Banana Nut Bread Recipe With Pecans

Banana nut bread recipe with a topping of pecans and orange sugar glaze is perfection in every bite. The easy banana bread recipe freezes well and tastes amazing any time of year. The quick bread turns out mouthwateringly delicious every time.

Moist Banana Bread Recipe

I can’t get enough of this banana nut bread. It’s a moist and delicious loaf of banana bread, and I eat it right out of the oven once it cools down a little. If I place the sweet bread in the fridge, I’ll toast it later, add a bit of butter, and have a warm slice of banana nut bread. The pecan banana bread is an easy recipe to make, and believe me, everyone will love it. 

Can I Make Banana Bread With Pecans?

Absolutely, and this is one delicious moist banana bread with pecans. There are pecans in the bread and on top. The pecans are nice and crunchy on top and have a little bit of a candied flavor with the orange topping.

I found this pecan banana bread recipe in a Taste of Home magazine (they sure know how to make amazing things over there) and adapted it a little bit, using less sugar, bananas, and pecans. But I added more vanilla extract. I’m going to go so far and say this is the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten. It’s so moist, flavorful, and sweet. 

If you love pecans, you’ll love this pecan pie cobbler.

Ingredients Needed For Banana Pecan Bread

Banana Bread

• Butter, softened
• Cream cheese softened
• White sugar
• Eggs
• Large ripe bananas, mashed
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Chopped pecans

Orange Glaze

• Powdered sugar
• Orange zest, grated
• Orange juice

A full printable recipe with measurements and instructions is listed at the bottom of the post on the recipe card.

How To Make Banana Bread

1. Grease two 5″ x 9″ bread pans and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
3. Add the softened butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. 
4. Next, add the sugar and cream the three ingredients together. 
5. Now, add the wet ingredients – eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix well. 
6. Add the dry ingredients – the flour mixture, a little bit at a time, to the bowl and mix until well blended. 
7. Pour half of the chopped pecans into the bowl and fold in.
8. Now, pour the batter into two 5″ x 9″ prepared loaf pans and sprinkle the remainder of the pecans on top. 
9. Bake for 75 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. (If the top begins to brown too soon, place some tinfoil over the top of the bread until baking is complete).
10. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Remove from cake pans.
11. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. 
12. Pour the orange glaze over the bread. 

This is one of those recipes that you can make any time of year, but it’s perfect for giving away as gifts to teachers, neighbors, and friends. They will love this homemade bread recipe, for sure.

The moist banana bread recipes make two loaves, so you can either make half as much or freeze the second loaf if you don’t want to eat it right away. 

Step-By-Step Instructions For Banana Bread

Start by adding the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl. Mix it together with a fork and set aside. 

Grab another large bowl and add the softened cream cheese and butter. 

I say this all the time (because I forget all the time), but if you forgot to set the butter and cream cheese out to soften, don’t worry about it. You can spend a minute or so more mixing it with the mixer. 

Next, pour the sugar into the bowl and cream everything together. 

Add the eggs to the bowl. 

Now, add the mashed bananas. 

I let the bananas sit on the counter for a few days, and they ripen pretty fast. Overripe bananas mash easily. You can use a fork or a potato masher when mashing the bananas. Either one will work.

Finally, add the vanilla extract to the bowl and mix everything together with the electric mixer. 

Now, add about half of the flour and mix. Once you’ve mixed it in, pour in the rest and mix until well blended.

Add half of the chopped pecans to the bowl and fold into the mixture. 

This is a great recipe for the fall season with the pecans and orange glaze. It’s a very comforting recipe. 

Pour the cream cheese banana bread mixture into two greased 5″ x 9″ bread pans. Bake for 75 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tips

• Check toward the end of the baking time to see if the top is getting too brown. If so, place a large piece of aluminum foil over the top of the bread. I just laid it right on top, and it kept the top from getting too brown. 
• For this recipe, I used one glass pan and one stone pan, and they both baked the same. I used some nonstick cooking spray to grease the bread pans.
• I used two 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pans. If you want to give the bread away as gifts, you can buy some mini loaf pans and make several loaves at a time.
• You can line the pans with parchment paper to lift the bread out easily after you grease it.
• Use a stand mixer or hand mixer for the recipe.

Let the cake cool in the pans for about twenty minutes, then you can remove them and let them cool for a few more minutes on top of a cooling wire rack while you make the glaze.

The top of the bread gets a nice golden brown color after baking, and you end up with deliciously crunchy pecans.

Orange Sugar Glaze

Start by adding the powdered sugar to a small bowl, along with the orange zest. 

Next, pour the orange juice into the bowl and mix together. If your glaze comes out a little too runny, just add more powdered sugar, and if it’s too thick, add more juice. 

I had a juicy orange and was able to squeeze enough juice out for the glaze. 

Pour the glaze onto the homemade banana bread. And that’s it! You’ve got the best banana bread recipe that people will want over and over again.

You can add some chocolate chips and make it chocolate chip banana bread, chopped walnuts instead of pecans, or even pour it into muffin tins to make banana muffins.

More Pecan Recipes

• Butter pecan fudge
• Butter pecan cookies
• Pecan Sandies
• Chocolate pecan pie
• Slow cooker pecan pie
• Banana pudding recipe from scratch

Food And Drinks That Go Well With Banana Nut Bread

• Coffee and tea are a great drink to add to the side of banana bread. If you want to add a little more sweetness to your palate, drink some hot chocolate.
• Add a dollop of whipped cream to the bread, or toast it in the oven and spread some butter on top. You can eat some Greek yogurt on the side to get in a little more protein.
• Fresh berries are always a treat on the side of banana bread. Drizzle some honey over the top for a sweet treat.
• Add a side of chocolate chip cookies to the banana bread, as well as some brownies, carrot cake, or muffins.
• You can add small slices of the banana nut bread to a charcuterie board alongside cheese and savory snacks.

Other Delicious Desserts

• Easy and creamy chocolate chip party dip
• Chocolate chip cookie bars with toffee
• Pecan pie brownies
• Sweetened condensed milk chocolate pie
• Pecan pie cheesecake bars

I know this will become your favorite banana bread recipe. It’s full of flavor and is perfect for gift-giving, taking to a bake sale, or eating with friends and family.

Be sure to get the recipe below.

The Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe with Pecans and Orange Sugar Glaze