Set out butter ahead of time to soften for at least 30 minutes.

Use cooking spray or butter to grease loaf pan. I often opt for four mini loaf pans instead of a single large pan for easier freezing or gifting.

Preheat oven to 350º.

Add softened stick of butter and cup of sugar to mixing bowl and cream until well combined.

Crack two eggs in a bowl and scramble. Smash bananas and add to egg mixture. Continue smashing bananas with a fork and mix well with eggs. Add mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix well.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together well and add to mixing bowl. Mix with other ingredients slowly until just combined.

Add vanilla and nuts and mix again slowly until just combined.

Pour mixture into loaf pan(s) and bake for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on heat of oven and size of loaf pan(s). Mini loaf pans will bake more quickly, while a large loaf pan will need closer to an hour. I start checking at 45 minutes by removing the pan(s) and inserting a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If you use extra bananas, it may be trickier to determine if what comes out on the toothpick is banana or batter.

When finished, remove from oven and let cook for an hour. When removing from loaf pan, if it seems to be a little stuck, you can gently run a knife along the sides of the pan before attempting to turn it over again.

Store in the refrigerator to maintain freshness or freeze for later!