Bourbon Banana Bread Recipe

I make an Easy Banana Walnut Bread with overripe bananas, toasted walnuts and a splash of bourbon that keeps readers asking for the recipe.

I can never resist a slice of Bourbon Banana Bread, especially when those very ripe mashed bananas give it that heavy, almost jammy sweetness and a splash of bourbon wakes everything up. I made this because I had sad bananas and wanted something that felt a little fancy without trying too hard.

It’s moist, a little dense in a good way, and the flavor has this grown up edge that makes morning coffee suddenly more interesting. Sometimes I burn the crust a bit, sometimes it’s perfect, either way people always ask for seconds and act surprised when I tell them what’s in it.

Ingredients

• Bananas: add natural sweetness, fiber and moisture, plus potassium for a nutrition boost.
• Bourbon: warms flavor, adds caramel and vanilla notes, alcohol mostly cooks off.
• Brown sugar: gives deep sweetness, molasses notes and keeps the bread moist.
• Butter: adds rich fat for tenderness and flavor, makes crumb soft.
• Sour cream: brings tang, moistness and helps make a tender, not dry loaf.
• Walnuts: give crunch, healthy fats, protein and a toasty, slightly bitter bite.
• Eggs: bind batter, add protein, help rise and give structure to the loaf.
• Vanilla: rounds flavors, lifts sweetness and adds a warm, homey aroma.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (about 190 g)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (about 115 g)
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (about 150 g)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (about 100 g), plus extra for topping if you want

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the rack in the middle. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line with parchment leaving an overhang for easy removal.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon if using. Set dry mix aside.

3. In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter with 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar until smooth. Make sure the butter is cool so it wont cook the eggs.

4. Add 2 large room temperature eggs one at a time, beating just until mixed. Stir in 3 very ripe mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 cups), 2 tbsp bourbon, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt until evenly combined.

5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Dont overmix — a few streaks of flour are ok.

6. Fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts, reserving a handful to sprinkle on top if you want extra crunch.

7. Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top and scatter the reserved walnuts over the loaf.

8. Bake 50 to 65 minutes until the top is deep golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast after 30 to 40 minutes, loosely tent with foil.

9. Let the bread cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack. Slicing too hot will make it gummy so give it time to set.

10. Store cooled bread in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days or freeze slices up to 3 months. Reheat slices in a toaster or oven and serve with butter or cream cheese; the bourbon flavor gets better after resting overnight.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F) and a 9×5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper, lightly greased
2. Large mixing bowl and a medium mixing bowl
3. Whisk and a rubber spatula for folding and scraping (dont overmix)
4. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale if you like precision
5. Fork or potato masher to mash the bananas
6. Electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon to cream butter and sugar, and beat the eggs
7. Cutting board and chef’s knife for chopping walnuts (or pre-chopped nuts if youre lazy)
8. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick to check doneness
9. Oven mitts and some aluminum foil to tent the top if it browns too fast

FAQ

Bourbon Banana Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour (1 1/2 cups): Use a 1 to 1 cup for cup gluten free baking blend, same volume or weight, or swap with whole wheat pastry flour 1 to 1. It may be a bit denser, so don’t overmix.
• Unsalted butter (1/2 cup melted): Replace with 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil, same amount. Coconut adds a faint coconut note, oil keeps the crumb very tender.
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar: Substitute 3/4 cup coconut sugar 1 to 1 for a less molasses-y taste, or use 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses to mimic brown sugar.
• 2 large eggs: For each egg use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes, or use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg for extra moisture.

Pro Tips

1) Use very ripe bananas, the browner the better. If yours arent there yet, toss them (peeled) in the microwave for 45–60 seconds or roast them in a 300 F oven until soft, it concentrates the sweetness and makes the bread more flavorful.

2) Let melted butter cool fully before adding eggs, and if you forgot to pull the eggs out earlier, put them in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to bring to room temp. Room temp eggs mix in smoother so the batter stays silky, and cooled butter prevents any accidental curdling.

3) Dont overmix when you combine wet and dry, fold gently and stop when you still see a few streaks, a tiny bit of flour is fine. Let the batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes after mixing so the flour hydrates, that helps prevent a gummy center and gives a nicer crumb.

4) Toast the walnuts lightly in a dry skillet or oven for a deeper nutty flavor, save some big pieces for the top so you get crunch in each slice. If the top is browning too fast, loosely tent with foil mid-bake, and always cool the loaf completely before slicing, the flavor actually gets better after sitting overnight.