Food and Recipes Bread Quick Breads Black Walnut Banana Bread Be the first to rate & review! Quick breads and walnuts have a long-standing friendship. By Ann Taylor Pittman Ann Taylor Pittman For 20 years, Ann Taylor Pittman built a career of creating healthy recipes at Cooking Light magazine, where she most recently served as Executive Editor. She is the recipient of two James Beard Foundation Awards: a feature writing award and a cookbook award. She is now a freelancer specializing in recipe development, writing, and video. Follow her on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 20, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Servings: 12 This black walnut banana bread takes the friendship between walnuts and quick breads up a notch by including the nuts in the batter and in the buttery streusel topping. Because it's not just enough to sprinkle walnuts on top—for it to really be the best possible slice, the flavor of walnuts should be in every bite. A buttery, crunchy streusel provides textural contrast to the moist bread. The simple buttermilk glaze offers a little sweet tang. Ingredients Streusel: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup toasted chopped black walnuts Bread: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 3/4 tsp. kosher salt 3 medium bananas 2 large eggs 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup whole buttermilk 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup toasted chopped black walnuts Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. whole buttermilk 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides; set aside. Prepare the Streusel: Whisk together flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add softened butter, and stir together until crumbly; stir in walnuts until evenly distributed. Set aside. Prepare the Bread: Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Place bananas in a medium bowl; mash with a fork until almost smooth. Add eggs, granulated sugar, oil, brown sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla extract; whisk until smooth. Add banana mixture to flour mixture; stir until well combined. Stir in walnuts until evenly distributed. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, smoothing into an even layer with a spatula; sprinkle evenly with Streusel. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 1 hour to 1 hour, 5 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan. Let cool on wire rack 1 hour. Prepare the Glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cooled Bread. Slice and serve. Rate It Print