Preheat Your Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.

Mash the Bananas: In a large bowl, mash your ripe bananas using a fork or potato masher. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be.

Mix the Wet Ingredients: Add sugar, egg, melted butter, and vegetable oil to the mashed bananas. Whisk together until fully combined. You want a smooth and glossy mixture at this stage.

Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures the baking soda is evenly distributed and prevents clumps in your batter.

Combine Wet and Dry: Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir until just combined—overmixing can make your bread dense instead of fluffy.

Add Walnuts: Fold in chopped walnuts for a delightful crunch. If you prefer a nut-free version, you can omit this step or replace the walnuts with chocolate chips.

Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool & Serve: Once baked, allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy with your favorite coffee or tea!