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why we love this recipe
I need to kick things off by saying I don’t like coffee. I am a tea drinker through and through. I’ve tried and tried to like coffee, but I just…can’t.
But weirdly, I love the smell of it, and I love things that have a subtle coffee taste to them, which I know makes no sense, but I roll with it!
Especially when it comes to this rich and aromatic banana bread laced with just a teeny hint of coffee, studded with nuts and full of that perfect banana taste.
It’s an easy, comfort food recipe, and the perfect way to use up those elderly bananas we all have now and then!
And it is a quick bread, which means there is no yeast or rising time involved. I do love a quick bread (looking at you, glazed strawberry bread!)
ingredients you need
ingredient notes and substitutions
Coffee: You want regular old brewed coffee…not being a coffee drinker, I find the easiest way is to pick up a cup of black coffee at the supermarket or deli. But if you are a coffee drinker, you are all set!
Bananas: You want them to be nice and ripe and mushy. You know, the kind that nobody is going to eat as a regular banana.
Walnuts: You can leave out the walnuts if you prefer…or swap in your favorite kind of chopped nuts instead.
Bonus Ingredient: If you want to add another layer of flavor, stir in a half cup or so of mini chocolate chips when you add the nuts (or even instead of the nuts, if you are not a nut kind of person).
how to make this recipe
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 325 and spray a 9 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
STEP 2: Beat a half cup of melted butter with a cup of brown sugar together until well combined.
STEP 3: Add two beaten eggs and a cup of mashed up bananas and mix it up until everything is pretty smooth. (Don’t worry if there are some small banana lumps in there.)
STEP 4: Put two cups of flour, a half teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda in a mixing bowl and stir together gently with a whisk until well combined.
STEP 5: Add a third of the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix. Add a quarter cup of brewed coffee, then another third of the flour mixture, then another quarter cup of coffee, then the rest of the flour mixture.
Stir in a half cup of chopped walnuts (these are optional, but I am firmly in the Say Yes To Walnuts camp.
STEP 6: Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then transfer it to a cooling rack.
recipe FAQ
I like to smoosh them a little bit while they are still inside the peel, then peel them, drop them on a plate and finish the mashing with a fork. The riper they are, the better!
You bet! Pecans, cashews and macadamia nuts would all be scrumptious. Just give whatever you are using a rough chop first. And if you want to leave out the nuts, you can!
This banana bread will last a good 3 to 4 days at least, especially if you wrap it up and keep it in the fridge.
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
want to round out your meal?
We absolutely love jam on our banana bread, and two of our favorite easy homemade versions are banana jam (double banana happiness!) and strawberry jam.
And we love a cup of fresh mint tea on the side!
other banana recipes we love
could you leave us some stars?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section. Your thoughts and advice will help both us and your fellow readers. 🥰
Coffee Walnut Banana Bread
Shake up your banana bread with a little coffee! This easy recipe for coffee banana bread is the perfect snack and brunch treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: One loaf
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten together
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 good and ripe ones)
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional if you don’t want to use ’em)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 and spray a 9 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the eggs and bananas and mix it up until everything is smooth.
- Put the flour, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl and stir together gently with a whisk until well combined.
- Add 1/3 of flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix. Add half the coffee, then another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the rest of the coffee, then the rest of the flour mixture. If you are using the nuts, stir them in now.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then transfer to a cooling rack. Share with someone you love!
Notes
Coffee: You want regular old brewed coffee…not being a coffee drinker, I find the easiest way is to pick up a cup of black coffee at the supermarket or deli. But if you are a coffee drinker, you are all set!
Bananas: You want them to be nice and ripe and mushy. You know, the kind that nobody is going to eat as a regular banana.
Walnuts: You can leave out the walnuts if you prefer…or swap in your favorite kind of chopped nuts instead.
Bonus Ingredient: If you want to add another layer of flavor, stir in a half cup or so of mini chocolate chips when you add the nuts (or even instead of the nuts, if you are not a nut kind of person).
Natasha says
This is my go to recipe for banana bread!
Natasha! Thank you so much – you made my day!
Meg says
This bread was an excellent brunch treat! I wonder if you leave out the walnuts if it would be good french toast bread. I’m gonna have to try it!
Hi Meg! I think this would be a great bread to try with a French Toast recipe, either with or without the walnuts. :) Great idea!!!
Howard Spaulding says
I made this wonderful bread yesterday and was very pleased. I used real strong coffee, doubled the recipe (just because it looked so good) and added two cups of Bailey’s Irish Cream baking chips. (who doesn’t like a little Bailey’s in their coffee?) I will be making this again. BTW this made six mini loaves of bread and I baked them for 40 minutes. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Thanks Howard! I love the addition of the Bailey’s chips! :)
Jules says
Hi Kate, I was inspired by your story for this recipe, and came across it while looking for a good bread to make for my girlfriend who is a long-time banana bread lover. I loved that you incorporated coffee into this, as she loves coffee as well. :) It seemed like the perfect thing to try, so tonight I made her this bread for her birthday, and she absolutely loves it! I followed your instructions and had the first slice with some hot tea (a sweet cinnamon herbal blend), and it was delicious (like, to die for delicious).
The coffee adds a wonderful depth to the flavor as well as a subtle and enjoyable bitterness in the aftertaste. I almost forgot to mention, I added the chocolate chips as well. The ways that all the flavors compliment each other… okay I’ll stop gushing. It was simply perfect.
Thank you for this recipe, and I hope you and your friend find more time to see each other. :)
Jules! This was such a nice note to wake up to this morning – I’m so glad you loved this recipe (and of course I also love the addition of chocolate chips!). And yes! I am seeing her in October and I am counting the days. Happy Sunday!