Honey Banana Nut Bread

This honey banana nut bread combines ripe bananas, honey, eggs, flour, shortening, baking soda, and optional walnuts in a simple homemade quick bread. The recipe uses 6 tablespoons of honey as its listed added sweetener and bakes at 325°F for approximately 60 to 70 minutes.

Recipe: Lappe's Bee Supply   |   Published: July 17, 2025   |   Last updated: September 29, 2026   |   Bake temperature: 325°F   |   Bake time: 60–70 minutes

Editorial note: Ingredient quantities, mixing order, baking temperature, and baking time are preserved from the original Lappe's Bee Supply recipe. Details not established by the original recipe, including exact loaf-pan dimensions and serving yield, are not estimated.

Key Takeaways

• This honey banana nut bread uses 6 tablespoons of honey as its listed added sweetener.
• The recipe calls for 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas and 2 cups of flour.
• One cup of walnuts may be added, but walnuts are optional.
• The loaf bakes at 325°F for approximately 60 to 70 minutes.
• Baking soda is the listed leavening ingredient; this recipe does not use yeast.
• The original recipe calls for a loaf pan but does not specify exact dimensions.

What is honey banana nut bread?

Honey banana nut bread is a quick bread made with ripe bananas, honey, flour, eggs, shortening, baking soda, and optional walnuts.

• The recipe contains 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas.
• Six tablespoons of honey provide the listed added sweetener.
• Baking soda is used as the listed leavening ingredient.
• One cup of walnuts may be included or omitted.

Honey banana nut bread is a banana-based quick bread, meaning the batter can be mixed and baked without the extended fermentation and rising time used for yeast breads. In this Lappe's Bee Supply recipe, the ingredient list stays straightforward: honey, shortening, eggs, ripe bananas, flour, salt, baking soda, and optional walnuts.

The distinguishing feature is the use of honey as the listed added sweetener. The recipe contains 6 tablespoons of honey and does not list a separate amount of granulated or brown sugar. Ripe bananas contribute the familiar fruit flavor while honey provides sweetness and its own characteristic flavor.

For bakers who want honey for cooking and baking, Lappe's Bee Supply also offers honey for sale.

What ingredients do you need for banana nut bread?

This banana nut bread uses honey, flour, ripe bananas, eggs, shortening, salt, baking soda, and optional walnuts in measured amounts.

The quantities below preserve the original Lappe's Bee Supply recipe. Measuring the ingredients before you begin makes the mixing process easier and helps keep the recipe consistent from one loaf to the next.

Ingredients

Recipe note: These ingredient quantities preserve the original Lappe's Bee Supply recipe. The original recipe does not state exact loaf-pan dimensions or a specific serving yield.

How to Make It

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Measure the honey, shortening, eggs, mashed ripe bananas, flour, salt, baking soda, and optional walnuts.
3. Combine the honey, shortening, and eggs.
4. Beat the mixture well until light.
5. Add the mashed ripe bananas.
6. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking soda.
7. Mix until smooth, then add walnuts if desired.
8. Transfer the batter to a loaf pan.
9. Bake at 325°F for approximately 60 to 70 minutes.
10. Cool the finished loaf on a rack before slicing.

How do you make banana nut bread with honey?

Make honey banana nut bread by mixing wet ingredients first, adding banana and dry ingredients, then baking at 325°F for 60–70 minutes.

• The wet mixture begins with honey, shortening, and eggs.
• Mashed banana is added before the dry ingredients.
• Walnuts are added only if desired.
• The loaf bakes at 325°F for approximately 60 to 70 minutes.

Begin by combining the honey, shortening, and eggs. Beat this mixture well until it becomes light. Add the mashed ripe bananas next so the fruit is distributed throughout the wet mixture before the dry ingredients are added.

Stir in the flour, salt, and baking soda and continue mixing until the batter is smooth. If you want a traditional nut bread, add the optional walnuts at this point. Transfer the batter to a loaf pan and bake at 325°F for approximately 60 to 70 minutes.

Quick recipe sequence: Honey + shortening + eggs → beat until light → add banana → add dry ingredients → add optional walnuts → transfer to loaf pan → bake at 325°F for 60–70 minutes → cool on a rack.

Why use honey in banana bread?

Honey sweetens this banana bread while adding floral flavor that varies by source, complementing ripe banana without requiring granulated sugar.

• The recipe contains 6 tablespoons of honey.
• Honey is the only specifically listed added sweetener.
• No granulated or brown sugar appears in the ingredient list.
• Honey is mixed with shortening and eggs at the beginning.

Honey works well in this recipe because it contributes sweetness while adding flavor of its own. The bananas remain the dominant fruit ingredient, but honey gives the finished loaf a different sweetness profile than a banana bread made entirely with granulated sugar.

Honey naturally varies in color, aroma, and flavor according to floral source and growing region. That means two honeys can create slightly different flavor impressions even when the measured quantity remains the same. For the original Lappe's recipe, use the stated 6 tablespoons of honey.

Why are ripe bananas important for banana bread?

Ripe bananas mash more easily and usually provide stronger banana flavor, while measuring one cup keeps the fruit amount consistent between loaves.

• The original recipe specifically calls for mashed ripe bananas.
• The recipe requires 1 cup of mashed banana.
• Bananas vary in size, making a measured cup more precise than a fixed count.
• Ripe bananas are softer and easier to incorporate into batter.

Measuring banana after it has been mashed is one of the clearest ways to maintain the original recipe proportions. One baker's two bananas may be considerably larger or smaller than another baker's, so the stated measurement of 1 cup of mashed ripe banana removes that uncertainty.

As bananas ripen, they soften and their characteristic flavor becomes more noticeable. That makes ripe bananas especially convenient for quick breads, where they need to blend smoothly into the batter and contribute recognizable banana flavor throughout the finished loaf.

Are walnuts required in banana nut bread?

Walnuts are optional in this recipe; use one cup for added texture and nut flavor, or omit them without changing the honey amount.

• The stated walnut quantity is 1 cup.
• Walnuts are explicitly optional.
• The bread can be made without walnuts.
• Leaving out walnuts does not change the listed honey quantity.

Include walnuts when you want the nut flavor and texture associated with classic banana nut bread. Leaving them out creates a simpler honey banana bread while preserving the other listed ingredient quantities.

Food Allergy Reminder

A loaf prepared with walnuts contains tree nuts. Omitting walnuts from the ingredient list does not guarantee that a finished loaf is free from tree-nut cross-contact if it is prepared with shared utensils, surfaces, ingredients, or equipment.

How can you tell when banana bread is done?

Check banana bread near the end of the 60–70 minute range; the center should be fully set and show no visible wet batter.

• The original recipe gives a baking range of 60 to 70 minutes.
• Begin checking near the lower end of the range.
• The center is the most important area to check for uncooked batter.
• A thin tester should not show wet, uncooked batter.

The original Lappe's recipe calls for baking the loaf at 325°F for approximately 60 to 70 minutes. Because ovens and baking pans can perform differently, the stated time should be treated as a range rather than an absolute finishing point.

Insert a thin tester into the center of the loaf near the end of the baking range. The tester should not show wet, uncooked batter. Checking the middle is particularly useful because a loaf may appear browned and finished on the outside before the center is completely baked.

What are common banana bread mistakes?

Common mistakes include guessing banana quantity, changing ingredient ratios, relying only on bake time, and slicing the loaf before it cools.

• Measure 1 cup of mashed banana rather than estimating by banana count.
• Keep the original ingredient quantities consistent when following this recipe.
• Check the center rather than judging doneness only by the crust.
• Allow the loaf to cool before slicing.

Quick breads can be straightforward to prepare, but ingredient proportions still matter. Measuring the mashed banana and following the listed amounts of flour, honey, eggs, shortening, salt, and baking soda gives you the closest reproduction of the original Lappe's Bee Supply recipe.

Another common mistake is relying only on elapsed baking time. The outside of the loaf can look finished before the middle is fully baked. Check the center near the end of the stated range, and once the loaf is done, allow it to cool on a rack so the crumb has time to settle before slicing.

How can you serve honey banana nut bread?

Serve cooled honey banana nut bread plain or with walnuts as an easy breakfast bread, afternoon snack, or simple homemade dessert.

• Allow the loaf to cool before slicing.
• The bread may be made with or without walnuts.
• Honey and ripe banana provide the main flavor combination.
• The original recipe does not specify a serving yield.

Once the loaf has cooled enough to slice cleanly, serve it plain to keep the honey and banana flavors front and center. The walnut version provides additional texture and a more traditional banana-nut character, while the walnut-free version keeps the loaf simpler.

Honey banana nut bread can be enjoyed as a breakfast bread, an afternoon snack, or a simple homemade dessert. Because the original recipe does not provide a verified yield, this page intentionally does not assign an exact number of servings or slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make banana bread with honey?

Yes. This Lappe's Bee Supply recipe uses 6 tablespoons of honey as its listed added sweetener.

How much honey goes into this banana nut bread?

The recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of honey.

How much banana does this recipe use?

The recipe uses 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas.

Are walnuts required?

No. The recipe lists 1 cup of walnuts as optional.

What temperature should banana nut bread bake at?

This recipe bakes at 325°F.

How long should banana nut bread bake?

The original recipe specifies approximately 60 to 70 minutes at 325°F.

What size loaf pan should I use?

The original recipe calls for a loaf pan but does not specify exact dimensions.

How do I know when banana bread is finished?

Check the center near the end of the baking range. A thin tester should not show wet, uncooked batter.

Does this banana nut bread use yeast?

No. The recipe uses baking soda as its listed leavening ingredient.

Can I leave the walnuts out?

Yes. Walnuts are optional and may be omitted without changing the listed amount of honey.

Sources and Further Reading

The original Lappe's Bee Supply recipe is the primary source for the ingredient quantities, mixing order, 325°F baking temperature, 60-to-70-minute baking range, and optional walnuts. The references below provide additional background on banana bread technique, ripe bananas, quick breads, and honey.

• Banana Bread Recipe — King Arthur Baking
• How Ripe Should Bananas Be for Banana Bread? — King Arthur Baking
• How to Tell When Banana Bread Is Done — King Arthur Baking
• What Is Quick Bread? — Utah State University Extension
• Create a Quick Bread — Utah State University Extension
• Commercial Item Description: Honey — USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

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