Maple Pecan Banana Bread
Take your banana bread game to the next level with this irresistible Maple Pecan version! Rich brown sugar, pure maple syrup, and loads of toasty pecans turn a classic banana nut bread with pecans into pure comfort-food heaven. Feel free to swap in walnuts.
Is your mouth watering yet for this Maple Pecan Banana Bread? Because mine sure is! Truth is, I crave this loaf year-round—not just when fall rolls around. The second those bananas on my counter turn spotty and super-ripe, I’m already preheating the oven. Those overripe bananas aren’t trash—they’re pure gold for the sweetest, most tender banana bread with brown sugar you’ll ever taste.
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Nothing beats the smell of warm Banana Pecan Bread fresh from the oven—sweet, nutty, and pure comfort in every slice! 🧡 This classic Southern quick bread is extra moist, packed with ripe bananas and crunchy toasted pecans, and comes together in one bowl with zero fancy equipment. Perfect for breakfast, snack time, or gifting to neighbors who will love you forever.
Ready in under an hour and even better the next day. Let’s bake!
Maple Pecan Banana Bread Recipe:
Ingredients Needed:
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 medium bananas
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Equipment Needed:
- 9 X 5 loaf pan
- mixing bowls
- Potato Masher, optional for mashing bananas
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Toast the pecans first – Spread the chopped pecans on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 6–8 minutes until they smell nutty and amazing. It takes the flavor from good to “I can’t stop eating this” in one easy step.
- The blacker the bananas, the better – Don’t toss those super-ripe, almost-black bananas! They’re pure gold for the sweetest, most moist bread with intense banana flavor. Freeze them in their skins if you’re not ready to bake—then thaw and mash.
- Don’t over mix & check early – Stir the batter just until the flour disappears (a few lumps are fine!). Over mixing = tough bread. Start checking at 50 minutes with a toothpick—when it comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), it’s done. Over baking dries it out fast.
How to make Banana Nut Bread with pecans:
Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray (or line it with parchment for extra insurance). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set this dry mix aside
In another large bowl, grab those overripe bananas and mash them smooth with a potato masher (or fork if that’s what you’ve got). Add the brown sugar and stir until it’s completely mixed in and the mixture looks glossy and delicious.
Add the eggs and mix just until combined. Then pour in the vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter, and give it another good stir until everything is smooth.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring gently as you go. Stop mixing the second everything is just combined (a few small lumps are totally fine—overmixing makes tough bread!). Fold in the chopped toasted pecans with a light hand so they’re evenly scattered throughout. That’s it—your batter is ready for the pan!
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. To keep the top from getting too dark, loosely tent the pan with foil around the 35–40 minute mark.
Just slice this Banana Pecan Bread and serve. Ultra-moist crumb, big banana flavor, and those toasty pecans in every bite. This is the kind of recipe you’ll make once and then keep those brown bananas on purpose. Pure Southern comfort in a slice!
🥣 Recipe
Equipment
- Potato Masher or fork
Ingredients
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 medium bananas
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray (or line it with parchment for extra insurance)
- . In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set this dry mix aside
- In another large bowl, grab those overripe bananas and mash them smooth with a potato masher (or fork if that’s what you’ve got). Add the brown sugar and stir until it’s completely mixed in and the mixture looks glossy and delicious.
- Add the eggs and mix just until combined. Then pour in the vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter, and give it another good stir until everything is smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring gently as you go. Stop mixing the second everything is just combined (a few small lumps are totally fine—over mixing makes tough bread!).
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. To keep the top from getting too dark, loosely tent the pan with foil around the 35–40 minute mark.
- Let the bread cool, slice this Banana Pecan Bread and serve.
Nutrition
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