Banana Nut Bread

Every year when the weather begins to cool I crave this recipe. Each time I make it, as the sweet smell of baking bread fills my home, I can hardly wait to taste it. It is by far my favorite banana bread recipe that I have ever made. Moist, flavorful and sweet to all the senses, this recipe wins the prize in my book!

The toasted pecans add a lot to the taste. It’s incredible! I can hope you try it for yourselves.

My tradition is to bake this bread several times in the autumn season and throughout the winter months but it is also perfect for any season or reason. Do you have hungry kids raiding your cupboards after school? Need a healthy snack to hold you over until dinner? Do you enjoy a warm breakfast with a hot cup of coffee in the morning? If so, this recipe is for you. It’s easy and delicious and the added bonus is…it makes two loaves.

Hope you enjoy this banana nut bread recipe as much as my family and I do!

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 to 2 cups ripe, mashed bananas (4 to 5 bananas)

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans, *toasted (yum!)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

Grease and flour two 8×4 loaf pans. *This recipe makes two loafs.

Roughly chop pecans and roast. *To toast the pecans, cover a sheet pan with foil, place pecans in a single layer on the foil and bake at 350° for 5 to 10 minutes (or until fragrant). Set aside.

Beat cream cheese and butter together at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating just until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese and butter mixture – beating at low speed just until blended.

Stir in mashed bananas, 1 cup chopped pecans (reserving 1/2 cup of pecans to press into the tops of the loaves) and vanilla.

Spoon batter into the loaf pans.

Add the remaining pecans to the top of each loaf.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour (up to 1 hour and 15 mins) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. *After the first 45 minutes of baking, shield the loaves with aluminum foil for the last 15 + minutes to prevent browning.

Cool bread in pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes.

Carefully remove each loaf from the pans and allow them to cool 30 minutes on a wire racks before slicing.

Enjoy!

Happy baking, friends! I’ll leave you with this quote.

“Bakers make the world smell better.”

– Unknown

Right?

Be blessed!

~ Stephanie