Starbucks Banana (minus the walnuts) Bread

The hubs and I really love Banana Bread, so when my mother-in-law was visiting a couple of weekends ago and brought a recipe card from Starbucks featuring their Banana Walnut Bread, we got so excited! The hubs L-O-V-E-S Starbucks and all their pastries, so any recipe we can get our hands on gets him all giddy!


Unfortunately, the hubs doesn't like any kind of nut what-so-ever in his bread...NONE! He says it is a texture thing for him and therefore he won't even try it. So I attempt to stay away from all recipes that call for nuts, or I at least omit them when I can. I wish I would have spilt this batter and made one with walnuts just to see what it would have been like. Maybe next time, as I am sure I would have loved it!


This Banana Bread recipe was very tasty and VERY moist! I can't really recall a time that I was at Starbucks and saw their Banana Bread, but maybe I just don't go enough! So I don't have anything to compare it to, but I can tell you that it was delicious and you should give it a try! If you have had Starbucks version, maybe you can tell me how close in flavor it really is!

Starbucks Banana (minus the walnuts) Bread

(courtesy of Starbucks)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons buttermilk ** See below for tips**

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I added 1 full teaspoon of mexican vanilla!)

3 ripe medium/large bananas, mashed

1/2cup + 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and dust with flour. ** See tips below** Blend together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Mix together the egg, sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Add the flour mixture and when blended add the buttermilk, vanilla and mashed bananas. Mix until combined.

Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, if desired, and pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Top batter with remaining 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, if desired.

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cook for about 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.

** When it comes to recipes that call for buttermilk, especially only 2 tablespoons, I often don't buy it in the store, I just make some at home. You can do this by using milk and vinegar (I hear lemon juice works too, but I have always used vinegar). Just take a 1/2 cup of milk and add about 1/2 teaspoon or so of vinegar. Stir to combine and let it sit for about 5 minutes before adding to the rest of your ingredients.

** Also, another tip I want to share with you all is how I dust pans when I make bread. Most recipes call for you to dust a pan with flour so it will come out more easily. Try using cinnamon sugar next time you make bread. I do that will all my bread recipes and it adds an additional element of flavor! I also sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of each loaf! It adds a nice crunch to the top, and a sugary cinnamony burst to every bite!