I made Starbucks Banana Bread loaded with bananas and topped with walnuts, and one simple pantry trick in the recipe will surprise you.

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I can’t stop thinking about this Starbucks Copycat Banana Bread, it’s super moist and loaded with mashed very ripe bananas and topped with chopped walnuts so every bite has bite and sweetness. I messed with versions for weeks, sometimes it flopped, sometimes it surprised me, and this one kept pulling me back.

I ate too many slices, no shame, and it somehow works for breakfast or a guilty dessert. If you dig Copycat Starbucks Recipes you’ll know that small victories like this are worth celebrating, and yeah, I’m still figuring out why this loaf hits different.

Ingredients

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Adds structure and carbs, little protein, mostly energy, can make bread dense if overmixed.
Make it sweet and moist, add fiber and potassium, flavor is unmistakably banana.
Adds richness and tender crumb, mostly fat, helps brown crust and flavor.
Sweetens, brown gives caramel notes and moisture, both increase calories obviously.
Bind ingredients, add protein and lift, make crumbs tender and slightly rich.
Adds tang and moisture, it’s why crumb stays soft, acidity helps texture.
Give crunch, healthy fats and some protein, toasted nuts boost aroma and flavor.

Ingredient Quantities

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (about 220 g)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar packed

2 large eggs room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas about 2 to 3 medium bananas

1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts plus extra for the top

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easy removal.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon if you like it.

3. In a large bowl mix 1/2 cup melted cooled unsalted butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar until glossy, then beat in 2 large room temperature eggs one at a time and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

4. Mash 1 to 1 1/4 cups very ripe bananas (about 2 to 3 medium bananas) with a fork, then stir in 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt; add this banana mixture to the butter-egg mix and combine.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until just combined; dont overmix or the loaf will be dense.

6. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, but reserve a handful to sprinkle on top; to boost flavor you can toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for a minute or two before chopping.

7. Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and sprinkle the reserved walnuts evenly.

8. Bake 50 to 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, start checking at 50 minutes; if the top browns too fast loosely tent with foil.

9. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing for cleaner pieces.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper and greased so it wont stick
2. Medium bowl and large mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. Whisk (for dry ingredients and eggs)
5. Fork or potato masher to mash the bananas
6. Rubber or silicone spatula for folding the batter
7. Small dry skillet to toast the walnuts if you want extra flavor
8. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts
9. Toothpick or cake tester to check doneness

FAQ

Q: How do I know when the loaf is done baking? A: Bake in a greased 9×5 inch pan at 350°F for about 50 to 60 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center, it should come out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter. The internal temp should be about 200°F if you use a thermometer. Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes before slicing or it might fall apart.

Q: How ripe should the bananas be and how much do I need? A: Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots, they mash sweeter and keep the bread moist. You want 1 to 1 1/4 cups mashed, about 2 to 3 medium bananas. Too much banana makes the loaf dense and slow to cook, so stick close to that amount.

Q: Can I swap ingredients like butter, sour cream or nuts? A: Yes. Melted butter can be swapped 1:1 with neutral oil but butter gives better flavor. Sour cream can be replaced with plain yogurt equal amount. Walnuts are optional, you can leave them out or use chocolate chips or pecans instead. If you need nut free just skip them, the loaf is still great.

Q: My bread came out dense, what did I do wrong? A: Most likely overmixing the batter, using too much banana, or packing flour when measuring. Mix until the dry ingredients are just combined, fold gently. Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling, dont scoop. Also make sure your baking soda is fresh.

Q: How should I store and freeze the banana bread? A: Store wrapped at room temp up to 3 days, or in the fridge up to a week but it may dry out. To freeze, cool completely, wrap tight in plastic and foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temp before serving.

Q: Any quick tips to make it extra Starbucks-like? A: Use very ripe bananas, a mix of granulated and light brown sugar, fold in chopped walnuts and press a few on top before baking. Toast the walnuts first for more flavor. Dont overbake, and let it rest so it sets up, that's the trick to getting the same moist texture.

Starbucks Copycat Banana Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap for whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for nuttier, slightly denser bread. For gluten free use a 1:1 GF flour blend plus 1/2 tsp xanthan gum per cup and expect a bit more crumbly texture.
Unsalted butter (melted): use an equal amount of neutral oil like canola or sunflower, or melted coconut oil for a hint of coconut. Oil keeps the loaf moister but you lose some buttery flavor.
Eggs: replace each large egg with a flax egg made from 1 tbsp ground flaxseed plus 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes. The loaf will be a touch denser and chewier, but it holds together well.
Granulated + light brown sugar (total about 1 cup): swap for 3/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey, reduce other liquids by ~3 tbsp and lower oven temp by 25 degrees F. Expect a deeper flavor and a slightly darker crust.

Pro Tips

– Weigh your flour if you can, dont scoop from the bag. Scooping packs the flour and makes the loaf drier and denser, weighing keeps the texture light and predictable, trust me its worth the scale.

– Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for max flavor, or thaw frozen overripe ones to mash easily. If your bananas arent quite sweet enough, let the mashed banana sit a few minutes to mellow and get more aromatic, weird but true.

– Mix gently and dont overwork the batter. Combine the wet stuff well first so the dry goes in faster, then fold until you just cant see big streaks of flour; a few little streaks are fine, overmixing = tough loaf.

– Toast the walnuts briefly for more flavor, chop them a bit chunky so you get good bites, and save some to scatter on top. Also let the loaf cool completely before slicing, otherwise it will be gummy or fall apart and nobody wants that.

Starbucks Copycat Banana Bread Recipe

Recipe by Bob Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I made Starbucks Banana Bread loaded with bananas and topped with walnuts, and one simple pantry trick in the recipe will surprise you.

Servings

servings

Calories

332

kcal

Equipment: 1. 9×5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper and greased so it wont stick
2. Medium bowl and large mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. Whisk (for dry ingredients and eggs)
5. Fork or potato masher to mash the bananas
6. Rubber or silicone spatula for folding the batter
7. Small dry skillet to toast the walnuts if you want extra flavor
8. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts
9. Toothpick or cake tester to check doneness

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (about 220 g)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas about 2 to 3 medium bananas
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts plus extra for the top

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easy removal.
In a medium bowl whisk together 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon if you like it.
In a large bowl mix 1/2 cup melted cooled unsalted butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar until glossy, then beat in 2 large room temperature eggs one at a time and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Mash 1 to 1 1/4 cups very ripe bananas (about 2 to 3 medium bananas) with a fork, then stir in 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt; add this banana mixture to the butter-egg mix and combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until just combined; dont overmix or the loaf will be dense.
Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, but reserve a handful to sprinkle on top; to boost flavor you can toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for a minute or two before chopping.
Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and sprinkle the reserved walnuts evenly.
Bake 50 to 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, start checking at 50 minutes; if the top browns too fast loosely tent with foil.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing for cleaner pieces.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.