Pecan Banana Bread With Maple Glaze

This irresistible Pecan banana bread with maple glaze is moist and tender with a crisp crust, the best banana bread you'll ever make. 

Yes, yes, and yes, banana bread has been done to death. But when something tastes this good and uses up the leftover bananas you never got around to eating that are now going brown in the corner, what's not to love? This pecan banana bread with maple glaze is a little twist on the original banana bread recipes. Adding a sweet maple icing and pecan topping takes his banana bread to new heights. I played around with the quantities and worked out the best way to keep this butter pecan banana bread moist, and I came up with a winner. I also love adding texture to food, finding ways to add a crunch that compliments the softness, and pecans did the job perfectly this time.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make Pecan Banana Bread
• Substitutions and variations
• Equipment
• How to store leftover Banana Pecan Bread
• Top tips for best moist banana bread with pecans
• FAQ
• More dessert recipes to try
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

This is an easy recipe for moist banana bread with 2 bananas that uses extra yogurt to get that deliciously moist texture that the banana bread recipe is famous for. I also added cinnamon to give it a subtle spice and then mixed maple syrup in the icing, as maple and pecan is one of those flavor combos that Shakespeare wrote sonnets about. Or he would have if he'd tried it, I'm sure.

So! Stand by for my moist nut bread recipe with maple glaze...

Thankfully, as bananas are so widely available, you can make this banana bread recipe with pecans at any time of the year. Or whenever the craving hits. But I do especially enjoy it at tea time in cooler weather with a hot cup of coffee.

If you're on the lookout for a bit more of a showstopper cake, perhaps for a birthday or special event, then try this white chocolate and pistachio cake with buttercream icing.

Ingredients

1. Bananas: when it comes to bread recipe with pecans, overripe bananas is what you need. The riper the bananas, the better; those black/brownish-looking bananas are ideal for his recipe.
2. All purpose flour: this is the base ingredient of this recipe, but you are welcome to swap this flour with self-raising flour and get a chance to make an easy banana bread without baking soda. 
3. Butter: bring your unsalted butter to room temperature. This way it will be softened without having to melt it in the microwave.
4. Granulated sugar: I used white sugar, but you can use brown sugar instead.
5. Baking soda: this pecan banana bread relies on baking soda for a proper lift and fluff. If you don't have baking soda, baking powder will be a great substitute.
6. Eggs: when it comes to baking, eggs should always be at room temperature.
7. Yogurt: adding plain yogurt to your banana and pecan loaf will make it the softest, fluffiest, and most delicious banana bread you have ever tasted. It works hand in hand with the baking soda due to its acidity.
8. Pecans: I love adding texture whenever I'm cooking or baking, so I didn't only garnish the banana bread with pecans, but they go into the batter as well.
9. Cinnamon: ground cinnamon always brings out that subtle sweet flavor in baked desserts, so never skip this ingredient.
10. Icing sugar/confectioners sugar: this powdered sugar has a fine texture; you can make one at home by grinding regular sugar with cornstarch for up to 5 minutes and stirring every minute, and then sifting it to remove any lumps.
11. Maple syrup: I used a combination of maple syrup and icing sugar to make the maple glaze that's topped on our pecan banana bread.

See the recipe card for full quantities and step-by-step directions.

How to make Pecan Banana Bread

The simple rule of making cakes is to mix the dry ingredients together, mix the wet ingredients together and then combine the two, trying not to knock out any of the air to keep it light and fluffy.

So, we begin.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Roughly chop half the pecans into small pieces and the other half into larger chunks.
3. Mash the bananas to a complete mush with a fork and then mix in the yogurt.

4. In a bowl, whisk the sugar and butter together until it is smooth and fluffy.

5. Slowly add the eggs and then the mashed bananas with yogurt. You can use a stand mixer for this part; I just like having the control an electric whisk gives me.

6. Combine the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda together in a separate bowl, and then fold into the wet mixture.

7. Stir through the small chunks of pecans, and then pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.

8. Bake in the oven for around an hour. It needs quite a long time to cook as it's such a wet batter.

9. Remove to a cooling rack to allow the cake to cool completely.

10. To make the icing, boil the water in a kettle or on the stovetop.

12. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually but briskly stir in the water to avoid any lumps. Add the maple syrup and stir until it is smooth and combined. If it is too runny/too thick, then add a splash of more water or a bit more icing sugar to get the desired consistency. As this is a glaze, I like it to be more on the runny side, so it isn't a thick glop of icing on top that is very sweet. But you might like it that way!

13. Pour the maple glaze over the banana bread and then sprinkle the rest of the chopped pecans on top so they stick to the glaze. Slice up and serve!

Hint: To test if the cake is baked, poke a skewer into the top and check it comes out clean and with no batter stuck to it.

Substitutions and variations

Here are a few ways you can adapt this recipe to suit you and your store cupboard.

1. Nuts - instead of pecans, you could try walnuts or even Brazil nuts.
2. Bananas - if you have more bananas to use, then just reduce the amount of yogurt.
3. Yogurt - Similarly, if you don't have enough bananas, then use extra yogurt, and you can even use banana yogurt to keep the banana taste!

Love banana bread? Try these banana bread muffins for a smaller, bite-sized snack or something to serve at parties.

Equipment

You will need a rectangular bread pan around 20cm x 12.5cm / 8in x 5in, small and large mixing bowls. You will also need an electric whisk or a stand mixer for this Pecan banana bread with maple glaze recipe.

How to store leftover Banana Pecan Bread

Store this banana bread in an airtight container; it will keep for 3-4 days.

You can also freeze banana bread and then ice/decorate it once it's thawed.

Top tips for best moist banana bread with pecans

1. You can adjust the amount of water you use in the maple glaze to make it thicker as you prefer.
2. Ripen your bananas quickly by putting them in the oven until the skin is brown and the inside soft.
3. Measure your flour.
4. Don't over-mix the batter.

FAQ

More dessert recipes to try

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