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Banana Bread Title - credit J Horak

Easy banana pecan loaf

A simple but delicious banana loaf packed with caramelly banana and nutty pecan flavours

Course Baking
Cuisine South African
Keyword Baking
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 1 loaf
Author Jeanne Horak

Ingredients

  • 115 g butter
  • 210 g golden granulated sugar
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
  • 2 large eggs
  • 500 g plain flour
  • 10 ml baking powder
  • 2.5 ml salt
  • 4 very ripe bananas
  • 250 g chopped pecan nuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a loaf tin.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to cream the butter and sugar together till pale and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla essence.

  3. Add the eggs one by one and beat thoroughly after each.

  4. In a second bowl, sift the dry ingredients together and then add them to the egg mix. Combine well.

  5. Mash the bananas and stir into the mixture, then stir in the pecans.

  6. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for about an hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

  7. Allow the loaf to cool before turning out of the tin. Keeps for up to a week in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

  1. You can substitute chopped walnuts for the pecans if you prefer a hint of bitterness to balance the sweetness in the loaf.
  2. You can use wholewheat flour instead of plan flour to make the loaf healthier and add a nutty flavour.
  3. If your bananas are very ripe and sweet, you can experiment with reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe to make it healthier.
  4. This loaf will keep (and improve) for up to a week in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in foil at room temperature, and the flavour will improve.
  5. The loaf freezes well, either whole or sliced. 
  6. Although it is delicious as it is, this loaf is also delicious when toasted with a generous smear of butter.