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–+ servings
date and walnut banana bread

Date And Walnut Banana Bread

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 slices

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 9x5-inch loaf pan
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 Wooden spoon
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Chef's knife
  • 1 Cooling rack
  • 1 Measuring cups set
  • 1 Measuring spoons set

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium ripe bananas mashed
  • 120 milliliter vegetable oil neutral
  • 100 gram granulated sugar
  • 80 gram brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 5 milliliter vanilla extract
  • 240 gram all-purpose flour
  • 5 milliliter baking soda
  • 2 milliliter baking powder
  • 2 milliliter fine sea salt
  • 3 milliliter ground cinnamon optional
  • 120 gram pitted dates chopped
  • 80 gram walnuts roughly chopped
  • 30 milliliter milk or yogurt if batter is too thick; optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and lightly grease and line the 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
  • Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, adding the milk or yogurt only if the batter seems very thick.
  • Fold in the chopped dates and walnuts with a spatula, being careful not to overmix the batter.
  • Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  • Bake the loaf for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
  • Carefully lift the bread out using the parchment paper and transfer it directly to the cooling rack to cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For best results, use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for sweetness and moisture, and chop the dates and walnuts fairly small so they distribute evenly throughout the loaf. Avoid overmixing once the flour is added to keep the crumb tender, and check for doneness in multiple spots because the dates can create moist pockets. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes of baking. This bread keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 2–3 days and tastes even better the next day, and you can lightly toast slices and serve them with butter or cream cheese for extra richness.
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