Pistachio banana bread takes our all-time favorite classic banana bread and makes it something a little more special: a soft, moist loaf studded with toasted Sicilian pistachios and Southern pecans, with more pistachios scattered over the top. It bakes up from the same classic banana bread recipe I've been making since my pastry-chef days, so the crumb stays tender and moist with a double hit of toasted nuts in every slice.
You don't need anything fancy to make it. It's just as good sliced and eaten on its own as it is toasted with a scoop of ice cream, or baked into pistachio-pecan muffins.
If you've already made the classic version, you know how forgiving this batter is. The nuts are the only real change, and they turn an everyday banana bread into something worth setting out for guests.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Nutty Pistachio Banana Bread
- Toasted Sicilian pistachios and Southern pecans give every slice a double hit of buttery, nutty crunch
- It starts with my classic banana bread, so you know the crumb is fluffy, super soft, moist, and full of real banana flavor
- It's quick and easy to mix, no mixer gymnastics and no fancy ingredients
- A great way to rescue overripe bananas you'd otherwise toss
- It freezes beautifully, so you can bake ahead or stash a loaf (or slices) for later
- Turn the batter into pistachio-pecan muffins when you want individual portions
- An easy recipe for kids to help with, from mashing bananas to scattering the nuts
Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread Ingredients
Eleven simple ingredients, most of them already in your pantry, are all you need for this pistachio banana bread. It's the classic banana bread you love with toasted pistachios and pecans folded through the batter, plus a scatter of pistachios over the top. Here's what goes in.
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- buttermilk (or a buttermilk substitute, see the recipe card notes)
- overly ripe bananas
- unsalted chopped toasted pistachios
- unsalted chopped toasted pecans
- Optional garnish: freeze-dried pistachios or raw chopped pistachios for the top
How to Make Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread
Pistachio banana bread is quick to pull together, and it's a great recipe to make with kids. Toast the nuts first, so they have time to cool, then it's the same easy mixing method as the classic loaf.
Step 1. Prep the baking pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Generously butter two loaf pans, dust with flour, tap out the excess, and set aside.
Step 2. Toast the nuts. In a medium skillet or in the oven, toast the pistachios and pecans for the batter until fragrant and golden, then set aside to cool while you make the batter.
HINT: Use whichever nut method is easiest for you.
- Pre-roasted nuts: skip the toasting and use chopped, unsalted pre-roasted pistachios and pecans.
- Oven: spread the nuts on a sheet tray and toast at 350°F/175°C for 8 to 9 minutes, or until fragrant and golden but not dark.
- Skillet: toast over low heat, shaking the pan often, until just golden.
Step 3. Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together, then set aside.
Step 4. Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step 5. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the vanilla to the eggs. With the mixer on medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, about 5 seconds between each addition, and mix just until no yellow streaks remain. This helps you avoid overmixing.
Step 6. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Starting and ending with the flour mixture, add the flour in three additions alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, mixing on low just until combined.
Step 7. Add the bananas. Gently fold the mashed bananas and the cooled, chopped pistachios and pecans into the batter until just combined. Divide the batter between the pans, scatter pistachios over the tops, and tap the pans on the counter a couple of times to release air bubbles.
HINT: The topping pistachios go on raw, not toasted, since they toast as the loaf bakes. Use the same amount of raw chopped pistachios as freeze-dried. Raw pistachios turn golden in the oven, while freeze-dried pistachios keep the bright green color you see on the loaf pictured here.
Step 8. Bake. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the tops are golden and a tester poked into the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn the loaves out onto a rack to cool completely.
How to Store Pistachio Banana Bread
Pistachio banana bread keeps well for several days, and it freezes beautifully if you want to make it ahead.
- Room temperature: Wrap the loaf well and keep it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Wrapped well in an airtight container, it will keep for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving, and warm a slice if you like.
FAQ
They're the same quick bread, the only difference is the nuts. Banana nut bread is simply banana bread with nuts folded into the batter. This version leans on toasted pistachios and pecans for a double hit of nutty flavor and crunch.
Pistachios, pecans, and walnuts all work beautifully. This recipe pairs toasted pistachios with pecans, but you can use whichever you have. Toast them first for the deepest flavor, and keep any nuts you scatter on top raw so they don't over-brown as the loaf bakes.
Yes. Pecans, walnuts, and pistachios are interchangeable in banana bread, so you can swap in equal amounts of whatever you like or have on hand. This recipe already uses pistachios and pecans, but walnuts would work in their place.
Just under a cup of nuts spread between two loaves total keeps the loaf nutty without weighing down the crumb, since nuts pull moisture from the batter. See the recipe card for the exact pistachio and pecan amounts.
More Banana Bread & Quick Bread Recipes
Here are a few of our favorite banana bread and pumpkin bread recipes you may also enjoy.
- Bakery Style Banana Bread Recipe (Easy & Moist)
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe (Dark Chocolate)
- Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bread
- Banana Bread with Pumpkin Seeds Recipe (Pumpkin Spice)
- Best Strawberry Banana Bread (Never Gummy)
- Pumpkin Bread Recipe (Easy, No Mixer, Super Moist)
- Pumpkin Walnut Bread (Super Moist & No Mixer Needed)
- Bakery-Style Pumpkin Spice Blueberry Muffins (No-Mixer Needed)
Made this Recipe? We'd love for you to rate ⭐️ it and tell us how it went for you!
Let's get started!
📖 Recipe
Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Two 8x4-inch Loaves
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
If you already love our classic banana bread, this pistachio banana bread is about to become your new favorite. Toasted Sicilian pistachios and Southern pecans run through every slice, with more pistachios scattered over the top, and no fancy ingredients needed! Slice it as is, or toast a piece with a scoop of ice cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)*see notes for correctly measuring flour below
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (4.5g)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- 1 ½ cups pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar) (300g) *see notes for reducing sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature (150g)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (8g)
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature (115g)*see notes for making buttermilk substitute
- 1 heaping cup mashed overly ripe bananas (about 2 ½ to 3 bananas) (300g)
- ½ cup unsalted chopped toasted pistachios (60g)
- ⅓ cup unsalted chopped toasted pecans (40g)
For the garnish
- ¼ cup chopped raw pistachios to sprinkle on top, or more or less to taste (30g) *alternatively, you may use ¼ cup freeze-dried pistachios as the topping
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and prep the baking pans. Turn on the oven and generously butter two loaf pans (or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Add about ½ cup of flour to one pan and turn the pan while tapping it to coat every surface well. Tap the excess flour into the second loaf pan and repeat. Tap both pans well to remove excess flour, and set aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together well so everything is evenly distributed, and set aside.
- Toast and chop the pistachios and pecans. Toast the nuts until just golden brown but not dark, then set aside to cool. You can use a low skillet, a 350°F/175°C oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or skip this step and use pre-roasted nuts.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Using a handheld mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Crack the eggs into a small prep bowl and add the vanilla. With the mixer on medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, waiting about 5 seconds between each, blending just until incorporated. All three eggs should take no longer than 15 seconds. Turn off the mixer.
- Incorporate the flour mixture and buttermilk. Add about half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix on low to gently incorporate. With the mixer still on, add about a third of the buttermilk, then more flour, then another third of the buttermilk, then the last of the flour, ending with the last of the buttermilk. Turn off the mixer and gently stir to finish combining.
- Add the bananas and nuts. Add the mashed bananas and the cooled toasted nuts, and gently stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans, scatter the garnish pistachios over the tops, and tap the pans on the counter about 10 times to release air bubbles.
- Bake. Place the loaf pans onto a baking tray and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs when poked directly into the middle of each loaf. Cool the loaves in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove the loaves and place them right-side-up onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve once cooled. Enjoy!
Notes
Measuring the flour: For the most accurate results, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge, or weigh it. Scooping the cup directly into the bag packs in extra flour and can dry out the loaf.
Reducing the sugar: For a less sweet loaf, reduce the sugar to 1 cup (200g). The bread will be a touch less tender but still moist.
Nut amounts: Can't decide how nutty to make your banana bread? I use ½ cup pistachios and ⅓ cup pecans, but you can use less. Unlike fruit, nuts pull moisture from baked goods, so too many can dry the loaf out. Use any amount you like without going over the measurements in the recipe.
Buttermilk substitute: If you don't have buttermilk, you have two easy options.
- Sour milk: Add 1 tablespoon (15g) freshly squeezed lemon juice to a measuring cup and fill with enough whole milk to reach the total buttermilk called for. Stir and let it rest at least 10 minutes on the counter before using.
- Homemade buttermilk from homemade butter: Chill a quart Mason jar in the freezer at least 30 minutes. Pour in very cold heavy cream, tighten the lid, and shake vigorously until the cream separates and butter forms. Strain out the butter solids; the strained liquid is buttermilk. Freeze what you don't use for pancakes, scones, waffles, or biscuits.
Storage: Wrap well and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Quick Breads
- Method: Oven Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 188mg
- Fat: 8.8g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1.2g
- Protein: 3.3g
- Cholesterol: 44mg
Marcus says
Damn great banana bread! We love bananas, pecans, and pistachios so this was right up our alley😊. I didn't have the freeze-dried pistachios for the topping (but we didn't care about that anyway). It has an extremely tender crumb and the most true banana flavor of any banana bread I've ever made or eaten. I have to attribute this to the (almost scary) dark color and over-ripeness of the bananas you say are essential. But you're so right 🙏 and I'm officially a convert. I made this thinking it would last the week for breakfast but it was gone in 2 days. I'm making your classic banana bread next or the banana walnut version🤗.
Diedra says
This recipe rocks!
Karen S. says
Adding onto my comment: I made these delicious banana nut bread into muffins. They are so good and moist. I will freeze them and enjoy them for breakfast.
Karen S. says
Made this delicious banana nut bread. I made muffins so I can freeze them and take them for my breakfast to work.
#bitingatthebits
Robin S. says
This is so yummy!!! I made this recipe but omitted the Pistachios & used extra Pecans!! It turned out great!! Easy to make instructions & great tips to make it turn out perfectly. Loved the scale to make bigger batch’s as I doubled the recipe for my husband to be able to a loaf with him to Trout Camp! Going to be in my rotation of favorites for sure. Thank You Kelly for all the good recipes!!!! 🥰
biting at the bits says
Thanks, Robin! I'm so happy you enjoyed it😊. Double pecans are always a great idea and I love that it was easy to scale. I hope the trout campers love you for making it❤️.