Paula Deen Banana-Date Nut Bread is a warm, spiced loaf loaded with ripe bananas, dried dates, and pecans. It takes about 75 minutes from start to finish and cuts into 8 thick slices. Keep it on the counter for weekend breakfast or wrap a loaf for a neighbor who just had a baby.
The bananas have to be soft and spotted, almost black. That’s where all the sweetness and moisture come from. Paula adds both cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter, which gives it a spiced warmth most banana breads skip. The dates do more than add flavor: they keep every slice from drying out.
Mash the bananas by hand so you keep some chunks for texture. Melt the butter first and let it cool a little before mixing, or it will start cooking the eggs. The batter comes together fast, so have the pan greased and the oven hot before you start.
Paula Deen Banana-Date Nut Bread
Course: BreakfastCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes1
hour445
kcalA soft quick bread made with three mashed bananas, dried dates, and pecans, then spiced with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg. Stirred together by hand and baked in a standard loaf pan until the crust turns deep golden.
Ingredients
1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
2 cups All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
3 ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried dates
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Directions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
- Mix the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup melted butter, the bananas, sugar, and eggs. Stir in the vanilla. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the dates and pecans.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 1 hour or until dark golden on top and a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
FAQs
Can you use walnuts instead of pecans?
Walnuts work fine and are the most common swap. The flavor is a little more bitter than pecans, so the bread will taste slightly different but still good. Stick with the same 1/2 cup measurement.
How long does banana-date nut bread stay fresh?
Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container, it stays moist on the counter for about 3 days. After that the texture starts to go stale. The dates help it hold moisture longer than most quick breads.
Can you freeze banana-date nut bread?
Yes. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it on the counter overnight. Slicing before freezing makes it easy to pull out just what you need.
What happens if the bananas are not ripe enough?
The bread comes out dry and bland. Ripe bananas break down in the batter, adding both sugar and moisture that firm bananas cannot match. If yours are still yellow, put them in a 300°F oven for 15 minutes until the skins turn black.
Why does the recipe say to stir until just combined?
Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour, which makes the bread tough and chewy instead of tender. A few small lumps in the batter are fine. Fold in the dates and pecans with as few strokes as possible.
