This Bourbon Pecan Banana Bread recipe is my all-time favorite banana bread! It is unbelievably moist, packed with tons of sweet bananas and toasted pecans. The top is drizzled with a Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup glaze that takes this bread to a whole new level! You can easily adapt this recipe to bourbon-free for the best pecan banana bread ever.
I can honestly say, I have not had excellent banana bread in a very long time. Of all the recipes I’ve made, there was always something missing from the taste and texture that kept that bread from being the best. My husband is not a fan of banana bread, so eventually the search for the best recipe stopped.
Recently, I’ve been seeing banana bread littered throughout my Instagram feed which has rekindled my cravings. However with all of my fall and winter recipes already planned out, it fell by the wayside.
Then, in this past week my good friends from The Maple Shop reached out to me with a recipe for this Bourbon Pecan Banana Bread. I could no longer ignore the forces of getting a banana bread on this blog! BETTER YET, the idea came about to use their one of a kind, Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup for a drizzle on top of this magnificent bread.
While this recipe is very simple, it is complex in flavor. Each component of this bread would be amazing on its own, but when they are combined together they create a beautiful marriage of flavor.
Key ingredients
- This recipe calls for 3 large bananas. Lots of banana flavor here!
- Pecans: You guys already know my love for pecans from my recent Butter Pecan Thins recipe. These soft and delicate nuts are toasted before getting tossed into the batter for an extra boost of nutty flavor! For a great deal on pecans, shop at a bulk store like Costco, BJs or Sam’s. You’ll need 1 cup for the recipe.
- Bourbon: The amount of bourbon in this recipe is 2 tablespoons. It’s not much, but it’s just enough to provide depth and a mellow background. If you’re not a bourbon fan, you could try spiced rum instead. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you could omit the bourbon.
- The Maple Glaze: When The Maple Shop & I chatted about this recipe, we decided the best add to this bread would be a glaze made with their own Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup. Of course, maple is a natural pairing with the other flavors, but the bourbon maple syrup adds a smooth and sweet boldness to contrast to the nutty bread. This glaze makes this bread totally over the top delicious. If you don’t have bourbon maple syrup on hand, you can substitute it with pure maple syrup with 1/2 teaspoon of bourbon for a similar effect. I definitely urge you to splurge for the real deal. Any leftover syrup is DELICIOUS on pancakes. 😉
| To pick up your own bottle of pure Vermont maple syrup, please contact The Maple Shop for order requests! |
This bourbon pecan banana bread came out so good, that my husband tried some and LOVED it!
How to make perfect Bourbon pecan banana bread
This recipe is really easy. Banana bread can be made in one bowl (although, I recommend whisking together the dry ingredients separate first!).
Heck, you don’t even need to break out an appliance! All it needs is a few stirs with a wooden spoon.
Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, I tossed in the chopped, toasted pecans. My immersion blender came with a tiny food processor attachment which is great for chopping small batches. I use it all the time! It’s a lot less to clean than a traditional food processor.
The thick batter is then poured into a greased loaf pan and baked for about an hour. I don’t know about you, but I actually have a lot of trouble with baking in loaf pans. The outside always seems to cook faster than the inside and I’ve often been left with raw batter in the middle.
Here’s how to avoid under-baked or over-baked banana bread. Start off baking at a higher temp for the first half of time, then drop the temperature for the last portion of the bake time. I also use aluminum foil to cover the edges so they don’t get too brown during the lengthy bake time. This method has worked very well for me!
Here is a quick how-to video on making this recipe. I really hope you give this banana bread a try!
Bourbon Pecan Banana Bread
Ingredients
For the Banana Bread
- 1 c chopped toasted pecans
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¾ c granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- ¼ c sour cream (full fat greek yogurt can be substituted)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large very ripe bananas (mashed, about 1½ cups)
For the Glaze
- 1 c powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp Bourbon Maple Syrup (regular maple syrup can be used + 1/2 tsp of bourbon)
- 1 tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Prepare a 9x5 standard loaf pan by greasing it well with vegetable shortening. Set aside.
- Chop pecans in a food processor into small pieces (about half the size of a pea). Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes until toasted. Allow to fully cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Mix. Add the sour cream and mix well.
- Next, stir in the eggs. Add the bourbon & vanilla extract. Combine.
- Add in the mashed bananas.
- Once all the wet ingredients are well incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients until all the flour is absorbed.
- Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Place the loaf pan on top of a baking sheet (in case there is spillage!). Bake for 40 minutes at 350°.
- Once 40 minutes is up, drop the temperature to 325°. Rotate the pan and place foil along the edges in case they are browning too much.
- Bake at 325° for another 20-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes and remove the bread from the pan. Finish cooling on a cooling rack.
- When the bread is cool, prepare the glaze.
- Mix the powdered sugar and syrup in a bowl with a whisk. Lastly, add the tablespoon of hot water until thick drizzling consistency is reached. Drizzle on top of the bread and allow to dry.
- This bread can be stored for several days in an airtight container or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
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