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Date & Walnut Banana Bread

Dec 11, 2019 · 23 Comments

The basic formula for banana bread is something like this; savory but not quite so savory that you want it with dinner, but never quite sweet enough to be passed off as a dessert, whilst its namesake bananas have ‘vanished’ into the bread itself.

That’s more or less what we’ve put together today, but we’ve also added in a few seasonal twists. Now, without further delay, let’s get to it.

Why You’ll Love Today’s Banana Bread

1) Keeps Excellently. Wrapped in plastic wrap and then swathed in tinfoil, today’s banana bread can keep nicely at room temperature for several days, or up to a week in the fridge without any loss of moisture, texture, or flavor.

2) A Quick Bite For Breakfast. This really goes without saying, but heated up either on the griddle or in the toaster oven with some butter and marmalade, this bread is a satisfying ‘sweet bite’ for breakfast, an excellent alternative to the more familiar warmed muffins.

3) Guiltless Midnight Snack. This is how I personally enjoy banana bread the most – at night, unheated, with a generous layer of orange preserve. It’s satisfying, largely guiltless, and fuss-free.

4) Super Simple To Make. The process for making today’s bread couldn’t be simpler, is a recipe that’s easily accessible to home bakers of all skill levels.

Ingredient Notes and Tips

1) Ripe Bananas – How Ripe Is Ripe? For just a moment, let’s set aside the green vs yellow vs blotchy banana debate – that’s not what we’re here to settle, as regardless of how you prefer your raw bananas, today’s recipe ‘requires’ a certain amount of ripeness. In fact, ‘ripeness’ will likely determine the amount of moisture and the quality of flavor in the bread. First off, underripe bananas range from green to ‘green tinted,’ and it is here that the flesh of the banana is firm and starchy, with a ‘sharp’ or citrusy ‘bite’ as opposed to being sweet, in addition to being on the dry side. Obviously, even if this suits your palate, this won’t make for a nice bread. Conversely, bright yellow bananas, which are ‘perfectly ripe,’ still aren’t quite what you want either, since the flesh of the banana is still on the firm side, and the sugar within still hasn’t fully matured. Instead, you want bananas that are on the cusp of being ‘overripe,’ with a copious amount of blotches, but without the meat inside having gone brown and mushy. In this case, the banana has started to soften and moisten, while the sweetness has begun to mature. These qualities are the perfect ingredients for a good banana bread.

2) Dates – Some Pointers. I cannot stress enough that quality dates are ‘not’ overly sticky, and are not packed with crystalized sugar. Overly sticky dates indicate a low quality fruit prior to drying, while crystalized sugar is either evidence of the manufacturer seeking to veil imperfections or to mask unsweet fruit, or – even worse – is evidence that the dates were not properly packed, leading to the fruit oozing off its natural sugar. Instead, the best quality dried dates are soft but not sticky to the touch, with skin that doesn’t flake or peel. The interior of the date should be ‘moist’ and ‘soft,’ but not overly so.

3) Turbinado Sugar – Fun to say, but what is it? Contrary to popular misconception, this is ‘not’ unrefined sugar. On the contrary, Turbinado sugar is partially refined sugar, placing it midway between unrefined brown sugar, and wholly refined white sugar. Due to its lack of refining/processing, standard brown sugar retains much of its previous residual molasses, giving the sugar its ‘caramel-like’ flavor and sticky/clumpy texture, as well as a host of ‘fortifying’ minerals. By contrast, Turbinado sugar, being only partially refined, contains ‘part’ of its residual molasses, and very few of its original ‘fortifying’ minerals. This has the effect of leaving it in a somewhat ‘odd’ place in culinary terms, since it’s too ‘weak’ to act as a stand in for regular brown sugar, but also somewhat too heavy and ‘caramel-like’ to stand in for fully processed sugar. For myself, I tend to think of it as a ‘lighter’ form of brown sugar, and as such that makes it perfect for recipes like today’s banana bread.

Other Great Winter Items

1) Savoiardi Cookies. A quintessential Christmas cookie, these were a traditional favorite in my home growing up.

2) Diner Style Pancakes. We all love those incredibly hardy pancakes you get in the diner, and we love them even more on chilled wintry mornings. Here’s my take on those perennial favorites.

3) Biscoff Bundt Cake. One of my new favorite ways to prepare bundt cakes is with a little help from Biscoff spread. This is hardy and warming, making it a great wintry dessert.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 1 loaf of bread

Serves 10 slices of bread

Date & Walnut Banana Bread

10 minPrep Time

1 hrCook Time

1 hr, 10 Total Time

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4.9 based on 12 review(s)

Recipe Image
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Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour – sifted
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tsps. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temp
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pitted dates – chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts – chopped
  • Turbinado Sugar – for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
  2. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan
  3. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
  4. In a food processor combine the pitted dates and walnuts and process to small crumbs.
  5. Add the eggs, bananas, and butter and process once more to mix.
  6. Slowly add the sifted flour mixture to the food process and process a few times to mix together.
  7. Turn into the buttered loaf pan.
  8. Sprinkle the top of the bread with the Turbinado sugar.
  9. Bake 60 – 65 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
  10. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes then remove from the pan and let cool on a rack.
  11. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil to store.
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https://livingthegourmet.com/2019/12/date-walnut-banana-bread.html

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. angiesrecipes says

    11/12/2019 at 7:10 pm

    The banana bread looks wholesome and amazingly delicious with the combo of flavours!
    Reply
  2. Chad says

    11/12/2019 at 9:38 pm

    I've never baked banana bread. My wife loves it and will try to bake it for her. Thank you so much for the recipe.
    Reply
  3. kumamonjeng says

    11/12/2019 at 11:09 pm

    Banana is one of my favorite fruits as it is so healthy and full of an-street nutrients. I would love banana to be included in this dessert.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  4. Stacie says

    11/12/2019 at 11:18 pm

    Ooh, I can almost taste these flavors! I can't wait to make this for the family. They're going to love it.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  5. Yeah Lifestyle says

    12/12/2019 at 8:41 am

    This banana bread looks super lush and so well risen as well! I do make this often but without the dates so would love to see how this would taste with the dates
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  6. Cristina Petrini says

    12/12/2019 at 9:49 am

    A combination that maybe I wouldn't have thought alone. Interesting.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  7. cait says

    12/12/2019 at 11:27 am

    honestly ive never been a huge fan of banana bread but adding date and walnuts to it sounds super good
    Reply
  8. catherine santiago jose says

    12/12/2019 at 2:43 pm

    Oh my goodness, I like eating bread a lot and seeing this makes my mouthwatering and its literally makes me hungry, delicious!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  9. DAVID J MYERS says

    12/12/2019 at 3:01 pm

    Catherine, We both love banana bread! Its so comforting and satisfying, especially when it's warmed up. Sometimes we add a bit of whipped cream too... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
    Reply
  10. Ashley R says

    12/12/2019 at 3:22 pm

    I have never seen a banana bread recipe with dates in it but I bet it gives it a very nice texture.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  11. Natural Beauty And Makeup says

    13/12/2019 at 12:05 am

    This banana bread looks so amazing! I have never tried any banana bread with dates in it, so this is quite interesting. I will definitely try your recipe soon ☺
    Reply
  12. Jhentea Guzman says

    13/12/2019 at 10:16 am

    That looks so amazing! I will have to try this with my family. I can’t wait to try it! I bet it’s going to be delicious.
    Reply
  13. AMY says

    13/12/2019 at 12:42 pm

    This looks nice and simple to put together but so delicious! Perfect for a weekend treat!
    Reply
  14. katrina Kroeplin says

    13/12/2019 at 2:08 pm

    that looks amazing. i do have some banans that need to be made. i'll have to try it this weekend.
    Reply
  15. Bella and Dawn at Dear Mummy Blog says

    13/12/2019 at 4:03 pm

    Banana bread is great at breakfast and makes a welcomed change from cereal all the time x
    ★★★★☆
    Reply
  16. Farah Al Zadjaly says

    13/12/2019 at 6:30 pm

    I was looking for a recipe to make Banana bread but I think date and banana sounds alot better. I am going to try this.
    Reply
  17. gloria Roa Baker says

    15/12/2019 at 12:16 am

    what beautiful banana bread Catherine !
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  18. Andrea Metlika says

    17/12/2019 at 10:50 pm

    Banana bread is one of my favorites and I really like this version with the dates. I can't wait to make this. I also like to drizzle honey on mine.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  19. Emily Liao says

    17/12/2019 at 11:22 pm

    This banana bread was so good and is always a recipe that's on rotation in my house.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  20. Irina says

    17/12/2019 at 11:45 pm

    What a great banana/walnut/date combination in this banana bread. AMAZING! Thanks for sharing.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  21. Lisa Huff says

    17/12/2019 at 11:56 pm

    Have never added dates to my banana bread, great idea! Such a great gift for this time of year too!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  22. Sharon says

    25/05/2020 at 8:32 pm

    The instructions do not mention when to add the bananas. Also, should the butter be hard, soft or melted. Does the recipe require vanilla?
    Reply
    • Living the Gourmet says

      27/05/2020 at 4:10 pm

      Dear Sharon, Thank you for stopping by! I apologize for the error and have just adjusted the recipe card. As for the butter, best to use room temp and no, there is no vanilla in this recipe. Thanks again for stopping by and enjoy!
      Reply

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