Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Banana Bread

Recipe from Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal

Adapted by The New York Times

Updated March 13, 2026

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 2
Ready In
2½ hr
Rating
5(499)
Comments
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Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jake Gyllenhaal, both longtime fixtures of film and theater, warmly recall the banana bread that their mother, Naomi Foner, would often have waiting for them when they returned home from school. Over the years, and after many baking sessions, some of the written measurements in that recipe (saved from a Sunbeam recipe booklet) have been obscured. Now, the siblings make the banana bread to suit their own tastes. Their version has less sugar, twice as many nuts and a touch more baking soda than the original, resulting in a tender loaf that has a subtle sweetness and plenty of crunch.

Featured in: Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal Share a Beloved Family Recipe for Banana Bread

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Ingredients

Yield:1 (9-inch) loaf

  • ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

  • 1½ cups/192 grams all-purpose flour

  • 2½ teaspoons baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon fine salt

  • ⅔ cup/134 grams sugar, plus more for sprinkling

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1¼ cups/280 grams mashed ripe banana (from 2 ½ large)

  • ½ cup/110 grams sour cream

  • 1 cup/100 grams chopped toasted walnuts and pecans

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 12 servings)

38 grams carbs; 68 milligrams cholesterol; 399 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 335 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 18 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. 

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer on medium-high speed (or by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon), beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 1½ minutes, stopping and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Beat in the banana and sour cream until well blended.

  4. Step 4

    Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Beat on low just until blended, scraping the side of the bowl as necessary, then stir in the nuts.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer the batter to the prepared pan; sprinkle the top lightly with sugar. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

  6. Step 6

    Let the bread cool slightly in the pan, then loosen and remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool thoroughly before serving. Wrap leftover banana bread in foil and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
499 user ratings
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Comments

Lorraine Fina Stevenski

I make a similar banana bread and use 1/2 AP and 1/2 WW flour. I top with a fabulous toffee, praline and cinnamon crunch topping. My tip with using WW flour (or any flour) is to let the batter rest 15 minutes before baking. The flour needs a bit of time to absorb the moisture. This rest helps the bread to rise better too.

Christina

Made it. With greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Subbed whole wheat for half the flour and used half fresh and half frozen bananas. OMG SO GOOD. Love it. Can’t stop eating it.

susan

add a little shredded dark chocolate. Not chocolate chips, but a solid bar that you grate into the batter before adding nuts

Fran L.

I made this and added chopped mixed nuts, because I could not find pecans.Then I added coconut and golden raisins, about 3/4 cup each. This is luscious, moist bread, breakfast in a slice.

Sheila

Did anyone find that the loaf got really dark? Even at only 50 minutes, it was very dark. Has anyone tried cooking it at 325 instead?

NV

Love this banana bread. Dial down the soda to 1.5 tsp, chop the walnuts roughly (chunky!). It’s okay to sub Greek yogurt, and 1/2 ww pastry flour makes the crumb even better! As do way overripe bananas.

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