticky—that’s normal.
  8. Pour into the pan. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. If you reserved some walnuts, sprinkle them on top and gently press them into the batter so they stick.
  9. Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.
  10. Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. I know it’s tempting, but resist slicing into it until it’s mostly cool. The texture sets as it cools.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter. Room temperature ingredients matter. Toast your walnuts for best flavor. Check for doneness with a thermometer (internal temp 200-205°F). Let it cool completely before slicing. For a dairy-free version, use melted coconut oil. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For a nut-free version, omit walnuts or substitute with raisins or chocolate chips.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, molasses, walnut, easy, homemade, cozy, moist, comfort food

Find it online: https://chloeplate.com/cozy-molasses-walnut-banana-bread-easy-homemade-recipe/