How do you make Texas Pecan Banana Bread? Start with perfectly ripe bananas, fold in toasted Texas Hill Country pecans, and bake until golden. The key is using really dark, spotty bananas — the sweeter the better — and toasting your pecans first to bring out their buttery flavor. This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prep and an hour to bake, giving you a moist, nutty loaf that's pure Texas comfort.
Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters
Texas pecans bound with buttery caramel and covered in rich dark chocolate.
Shop NowThe Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas (the blacker the better)
- 1 cup Texas Hill Country pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Optional: ½ cup chocolate chips for extra indulgence
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line with parchment for easy removal.
- Toast the pecans. Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. This step makes all the difference — it deepens their flavor and adds crunch. Let cool, then chop roughly.
- Mash the bananas. In a large bowl, mash those overripe bananas with a fork. You want some texture, not baby food. The browner your bananas, the more natural sweetness you'll get.
- Mix wet ingredients. Add melted butter to the mashed bananas and stir. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Bring it together. Add dry ingredients to wet, stirring just until combined. Overmixing makes for tough bread. Fold in those toasted pecans (and chocolate chips if using).
- Bake. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 55-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should be golden brown and cracked — that's what you want.
- Cool and serve. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Slice thick. Best served warm with a pat of butter.
Dark Chocolate Pecan Butter Toffee
Buttery toffee with Texas pecans covered in dark chocolate, 15 bite-size pieces.
Shop NowChef's Notes
Why Texas pecans? Hill Country pecans have a richer, more buttery flavor than varieties from other regions. It's the limestone soil and our unique climate. When you toast them, that flavor comes alive.
The banana rule: If your bananas don't have spots, they're not ready. I mean really spotty — almost black. That's when the starches have converted to sugars. You can speed this up by baking unpeeled bananas at 300°F for 15-20 minutes until the skins turn black.
Storage: Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for 3-4 days. It actually gets better on day two as the flavors meld. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months — just wrap in plastic, then foil.
Chocolate variation: For a chocolate chip version, fold in ½ cup dark chocolate chips with the pecans. Our Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters, chopped roughly, make an incredible addition too.
About This Recipe
This recipe comes from years of perfecting banana bread in our Hill Country kitchen. We wanted something that showcased our local pecans — the same ones we use in our chocolate confections. The result is a loaf that's moist, deeply flavored, and unmistakably Texan.
Pair a warm slice with our Gourmet Drinking Chocolate on a cool Hill Country morning. Or crumble it over vanilla ice cream for dessert. However you serve it, this bread turns overripe bananas into something special.
Shop Our Pecan Collection
Handcrafted in Fredericksburg, Texas
