My Favorite Banana Nut Bread

Source: Pinterest

Happy November!! And in our house, happy first day of the Christmas season! I may have mentioned before, we're a little nuts about Christmas in this house. The Christmas music and festivity and anticipation starts now. Thanksgiving is just wrapped up in the fun of "The Holidays". Now to find a radio station that is playing Christmas music already... We're on pins and needles around here, our sellers are negotiating on a house, and if it goes through, we'll be moving at the beginning of December! Christmas in the new house! Oh, did I forget to mention? WE BOUGHT A HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY!! We are officially home-owners! Too bad someone else still lives in our home... But it is truly worth the wait. 

What about you? How crazy (or not) do you get about Christmas in your house? Do you wait till December to get a tree, no Christmas-ness before Thanksgiving? Or are there other holiday nuts out there?

Speaking of nuts...

Banana Nut Bread
Printable Recipe

6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4-1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup walnuts, chopped (reserve 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/line a loaf pan. Spread 3/4 of the nuts on a baking sheet to toast for just a few minutes while the oven heats. (Note: Don't toast 1/4 cup of the nuts, they're getting sprinkled on top and will get toasted when the whole thing bakes!) When you smell the nuts toasting, pull them out, they're ready!

Cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a separate bowl, and add to butter mixture. Add mashed bananas and toasted nuts, and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle reserved un-toasted nuts on top. Bake 40-50 minutes, till golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm! 

Note to self: Twice toasted nuts get a little dark! Hence the note. Isn't it pretty?? I've been trying to find a banana bread recipe that didn't turn out so dark. Banana bread is so delicious, but can't it be just a little bit prettier? I suppose it doesn't matter, as long as it tastes good... But guess what, this one does!!

There is a little bit of room to play with the recipe, I liked it with only 3/4 cup sugar, but for a more classic flavor you can add a whole cup. The Geologist didn't think it was sweet enough. It's up to you!

Moist and soft, but not heavy, lighter and with a hint of creamy richness from the cream cheese... loaded with crunchy toasty nuts... plenty of sweet banana-ness... Scrumptious! I am in love with this recipe, and couldn't stop eating it. Well, I ate two whole slices. Which is completely against my current semi-diet... if it wasn't for the semi-diet I would have eaten half the loaf!

I hope you like it, it's my new favorite banana bread recipe! I should try it toasted...