Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5-inch baking pan. Set out butter and eggs to reach room temperature. Peel and slice the bananas (about 3-4 bananas, depending on their size). Chop the walnuts or crush them by placing them into a bag, using a hammer to crush them into chunks. If using the crushing method, make sure not to crush them too finely.

In a bowl, add in the banana slices, mashing them well with a fork.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, use a mixer on medium speed to beat together the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Beat the eggs into the butter and brown sugar mixture, adding one egg at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract and mashed bananas. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and add in the walnuts. Using a rubber spatula fold everything together until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Lightly drop the pan against the work surface for more even baking.

Bake the banana-nut bread for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool completely before removing from the pan.

In a saucepan, mix together the maple syrup, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and almond extract (if using). I prefer using the almond extract to have an even more nutty flavor, but feel free to omit this step if it's not to your taste.

Bring the syrup to a soft boil before allowing to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the syrup from burning.

Taste the syrup and adjust the spices to your taste.

Once the bread has fully cooled, cut into slices (I cut mine into squares instead), topping with the syrup. I prefer to add the syrup per slice after it's been plated, but you can top the whole loaf if you'd like. Keep in mind, however, that if you want bread to freeze for later, you can't apply the syrup directly.

Add syrup and enjoy your Banana-Nut Bread with Spiced Maple Syrup. 🍌

💡Tip: Banana bread will always taste better the day after baking. I highly recommend allowing the bread to sit overnight, making the syrup that morning to use immediately before serving.

💡Tip: If you don't serve the full loaf at once, this bread freezes well for up to three months. Do not freeze the bread if you've added syrup to the loaf.