Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Preheat and prep the pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so the loaf lifts out cleanly.
Cream the butter and sugar
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed. The mixture should look paler and increase slightly in volume.
Add eggs and vanilla
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue until the batter looks smooth and glossy, then mix in the vanilla extract.
Mix in bananas and buttermilk
- Stir in the mashed bananas and buttermilk until smooth. Stop once no dry banana streaks remain for a uniform batter.
Combine dry ingredients
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Make sure the baking soda is evenly distributed through the flour.
Combine wet and dry
- Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until just combined. The batter should be thick and lumpy and you must not overmix.
Add pecans
- Fold in the toasted chopped pecans, distributing them evenly throughout the batter. Fold gently so you don’t break up the crumb-forming structure.
Bake
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for 60–70 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and slice
- Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing so the center sets.
Notes
Pro tip: toast the pecans until fragrant (let them cool before adding) so they stay crunchy in the loaf. Store banana bread wrapped at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze sliced portions up to 2–3 months. For a lightly different texture, use light brown sugar in place of half the granulated sugar if you want a deeper caramel note.