Iced Banana Nut Bread full of walnuts and ripe sweet bananas topped with a thick sweet glaze and chopped walnuts makes the perfect mate for your coffee.
We love classic quick breads including Banana Bread and Banana Nut Bread, but this glaze topping takes it over the top with more indulgence.
Iced Banana Nut Bread
This Iced Banana Bread is a quick and easy take on my classic Banana Nut Bread recipe but it takes the flavors to a whole new level with just a couple of quick changes including adding brown sugar to the recipes and adding that delicious thick glaze on top!
WHY DID MY BANANA NUT BREAD DROP AFTER BAKING?
- Make sure you’re measuring your ingredients exactly, especially the all purpose flour. If you’re using a measuring scoop, try using a butter knife to level the all purpose flour before mixing it in.
- Be careful not to over-mix the dough, stop when it just comes together and there’s barely no flour left. If you have a small flour pocket here and there, that’s ok.
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh and not expired.
- Use an oven-safe thermometer to make sure your oven is baking true to temperature.
HOW TO STORE GLAZED QUICK BREADS:
This Iced Banana Nut Bread can be stored on the kitchen counter, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to keep it from going stale. Avoid putting the loaf in the refrigerator because it will make the bread go stale faster and the glaze will dehydrate.
It will keep for 3-4 days on your counter in a tightly covered container.
CAN YOU FREEZE QUICK BREADS?
Yes, if you are freezing after baking but before slicing I recommend skipping the glaze for now. When you are ready to slice the bread and serve it, make the glaze fresh then.
If you’ve already made the glaze and served part of it I recommend using pieces of parchment paper between each slice and freezing in a tight container or ziplock bag.
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HOW TO MAKE BANANAS RIPEN QUICKLY
Place the bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until they’re almost completely brown. Allow them to cool before using in the banana bread.
HOW TO KEEP BANANA BREAD MOIST
- Sour cream helps keep the loaf moist and tender, along with the bananas.
- I’ve added brown sugar to the recipe in place of some of the white sugar for additional moisture and depth of flavor.
- The glaze will help keep the bread moist.
- Keep in a covered container.
- Warm the bread slices in the toaster oven or microwave to soften it before eating.
TIPS FOR MAKING BANANA NUT BREAD
- This banana nut bread recipe calls for walnuts, but you can also throw in other things like chocolate chips or pecans.
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, or drizzle the loaf with honey once it cools for extra flavor.
- Use a potato masher or the food processor to quickly mash your bananas.
- Make this recipe in a muffin tin for banana muffins!
- Make this gluten free by using gluten free all purpose cup for cup flour, increasing the baking soda to 1 ½ teaspoons, and the vanilla extract to 1 tablespoon. The mashed bananas should keep the loaf moist so you shouldn’t have to worry about crumbling.
HOW TO MEASURE FLOUR CORRECTLY:
When measuring all purpose flour for baking do not put your measuring cup directly into your flour container. This is not an accurate way to measure flour as the scooping packs in more flour than you need. Instead use a clean spoon to spoon flour into your measuring cup, then level it off.
Do not use any utensils in measuring ingredients before using them with your flour, this can cause cross contamination in your flour container according to FoodSafety.gov.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup walnuts chopped once*
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugar before adding in the eggs, then the vanilla, then the sour cream and finally the bananas.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt and walnuts, whisking it until just combined into the butter mixture until smooth.
- Add the mixture to the loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To make the glaze whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together well (microwave 10 seconds if needed to loosen) and pour over the bread, then garnish with walnuts.
i love banana bread.
My glaze was thin, not thick. I followed the directions. Any suggestions. It kind of soaked into the bread and left a very thin layer on top.
Hiya, can I just ask what type of flour you used? I’m in the UK and I’m not sure which one to select. Plain flour? Or self raising flour? Thanks!
Hi! Unless otherwise noted, it would be plain flour. Hope you enjoy!
Does the glaze harden once cool? I bake banana bread and sell it. How would you recommend packaging it so it doesn’t get messed up in shipping process? Thank you so much! (Hopefully I will get notice that my comment was replied to. Not sure this works.)
Hi Destiny, the glaze will harden. As far as shipping, I don’t know what the best storage would be as I don’t mail food anywhere, sorry.
Wonderful! Thank you! I’m making the glaze now and will try on my bread! Can’t wait.
Good luck!
The bread turned out great, but my icing was much thinner than it looks in the photo. I used the exact amount of confectioners sugar and milk. Any suggestions on what to do next time?
Oh no! Next time, just add the milk a little at a time while mixing and stop when it gets to the consistency you’re looking for. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar to tighten it back up. Hope this helps.
I substituted a little milk for heavy cream. I got the exact consistency I was looking for on the icing. Great recipe. I did add honey and cinnamon which i would not normally do. Thank you Sabrina.
Easy to make. measurements very accurate.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Niky.
Looks wonderful Want to try it! Do you think it would be ok to use low fat sour cream? All I have on hand.
Sure
my question is do you put the icing on directly after baking, or let the bread cool
I let it cool about 10 minutes and then put it on.
This is THE BEST banana bread I’ve ever made! Thank you!
Thanks, Marcia!
Love it!!!
Could you add rhubarb to this recipe along with the bananas?
Yes but you’ll need to cook it down first before adding. Good luck!
We love this banana bread! The icing makes it truly decadent!
Yay! So glad you love it.
That icing looks incredible! Love this!
Thanks, Lauren.
Always a family favorite! the icing puts it over the top!
I could eat the glaze by the spoonful!
So easy – perfect easy moist bread!
So glad you enjoyed it, Courtney!
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, Julie!
can i omit the sour cream?
You can use plain greek yogurt instead.
Is than flour plain or self rise