A delicious old-fashioned moist banana bread recipe studded with cranberries and walnuts. This cranberry banana bread recipe is easy to make and utilizes either dried or fresh cranberries!
NellieBellie Recipe Tester said:
“I made the banana cranberry walnut bread and it turned out great! Only took 70 minutes, very easy to put together, and not too much banana flavor.”
Moist Banana bread studded with cranberries and walnuts in this simple recipe.
Do you love Banana Bread? Try my Instant Pot Banana Bread in a Jar. Fun & tasty!
What do you do with leftover bananas? Altogether now… “You make banana bread with them!!”. We all know that, don’t we! Most of us have favorite banana bread recipes passed on to us from generations ago.
Do you make banana bread? I sure hope so…don’t let that tradition die with this generation.
Did you know? Banana bread didn’t make an appearance until about the 1930’s when baking soda and baking powder became widely used? It REALLY became popular when it appeared in Chiquita’s Banana Recipes Cookbook in 1950.
A great twist on the traditional banana bread recipe is this Cranberry Banana Nut Bread. Adding cranberries and walnuts (totally leave them out if nuts aren’t your thing) to the batter elevates Grandma’s banana bread into something a bit more special.
This recipe is super simple and fast to mix up. Mix it up, invite a friend over, and argue about whose Grandma had the best banana bread recipe. For the record, mine would win :).
Storing Overripe Bananas for Later (or if you want to quickly ripen bananas)
If you have bananas that are too ripe to eat fresh, don’t toss them! You don’t even need to peel them before freezing. Just place the bananas straight from the counter into the freezer. They peel easily after thawing, so no need to fuss beforehand. In fact, if you open my freezer, you’ll often find several brown bananas hanging out, ready for smoothies, shakes, or baking. Frozen bananas are a baker’s secret weapon for moist, flavorful banana bread. When you’re ready to use them, simply thaw slightly so you can peel them —easy and delicious!
FYI – When bananas go on sale, I often buy them simply to put them straight into the freezer for baking & smoothies. They blacken in the freezer in a matter of days. Perfect for yummy banana bread!
What is the secret to moist banana bread?
Here’s the thing about banana bread—you don’t want perfect bananas. You need those sad, spotty ones sitting on your counter that you keep meaning to throw away (the ones you put in the freezer are PERFECT!). The more beat up they look, the better. Those extra ripe bananas? They have extra sweetness and bring extra moisture without you having to stress about it. That’s the banana bread telling you it’s going to be good.
And yeah, there are a few other tricks that’ll help you out. This recipe makes good use of all of those tricks.
Ingredients For Banana Nut Loaf Recipe
Can we pretend the addition of cranberries and nuts makes our banana bread recipe healthier?
- Dark Corn Syrup. Dark corn syrup adds a yummy molasses flavor to the bread while helping with texture and moistness. Don’t be tempted to sub!
- Dried Cranberries. Use fresh cranberries in the fall when they are in season. The rest of the year keep it easy with dried cranberries.
- Over-ripe or just regular ripe bananas. Keep bananas in your freezer to pull out for this recipe. This recipe calls for three bananas but use four bananas is yours are on the smaller side.
- Chopped Walnuts. Chopped or whole—honestly, whatever you’ve got energy for. Walnuts, pecans, almonds, and macadamia nuts all work great because they give you that satisfying crunch and make the whole thing taste delicious (and we can say they make it healthier :)).
Can pretend the addition of cranberries and nuts makes our banana bread more healthy?
Can I use fresh or frozen cranberries?
You can use any kind of cranberry for this Cranberry Banana Bread! If you prefer using frozen or fresh rather than dried, you will probably want to double the cranberries and check my tip below for keeping them from staining your batter. Remember that 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries equals 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.
How do I keep fresh cranberries from staining the batter?
Coating your fresh cranberries in just a bit of flour and folding them in gently on the very last step will give you a perfect, non-stained loaf of cranberry banana bread. This is the same technique I utilize in my Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake, btw.
Add-ins to make your banana bread recipe better.
I’m pretty sure that there is no “wrong” kind of banana nut bread.
- Not a cranberry fan or don’t have any walnuts on hand? Simply don’t add nuts.
- Add chocolate chips or butterscotch chips instead (or and?)
- Try adding lemon or orange zest
- Try toasted walnuts, or whatever nut you choose. It really does add an extra oomph!
- Add a little almond extract, mix in some blueberries, swap the walnuts for chopped pecans for a Almond Blueberry Nut Bread
- Go tropical with macadamia nuts and shredded coconut
The possibilities are endless! (So don’t you ever throw out those brown bananas. There is banana bread to be made!)
Tips for Gifting Banana Bread
Gifting banana bread is such a sweet way to share something homemade with people you care about. I can’t count the number of loaves of banana bread I’ve gotten over my lifetime. Here’s how to make your banana bread gift feel thoughtful—without making it complicated:
- Make Mini Loaves or Muffins: Instead of the bigger loaf pan, use a mini loaf pan or use a muffin pan. They’re perfect for individual gifts and honestly? Way easier to wrap. Plus people love getting their own little loaf—it just feels more personal.
- Keep Wrapping Simple: Wrap your banana bread in parchment paper, then tie it with ribbon or twine. That’s it. It’ll look homemade because it is homemade. Add a small tag if you want, but don’t stress about making it Pinterest-perfect.
- Wrap Tight: If you’re making it ahead or it’s got a long journey, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil first before the pretty stuff. Your person will thank you when their bread still tastes amazing a few days later.
- Share How You’d Eat It: Attach a little note suggesting they warm it up with butter or have it with their morning coffee. Possibly include the ingredients (for those that might have dietary concerns) It’s not about being fancy—it’s about helping them really enjoy your banana nut bread. That’s the kind of thoughtfulness that actually matters.
- Gift Boxes Are Optional: Want to put it in a little basket with jam or tea? Go for it. But honestly, wrapped bread on its own is already a gift. Don’t feel like you need to do more to make it count.
These simple touches can turn your homemade loaf into something that says “I was thinking of you”—and that’s really all a good gift needs to do.
How to make Cranberry Banana Nut Bread
- Mash your bananas, of course!
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it is soft & fluffy.
- Add your corn syrup, eggs, and bananas. Stir until everything is combined and smooth.
- Slowly add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
- If using fresh or frozen cranberries …stir your fresh cranberries in a bit of flour just until they are coated…remove the excess.
- Fold in your fresh cranberries and walnuts.
- Pour the batter into a prepared 9x 5 loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- After cooking in the pan for about 5 minutes, turn it out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
- Make sure to eat the bread warm with a slab of real butter!
Can I eat this warm or cold?
Either! I personally think the best banana bread is a slice fresh out of the oven with a slab of butter on it. If stored in the fridge, I would sit it out to allow it to come to room temperature or toast a slice to warm it up before eating it. See my tip below about storage, though.
How do I store the Cranberry Banana Nut Bread?
You can store the bread at room temperature for 3-5 days. I recommend storing it in an airtight container to make sure it stays fresh! You can extend the life to a week by storing in a refrigerator. However, banana bread tastes best when it doesn’t hit the fridge. Store it on the counter, when possible.
Is it better to wrap banana bread in foil or plastic wrap?
Both! At least that is what all the old ladies I know swear by—and they are who I trust most when it comes to banana bread. First, wrap the banana bread tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap it tightly in foil (especially if you’re going to freeze it). Keeping the air out will keep it nice and fresh.
Cranberry Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.½ cup 1 stick butter, ¾ cup sugar
- Slowly add the eggs, dark corn syrup, and mashed bananas. Mix until combined and smooth. It's okay to have little bits of bananas, btw. (sometimes I keep out a bit of mashed banana to stir in with the walnuts & cranberries just for the texture).2 eggs, 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup, 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- Gradually add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine.2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add walnuts and cranberries and stir to combine.1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup dried cranberries
- Pour mixture into a greased 9×5 loaf pan.
- Bake for 75-90 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the bread pan and on to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This post was originally published October 31, 2015.
This is so yummy! The banana-cranberry combo is perfect. Sadly, I couldn’t wait to taste it and a molten lava cranberry destroyed half my tongue. I used pecans since I couldn’t find the walnuts in the freezer. I doubled it so I had 3 smaller loaves and cut 10 minutes off.
Also added raisins and chopped fresh pineapple! Wonderful flavors! Tasted terrify! Easy recipe and not a big mess!
Yes that is about 1 Cup
3 ripe bananas equals….what…maybe 1 cup?
Tastes wonderful! Easy to make also
I’m so glad this was as yummy for you as it is for me. It’s a good one!
Turned out to be very delicious and very moist!