Baking

Avocado Nut Bread: Green. Tender. Secretly Delicious.

2 min

Mash the avocados smooth before anything else, because you want a full cup of soft green pulp with no lumps to fight you later. The fat in the avocado stands in for the butter or oil most quick breads lean on, so the crumb comes out tender and a little dense, the way banana bread does. A teaspoon of cinnamon is listed as optional, but it does real work covering the faint vegetal note avocado can leave behind. Fold the walnuts in last and stop stirring the second the flour disappears.

By Nora Calloway

Avocado in bread? Yes. And it’s incredible.

Avocado replaces butter or oil. The bread stays moist, tender, and surprisingly not green-tasting. Walnuts add crunch. Banana bread’s cooler, creamier cousin.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Preheat and Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line with parchment.

2 2

Mash Avocados

Mash avocados in a large bowl until smooth. Measure 1 cup.

3 3

Mix Wet Ingredients

Add brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla to mashed avocado. Whisk until combined.

4 4

Add Dry Ingredients

Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until just combined.

Fold in walnuts.

5 5

Bake

Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack.

6 6

Serve

Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. Great with butter or cream cheese.

Summary

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45-50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 1 loaf (8-10 slices)

Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

Room Temp:

Store wrapped tightly for 3 days.

Freezer Friendly:

Freeze for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Pro Tip:

Use ripe, almost-overripe avocados. They mash easier and give the best texture.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

45-50 minutes

Total

1 hour

Yield

1 loaf (8-10 slices)

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf (8-10 slices).

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
2 ripe avocados, mashed (about 1 cup)
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1
Preheat and Prep. Preheat and Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line with parchment. 2 2
2
Mash Avocados. Mash Avocados. Mash avocados in a large bowl until smooth. Measure 1 cup. 3 3
3
Mix Wet Ingredients. Mix Wet Ingredients. Add brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla to mashed avocado. Whisk until combined. 4 4
4
Add Dry Ingredients. Add Dry Ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until just combined. Fold in walnuts. 5 5
5
Bake. Bake. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack. 6 6
6
Serve. Serve. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. Great with butter or cream cheese
7
Room Temp:. Room Temp:. Store wrapped tightly for 3 days
8
Freezer Friendly:. Freezer Friendly:. Freeze for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature

Swaps & Substitutions

Walnuts → pecans work one-for-one; toasted pepitas keep it nut-free with similar crunch.
All-purpose flour → a 1:1 gluten-free blend bakes up fine, though the loaf sits a touch heavier and needs a few extra minutes.
Milk → the buttermilk option actually gives a better rise here; any unsweetened plant milk also works.
Brown sugar → white sugar plus a teaspoon of molasses, or just white sugar alone if you don't mind losing a little moisture.
Eggs → 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax in 6 tbsp water, rested 10 minutes) hold the loaf together, but it gets gummier and won't dome as much.
Ripe avocados → there's no good swap; underripe ones stay stringy and bitter, so wait until they yield to a gentle squeeze.

Questions & Answers

Why did my bread turn out gummy in the middle?

Usually underbaking or overmixing. Avocado holds a lot of moisture, so check at 45 minutes but be ready to go the full 50, and stir only until the flour disappears.

Will the loaf stay green after baking?

It bakes to a muted olive-green, sometimes with a few darker spots where avocado met heat. That's oxidation, not spoilage, and it tastes fine.

How do I store it and how long does it keep?

Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5. The avocado fat means it goes stale a bit faster than a butter loaf, so freeze slices if you want it to last.

Can I tell when it's done without a toothpick?

Press the center gently; it should spring back rather than leave a dent. A toothpick should come out clean or with a couple of dry crumbs, not wet batter.

Can I make it ahead or freeze it?

Yes. Cool it completely, wrap in plastic and then foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm slices briefly if you want that just-baked softness.

Avocado Nut Bread: Green. Tender. Secretly Delicious.