Nana's Moist Banana Bread
Perfectly moist banana bread with walnuts. A depression-era recipe that turns overripe bananas into morning magic.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My grandmother's 1943 recipe - Emma Patterson
Banana bread has a special place in Australian home baking - it's the recipe that taught generations not to waste food. My Nana grew up during the Great Depression in rural Queensland, where wasting anything was unthinkable. When bananas got too ripe to eat fresh, they became banana bread. "Waste not, want not," she'd say, mashing those black-spotted bananas with a fork.
This recipe came to Australia with American GIs stationed in Queensland during World War II. Nana learned it from a soldier's wife in 1943, and it became a staple in her kitchen for the next 60 years. The original recipe called for cup measurements and simple pantry ingredients - nothing fancy, nothing you couldn't get during wartime rationing.
What makes this banana bread special is its moisture - it stays soft for days, unlike dry commercial versions. Nana's secret was using very ripe bananas (the blacker the better), not overmixing the batter, and that crucial 10-minute rest before baking. She'd make it every Sunday night, and we'd eat it toasted with butter for breakfast all week.
The smell of banana bread baking still transports me to Nana's kitchen in Toowoomba - the worn wooden spoon, the ancient Mixmaster, her handwritten recipe card splattered with decades of banana. She passed in 2010, but this recipe keeps her memory alive. Every time I make it, I hear her voice: "The riper the banana, the better the bread. Remember that, love."
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
Adjust Servings
Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
Pro Tips
- • The riper the bananas, the better - those black-spotted or completely black bananas make the best, most flavorful bread.
- • Don't overmix once you add the flour - mix just until combined. Lumpy batter is good batter.
- • The 10-minute rest before baking helps the bread rise more evenly and develop better texture.
- • A crack down the middle is normal and actually desirable - it shows proper rising.
- • Store wrapped in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- • Toast slices and spread with butter for the ultimate experience.
- • If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Storage
Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. Refrigeration makes it dry. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months - wrap well in plastic wrap, then foil.
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 175°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 23cm x 13cm (9x5 inch) loaf tin with baking paper, letting the paper hang over the long sides for easy removal later. This is Nana's trick for perfect un-sticking.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth - a few small lumps are fine and add texture. The bananas should be very ripe, with black spots or completely black skins. This is when they're sweetest and most flavorful.
3 minutes - 3
Add the melted butter to the mashed bananas and mix well with a wooden spoon. Nana always used a wooden spoon, never a mixer for this. She said it made the bread tough if you overmixed it.
- 4
Add the brown sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract to the banana mixture. Stir until well combined. The mixture will look a bit lumpy and separated - this is perfect. Don't worry about making it smooth.
- 5
Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda and salt over the mixture. Gently stir - you might see the bicarb react and fizz slightly. This reaction creates those lovely air pockets that make the bread tender.
- 6
Add the flour (and cinnamon if using) all at once. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold the flour in gently until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you don't see dry flour - the batter should look lumpy and rough. Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough, dense bread.
- 7
Fold in the chopped walnuts if using. Nana always added them, but they're optional. They add lovely texture and a bit of sophistication to this humble loaf.
- 8
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Don't smooth the top too much - a rustic, slightly uneven top is traditional and attractive. Let the batter rest in the tin for 10 minutes before baking. This Nana trick helps the bread rise evenly.
10 minutes - 9
Bake for 55-65 minutes. The bread is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The top should be deep golden brown and may crack down the middle - this is normal and desired!
1 hour - 10
Remove from oven and let the bread cool in the tin for 10 minutes. This resting period allows the structure to set so it doesn't fall apart when you remove it. Then use the overhanging paper to lift it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10 minutes - 11
The hardest part: let it cool completely before slicing. Warm banana bread is crumbly and hard to slice cleanly. Once cool, slice and serve as is, or toast and spread with butter. Nana's preferred method was toasted with butter and a cup of strong tea.
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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