Mom grabs metal bowls from below the counter and a sifter. I grab the eggs and wet ingredients and the stand mixer hums away. I monitor it for a few seconds, then turn and watch her measure and sift while as the eggs whip. We have the TV on and it’s a Sunday. We just took a walk in the sun and ate lunch while catching up on our reality shows. She flicks water at my face when she washes her hands. I carefully pour oil into the mixer from an old orange measuring cup and she throws away my egg shells from on the counter. Our dear olive oil banana bread recipe.
Memories of Baking Olive Oil Banana Bread
After my part is done, I bring the bowl to the counter. Next to her bowl. And I fold them together as she asks me if she’s “free to go sit down”. I say yes and meticulously inspect the batter for clumps. I pour and scrape into a parchment-lined pan and pop it into the oven. She’s sitting in the living room and I can see the back of her head as I thumb at the half-broken kitchen timer, the strident beep repeating 60 agonizing times. I collapse on the sofa as she scans her iPad and we fill the afternoon and the home with cinnamon.
The Gold Standard of Banana Bread Recipes
My mom and I started baking our olive oil banana bread about 10 years ago. From the first moment I delved into Flour by Joanne Chang, I fell in love with the pillowy, velvety banana bread, streaked with flecks of banana and topped with a signature deep amber crust. Flour and batter scars and residual sticky note tape from my bookmarking cover the recipe page. It’s slightly glued shut, but we know the recipe by heart. I adapted my extra moist banana bread recipe from Joanne’s recipe, using olive oil and candied walnuts for a richer depth of flavor.
Candied nuts are one of my favorite things to add to baking projects. One of my favorite food memories is those crunchy, cinnamon-sugar coated almonds in a red checkered cone at Disney World. Candied pecans, almonds, walnuts, all make amazing snacks and toppings for baked goods to add a slightly salty caramelized crunch. I like to use them in crumble, and they’re surprisingly good with sharp cheese.
Nuts are Optional
So, when working on my ultimate zucchini bread, I impulsively decided to add candied walnuts to the batter. A slightly salty loaf with a bite of intense caramel crunch in every bite, white sang against cream cheese. My mom and I both said “oh my god” when we tried it. So naturally, I add candied nuts to my banana bread as well, and it’s just as good. Make sure the nuts are fully cooled and broken up slightly, not to the point where they become a dust. You can also sprinkle them over the top if you’d like, which I think could be even better.
I make the batter for this banana bread recipe with a whipped egg and sugar mixture. It whips into a stiff meringue-like consistency (not quite as stiff because of the fat in the egg yolks). So, when drizzling oil into the egg mixture, it’s imperative to take your time. I also recommend mushing the bananas together with the sour cream and vanilla before adding it to the egg mixture. Just to make sure it’s easy to emulsify.
Cake or Bread?
I also recommend adding the flour mixture 1/3 at a time so that you have plenty of time to make sure it’s all incorporated. It can sometimes become streaky and floury if you rush. When the top of the cake springs back, it’s ready. I like to undercook it slightly so it’s extra moist. There’s some debate about what makes banana bread vs. banana cake, and to me, this is banana cake. It’s leavened, moist, and a loose, silky batter. My friend from Australia convinced me that it’s called cake. And, I still have her loaf pan from college, so I owe it to her.
Check out my banana bread painting, recipe cards, and prints on Etsy! Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off.
Olive Oil Banana Bread with Caramelized Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 4 ripe bananas
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium stock pot, heat walnuts over medium heat until lightly toasted (3-5 minutes).
- Add sugar and turn up the heat to medium-high.
- Cook, constantly stirring until sugar beings to clump and caramelize. When you have an amber liquid coating the nuts, pour onto a silicon mat to cool and sprinkle with salt.
- In a stand mixer, whip eggs with sugar on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Turn mixer down to low-medium and slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified.
- Add sour cream, vanilla, and ripe bananas and mix until combined.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Break apart the cooled walnuts and add to the flour mixture.
- With a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, 1/3 at a time, until incorporated.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes until cake is golden and springs back when touched.
Notes
- You can also use pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds in the recipe instead of walnuts.
- It helps to mush the bananas first before adding to the cake mixture. You can mash them with the sour cream and vanilla, too, and add all of them in one step!
- Be careful of flour pockets when mixing in the dry ingredients. You don’t want to over-mix the batter, but make sure to check the batter thoroughly.
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