Piistachio-Pecan banana bread is full of crunchy toasted pecans and topped with freeze-dried Sicilian pistachios to add a delicious nutty surprise to our all-time favorite classic banana bread recipe.
For those of you who have already made this (super moist) banana bread you know that adding nuts could only ever be more delicious. This pistachio-pecan banana bread is delicious eaten all by itself, toasted and topped with ice cream, or made into muffins. No fancy ingredients required!
Why You'll Love This Nutty Pistachio-Pecan Banana Bread
- It's super quick and easy to mix
- It's full of intense natural banana flavor
- It uses up overripe bananas you might otherwise discard
- Everything tastes better with pistachios and pecans
- It freezes really well
- You can use the batter to make pistachio-pecan banana bread muffins
- It's a great recipe for kiddos to help make
Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread Ingredients
This is a perfect way to use up aging bananas past their prime. I've topped this banana nut bread with freeze-dried pistachios, which in all honesty did nothing for this dessert. Instead, I'll be adding chopped pistachios next time, so I haven't added them to the ingredient list below.
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- buttermilk or faux buttermilk*see recipe card notes for making faux buttermilk
- overly ripe bananas
- chopped toasted pecans
- unsalted chopped toasted pistachios
How to Make Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread
Making Pistachio-Pecan banana bread is easy and fairly quick. Plus, this is an especially good recipe to get kids into the kitchen to help out.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°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 ensure the flour coats every surface well. Tap out the excess flour into the second loaf pan and repeat. Tap both pans well to remove excess flour, set aside.
- Measure and whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together well to ensure everything is evenly distributed and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Using a handheld mixer (or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Crack 3 eggs into a small prep bowl and add the vanilla. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add eggs one at a time, waiting about 5 seconds in between each addition blending just until the eggs are incorporated. The addition of all three eggs should take no longer than 15 seconds to incorporate. Turn off the mixer.
- Toast and chop the pistachios and pecans. Add the nuts to a skillet and turn the heat to low. Shake the pan to toss the nuts occasionally and to get them evenly toasted. When the nuts are just golden brown (but not dark), remove them from the heat to a bowl and set aside.
- Incorporate the flour mixture and buttermilk. Add about ½ of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Turn the mixer on low speed to gently incorporate the ingredients. With the mixer still on, add about ⅓ of the buttermilk, then add some more flour, then a ⅓ more of the buttermilk, then add the last of the flour, ending with the last of the buttermilk. Turn off the mixer and gently stir the mixture to finish combining the ingredients.
- Add the bananas and nuts. Add the mashed bananas and toasted (cooled) nuts and gently stir with a rubber spatula until everything is just combined. Divide the batter evenly between two loaf pans and tap the pans on the countertop about 10 times to remove any air bubbles from the batter.
- Bake the pistachio-pecan banana bread. Place the loaf pans onto a baking tray and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean when poked directly into the middle of each loaf. Remove from the oven and allow the banana bread to cool for 15 minutes in the loaf pans, then gently remove the loaves and place them right-side-up onto a cooling rack to finish cooling to room temperature. When loaves have cooled, you may slice and serve. Pistachio-pecan banana bread should be stored wrapped in sustainable cling film and placed into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or it may be frozen for up to 3 months in the freezer, Enjoy!
Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread Cake step-by-step recipe photos
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 Ever Strawberry Banana Bread Cake
- 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)
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📖 Recipe
Pistachio-Pecan Banana Nut Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Two 8x4-inch Loaves
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Crunchy toasted pecans and Sicilian pistachios add a delicious nutty surprise to our favorite classic banana bread cake. This banana nut bread is delicious eaten all by itself, toasted and topped with ice cream, or used to make a really great Saturday morning French Toast. Plus, no fancy ingredients required!
Ingredients
Units
- 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 ⅓ cups (10.5 ounces) mashed overly ripe bananas (2 ½ to 3 bananas) (300g)
- ½ cup chopped toasted pistachios (65g)
- ⅓ cup unsalted chopped toasted pecans (40g)
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios to sprinkle on top, or more or less to taste
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C + 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 ensure the flour coats every surface well. Tap out the excess flour into the second loaf pan and repeat. Tap both pans well to remove excess flour, set aside.
- Measure + whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together well to ensure everything is evenly distributed and set aside.
- Cream the butter + sugar. Using a handheld mixer (or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment), cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the eggs + vanilla. Crack 3 eggs into a small prep bowl and add the vanilla. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add eggs one at a time waiting about 5 seconds in between each addition blending just until the eggs are incorporated. The addition of all three eggs should take no longer than 15 seconds to incorporate. Turn off the mixer.
- Toast + chop the pistachios and pecans. Add the nuts to a skillet and turn the heat to low. Shake the pan to toss the nuts occasionally and to get them evenly toasted. When the nuts are just golden brown (but not dark), remove them from the heat to a bowl and set aside.
- Incorporate the flour mixture + buttermilk. Add about ½ of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Turn the mixer on low speed to gently incorporate the ingredients. With the mixer still on, add about ⅓ of the buttermilk, then add some more flour, then a ⅓ more of the buttermilk, then add the last of the flour, ending with the last of the buttermilk. Turn off the mixer and gently stir the mixture to finish combining the ingredients.
- Add the bananas + nuts Add the mashed bananas and toasted (cooled) nuts and gently stir with a rubber spatula until everything is just combined. Divide the batter evenly between two loaf pans and tap the pans on the countertop about 10 times to remove any air bubbles from the batter.
- Bake the pistachio-pecan banana bread. Place the loaf pans onto a baking tray and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean when poked directly into the middle of each loaf. Remove from the oven and allow the banana bread to cool for 15 minutes in the loaf pans, then gently remove the loaves and place them right-side-up onto a cooling rack to finish cooling to room temperature. When loaves have cooled, you may slice and serve. Pistachio-pecan banana bread should be stored wrapped in sustainable cling film and placed into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or it may be frozen for up to 3 months in the freezer, Enjoy!
Notes
- Can't decide how nutty to make your banana bread? I tend to use ½ cup pecans and ⅓ cup pistachios for this recipe, but you can use up to the full amount called for in the recipe. Unlike fruits added to baked goods, nuts absorb or pull moisture away from baked goods. But use any amount you like without exceeding the measurements called for in the recipe.
- Store banana bread wrapped well at room temperature and placed in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for longer.
- If you don't have buttermilk, you have two easy options:
- Make soured milk (aka faux buttermilk). Add 1 tablespoon (14g) freshly squeezed lemon juice to a measuring cup and fill with enough whole milk to reach the total amount of buttermilk called for in the recipe. Stir and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes on the counter before using.
- Make homemade buttermilk by making homemade butter first. Add very cold heavy cream to a quart Mason jar that's been chilled in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (even longer is better). Pour very cold heavy cream into the jar, tighten the lid and shake vigorously until the mixture starts to separate and butter has formed. Strain the butter solids out. The strained liquid is homemade buttermilk. Freeze unused buttermilk for making pancakes, scones, waffles, or biscuits.
See the step-by-step recipe photos in the main post.
- 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
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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❤️.