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Ina Garten-Style Sour Cream Banana Bread with Walnut Topping

Ina Garten banana bread with sour cream for exceptional moisture and a refined, bakery-quality crumb. Golden crust and decorative whole walnut halves are pressed into the top before baking for a classic banana loaf finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread batter
  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until smooth with a few small lumps for texture.
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter Room temperature so it creams properly.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Granulated sugar.
  • 2 large eggs Room temperature for easier mixing.
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup sour cream Full-fat for best moisture and crumb tenderness.
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt Use 1/2 tsp kosher salt (not table salt).
  • 0.5 cup walnuts Toast and roughly chop for batter, reserve whole halves for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Preheat and prepare the loaf pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease a 9x5 loaf pan and dust with flour so the loaf releases cleanly.
Cream and mix the batter
  1. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes, with the mixture looking paler and airy.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each, until the batter turns smooth and glossy.
  3. Mix in the vanilla and sour cream until fully combined, creating a thick, creamy base.
  4. Stir in the mashed bananas until just incorporated, with no dry banana streaks visible.
Combine dry ingredients and add walnuts
  1. Fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined, stopping as soon as you don’t see any flour pockets.
  2. Fold in the chopped walnuts so they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Bake and finish
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then press whole walnut halves down the center for a decorative ridge.
  2. Bake for 65–70 minutes at 350°F until deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  3. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes before turning out so it holds its shape and sliceable crumb.

Notes

Pro tip: press the walnut halves firmly into the center so they stay visible after baking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze wrapped slices for up to 3 months. For a dairy-light swap, use plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream to keep the moisture and tang.