This banana bread is soft, sweet, and full of banana flavor. It’s made with ripe bananas, a touch of vanilla, crunchy walnuts, and sweet raisins. It’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert. You only need one bowl and a few simple ingredients.
Jump to RecipeIngredients Needed:
- 3 very ripe bananas, (medium/large)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp) at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
How To Make Banana Bread Recipe?
- Preheat the oven: set the oven to 175°C. Grease and flour a loaf pan (about 9 x 5 inches).
- Toast the walnuts: add the walnuts to a dry pan over medium heat. Stir for a few minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool, then chop.
- Cream butter and sugar: in a bowl, beat the softened butter with sugar until light and smooth.
- Add bananas and eggs: mash the bananas with a fork until chunky, then mix them into the butter-sugar mixture. Add the beaten eggs and stir until everything is well mixed.
- Mix dry ingredients: in a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix gently until combined.
- Add flavor and mix-ins: stir in vanilla extract, chopped walnuts, and raisins.
- Bake the bread: pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 55–60 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the bread: let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Tips:
- Use very ripe bananas: the darker and spottier the bananas, the sweeter and stronger the flavor will be. Don’t use green or just yellow bananas—they won’t give the right taste or texture.
- Measure flour correctly: too much flour makes the bread dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping it directly from the bag.
- Don’t overmix the batter: once you add the dry ingredients, mix gently until just combined. Overmixing makes the bread dense and heavy.
- Toast the walnuts before adding: toasting brings out a rich, nutty flavor and gives the bread a better texture. Raw walnuts can taste flat in the final result.
- Check doneness with a toothpick: every oven is different. Poke the center with a toothpick—if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it’s done. If it’s still wet, bake a little longer.
How To Store Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Cool the banana bread first. then wrap it well or put it in a container and keep it in the fridge. It stays good for 1 week.
- Freeze: Once the bread is cool, wrap it in plastic and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
- Sodium: 210mg
- Potassium: 220mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 45g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 23g
- Protein: 5g
Try More Delia Smith Recipes:
Delia Smith Banana Bread Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy10
servings10
minutes1
hour350
kcalThis banana bread is soft, sweet, and full of banana flavor. It’s made with ripe bananas, a touch of vanilla, crunchy walnuts, and sweet raisins. It’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert. You only need one bowl and a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas, (medium/large)
½ cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp) at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts
½ cup raisins
Directions
- Preheat the oven: set the oven to 175°C. Grease and flour a loaf pan (about 9 x 5 inches).
- Toast the walnuts: add the walnuts to a dry pan over medium heat. Stir for a few minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool, then chop.
- Cream butter and sugar: in a bowl, beat the softened butter with sugar until light and smooth.
- Add bananas and eggs: mash the bananas with a fork until chunky, then mix them into the butter-sugar mixture. Add the beaten eggs and stir until everything is well mixed.
- Mix dry ingredients: in a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix gently until combined.
- Add flavor and mix-ins: stir in vanilla extract, chopped walnuts, and raisins.
- Bake the bread: pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 55–60 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the bread: let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas: the darker and spottier the bananas, the sweeter and stronger the flavor will be. Don’t use green or just yellow bananas—they won’t give the right taste or texture.
- Measure flour correctly: too much flour makes the bread dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping it directly from the bag.
- Don’t overmix the batter: once you add the dry ingredients, mix gently until just combined. Overmixing makes the bread dense and heavy.
- Toast the walnuts before adding: toasting brings out a rich, nutty flavor and gives the bread a better texture. Raw walnuts can taste flat in the final result.
- Check doneness with a toothpick: every oven is different. Poke the center with a toothpick—if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it’s done. If it’s still wet, bake a little longer.