Bob Evans Banana Nut Bread
Description
This copycat Bob Evans banana bread recipe bakes up moist, dense, and packed with walnuts — just like the loaf from the bread basket. One bowl, one loaf pan, no mixer required.
Ingredients
- 3 bananas, about 1½ cups mashed, very ripe
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling hanging over both long sides.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth, leaving a few small lumps. You should have about 1½ cups.
- Whisk in the melted butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream and vanilla. Whisk about 30 seconds until glossy and uniform.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over the surface. Fold with a spatula only until the dry streaks disappear — do not overmix.
- Fold in ¾ cup of the walnuts with two or three strokes.
- Scrape the batter into the pan, level the top, and scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons of walnuts over it.
- Bake 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tent loosely with foil if the top browns before 40 minutes.
- Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then lift out by the parchment and cool on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing.
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Notes
- Use fully brown or black bananas. Underripe fruit is the main reason a copycat loaf tastes flat.
- Spoon and level the flour rather than scooping — scooping can add up to ¼ cup and dry out the loaf.
- Slicing while warm gives you a gummy center. The cooling hour is part of the recipe, not a suggestion.
- The loaf is better on day two, once the flavor deepens and the crumb tightens.
- Freezes up to 3 months wrapped in plastic and then foil. Thaw overnight, still wrapped.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 204mgPotassium: 186mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 356IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg