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How To Store Banana Bread So It Stays Fresh And Moist

Don't let your banana bread go bad before you enjoy every slice.

Molly Allen is a previous bakery owner and freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience focused on food and beverage, lifestyle, travel and parties. Her work has been published in Taste of Home, HuffPost, and Brides, among others. When she’s not writing or baking, she can be found hiking or paddleboarding near Hood River, Oregon, where she calls home.

• How Long Does Banana Bread Last?

How Long To Let Banana Bread Cool

How to store banana bread at room temperature, how to store banana bread in the fridge, how to freeze banana bread, how to thaw banana bread, how to wrap banana bread for gifts.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Banana bread is a classic treat, whether you’re enjoying it for breakfast with a cup of coffee or taking a piece on-the-go for an afternoon snack. It’s the ideal use for leftover, overripe bananas and each slice of the quick bread can be served on its own or deliciously topped with butter or peanut butter .

But once you’ve baked the perfect loaf, how exactly should you store this timeless treat? Below, learn the best ways to store banana bread to keep it fresh and moist, because the last thing you want to do is bite into a stale, dry slice. 

First, How Long Does Banana Bread Last?

Wrapped well and stored at room temperature, banana bread will last about five days. If stored in the fridge, it should last a full week.

A frozen loaf of banana bread will last up to a year in the freezer, wrapped well with storage wrap and aluminum foil. But for the best flavor, you should thaw and eat it within three months.

Once a loaf of banana bread is fully baked and taken out of the oven, it’s crucial to allow it to fully cool. Banana bread retains heat, especially in the center of the loaf. If the loaf is still warm once it’s wrapped for storage, condensation can form, which can lead to mold. Ensuring the whole loaf has fully cooled, one to two hours, will aid in better storage for longer-lasting banana bread.

If you’re planning to eat your banana bread within three to four days, it can be left out at room temperature. To keep it fresh, place a paper towel in the bottom of an airtight container. Place the loaf of banana bread on top, add another paper towel, and put the lid on the container.

You can also use this method with an airtight storage bag. The goal is to keep air away from the loaf while using the paper towels to soak up any excess moisture to avoid molding.

Many people love to enjoy a slice of cold banana bread with butter on top. If that’s your preference, you can absolutely store your loaf in the fridge. Just know, this method will cause the banana bread to dry out faster than leaving it at room temperature or in the freezer.

To store banana bread in the fridge, wrap it in plastic wrap, making sure the entire loaf is covered. Place the wrapped loaf in an airtight container or airtight storage bag. Store the banana bread in the fridge for seven days.

Hoping to make several loaves of banana bread and keep them on hand? Banana bread freezes really well.

Once the loaf is fully cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap. Then, wrap the loaf in aluminum foil. This will ensure it’s airtight and will keep the loaf from drying out and avoid freezer burn. Store the wrapped loaf in the freezer for up to three months.

If you’d rather store pre-cut slices of banana bread in the freezer instead, you can use the same method. Slice the banana bread, and wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.

If you have banana bread tucked away in the freezer, take it out to thaw and enjoy a treat. Leave the loaf wrapped and let it sit out on the counter for two to three hours to fully thaw.

If you’d prefer to speed up the process, remove the plastic wrap and aluminum foil . Wrap the loaf back up in the foil, and place it in the oven. Turn the oven on to 350°F, and leave the banana bread in the oven to warm for 45 to 60 minutes. Keeping it wrapped in foil will help to retain its moisture while slowing warming it up to temperature and thawing the bread.  

Banana bread is an excellent food gift . But if you’re baking plenty of loaves for friends and family, you’ll want to make sure it’s wrapped to keep it moist and delicious.

To ensure you’re gifting the best freshly-baked banana bread, wrap the fully cooled loaf in plastic wrap first. Then, place the loaf in a cellophane bag or wrap it in parchment paper. Tie the bag or wrapped loaf with a bow, and add a sweet note on a gift tag.

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How to Store Banana Bread to Keep It Fresh for Longer

Make the most of your homemade loaf.

Corey Williams is a food writer for MyRecipes and Allrecipes. She has a decade of journalism experience.

Who doesn’t love a slice of homemade banana bread? Keep your freshly made loaf moist and flavorful for as long as possible by storing it properly — and never suffer through a dried out slice again.  

ALLRECIPES / QI AI

How Long Does Banana Bread Last? 

Banana bread will last anywhere from a few days to one year, depending on how you store it. Here's a handy guide to keep in mind:

How to Store Banana Bread At Room Temperature

The best way to store banana bread is at room temperature in an airtight container. Though it will only stay fresh for about four days on the counter, this will keep your banana bread tasting the freshest. 

To store homemade banana bread at room temperature:

• Place a paper towel at the bottom of an airtight container or in a zip-top bag. 
• Place the cooled banana bread on top of it, then cover the loaf with another paper towel.
• Seal the container tightly and store at room temperature for up to four days. 

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

How to Store Banana Bread In the Fridge

If you’re someone who prefers your slice of banana bread cold, the refrigerator storage method is for you. Plus, it’ll keep the banana bread fresh for a few days longer than the room temperature method. There’s one caveat: The chilly air in the fridge is likely to slightly dry the loaf out (but it should still be absolutely delicious). 

To store banana bread in the refrigerator:

• Seal the container tightly and refrigerate for up to one week. 

DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS

How to Freeze Banana Bread

Freezing banana bread is a great option for people who A.) love banana bread and/or B.) like to bake a lot of loaves at once. 

To freeze banana bread: 

• Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in one layer of storage wrap.
• Wrap the loaf tightly again in a layer of aluminum foil. 
• Freeze for up to one year. 

How to Thaw Banana Bread

To thaw the frozen banana bread, remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for two to three hours. If you need it thawed sooner, you can bake it at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes. 

Storage Tip

Don’t unwrap the banana bread during the thawing process. Keeping the loaf wrapped in storage wrap and foil will keep it moist. 

You may also like: 

• I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Banana Bread Recipes and There Was One Clear Winner
• 26 Best Banana Breads to Make the Most of Ripe Bananas
• 6 Little Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Banana Bread

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Does Banana Bread Need To Be Refrigerated?

Author: Jesper | Published: 31/08/2022 | Updated: 31/08/2022 | Comments: Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy

Do you have some bananas left over, then making delicious banana bread is the way to avoid them going to waste! Even though kids and adults love it, you can save some for later and have it ready when friends visit, snacks for lunch box, or picnic! If you have some leftovers or baked some extra loaves, how do you best store them? Does banana bread need to be refrigerated, and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Banana bread is best eaten within a few days and should be stored cool on the countertop at normal room temperature, but if you cannot finish the bread you have baked, refrigerating it will make it last up to a week. If you have made some extra loaves, you can easily place them in the freezer for 3-4 months. 

Why should banana bread be stored in cool places, and when should you refrigerate or freeze your banana bread? We will tackle those questions and more in this article.

How Long Does Banana Bread Last?

Many variables can dictate how long banana bread will last. To know more about the methods of storing banana bread and its shelf life, you should check out our article How Long Does Banana Bread Last . However, this article will only briefly touch on the topic.

Banana bread is one of the more favorable bread for long storage. Because it has a lot of moisture from the banana, the bread loaf can stay fresh and edible for around 4-5 days if you store it cool. By cool we mean the normal room temperature, typically around 20°C (68 degrees Fahrenheit). If your kitchen or elsewhere where you store your banana bread is warmer than normal room temperature, your bread will go bad quick. To keep it fresh, then you should place it in the fridge. In the refrigerator, you can leave it for up to a week. 

Does Refrigerating Help?

Cooling or refrigerating your banana bread can keep it intact and safe for a more extended period. Specifically, banana bread can last up to one week in the refrigerator. While the fridge is convenient (as you can eat the banana bread loaf as desired), it does not have enough power to keep your food fresh for longer. Then freezing is the way.

Let’s talk about freezing. Freezing can store good-tasting banana bread for up to three months. However, banana bread stored at constant zero degrees Fahrenheit can retain an edible status for quite a while.

When Should I Freeze, Refrigerate, Or Store At Room Temperature My Banana Bread?

Does banana bread need to be refrigerated? Most of the time, yes, but not necessarily. There are some issues with all three forms of storing banana bread: freezing, refrigerating, and room temperature. We will tackle all of those issues below. 

There are appropriate times for specific storing methods. There are many things to consider when discussing which storage method to use. However, there is one that we have mentioned continuously in this article: the expected consumption time.

How Should I Store My Banana Bread (Based On Expected Time Of Consumption)

• Are you planning to finish the loaf in a day or two? Store it at room temperature (around 20°C – 68 degrees Fahrenheit). 
• Are you planning to eat the loaf for over a week? Store it in the fridge.
• Do you not know when you will be touching banana bread again? Store it in the freezer.

Things You Will Need To Consider Before Deciding on a Storing Medium

• Foil and zip locks are integral for storing banana bread in the freezer or the fridge. One does this process to avoid odors and flavors of other food sticking to your loaf.
• For freezing, you will need to defrost your loaf for a considerable amount of time before you can eat it.
• Room temperature storage is unpredictable and can introduce variables that may speed up spoiling. These variables are changes in temperature, humidity changes, microbial exposure, etc.
• Storing banana bread through refrigeration allows you to eat the said banana bread on demand. Because refrigeration does not freeze or harden your bread, most of the time, defrosting is not needed. 
• Due to chemical reactions, frozen bread can taste better than refrigerated bread (explained in-depth later).

What Happens When I Refrigerate My Banana Bread?

Back in the olden days, there used to be a presence of counters and boxes filled with bread called bread boxes. Today, most bread boxes are only present in bakers, enabling bakers to store their bread at room temperature for an extended period, protected from the elements that may induce spoiling (or hasten it). However, since Fred Wolf introduced the modern refrigerator, refrigeration has gotten more and more traction, and today, almost all households have them. An epiphany then rises: is an environment as cool as a refrigerator good for your banana bread?

The Bread Science Of Refrigerated Bread

Storing your banana bread in the refrigerator can help make it stay edible and safe to eat for extended periods, but there can be compromises regarding the taste. As to why that is, let us understand it through bread science. (Alpers, Thekla, et al., 2021)

Why Does Bread Taste Different After Being Refrigerated?

• The dough used in banana bread contains starch, which in its primitive form, takes the form of a crystalline. The crystalline structures in starch arrange themselves in a rigid pattern. 
• When one makes dough, the starch absorbs the water. This absorption results in crystalline structures turning amorphous. What amorphous means is that the crystalline forms are now less defined and are not as rigid as before.
• As the banana bread dough gets heated, the crystalline structures further break down.
• After baking, the temperature cools down, and the crystalline structures try to reshape into a more rigid form. This process is also called “retrogradation.”
• Retrogradation is the primary reason banana bread stales, meaning dries out and gets hardened. While staling is normal, even at room temperature, problems arise regarding refrigeration.
• Refrigeration speeds this process up, especially for temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit but above 32 degrees Fahrenheit (above freezing).
• On the other hand, freezing slows the crystallization process down by a significant margin. As such, we can imply that banana bread stales faster in the fridge than in the freezer.

Is Refrigerated Banana Bread Bad For Your Health?

Considering the convenience of the fridge, we tend to rely on it overly. We use it for the food we will finish later, even though it’s not always necessary. As such, is refrigerating banana bread unhealthy?

Refrigerated banana bread is not harmful to your health; it is usually not unhealthy (unless exposed to potentially dangerous elements such as rotting food). However, compared to freshly baked banana bread, refrigerated banana bread is less healthy, as it loses nutrients. 

“During the process of refrigeration and storage, there is a loss of essential nutrients, as well as some loss of color, flavor, and texture,” says Pooja Malhotra, a nutritionist in Delhi. However, refrigeration prolongs the shelf life of the food, so we don’t have much choice but to refrigerate food. Another thing to note is that frigid temperatures can cause freeze injury and result in the loss of food texture.” ( source )

How Does Refrigerating Delay Banana Bread Spoiling?

Food waste in the United States is a big concern. According to the numbers produced by the US Department of Agriculture, 40 percent of all American food is food waste! This number means that many producers and consumers will throw as much as half of our food away. This is food that impoverished families and starving citizens could have eaten. Furthermore, according to the USDA, food spoilage is the leading cause of this food waste. ( source ) 

That is a shocking number! Have you ever considered how you contribute to this? What we can imply from food spoilage being the leading cause of food waste is that much of the food waste is preventable. Collectively, we could assess and find solutions to reduce it. At home, we can already employ such a method: refrigeration. So how does refrigeration slow down spoiling?

A Quick History On Refrigeration

Refrigerating our food as a means to preserve them may seem like an idea right out of the industrial era of the technological revolution. Still, the truth is the very thought of cooling our food to preserve said food originated from the prehistoric period. However, humans before did it differently, as prehistoric human civilizations covered their hunted meat with snow and ice. For an even more robust refrigeration system, they dug their meat and stored them underground, where the thick ground layer protected it from direct sunlight. ( source )

The Prehistoric Period

The very action of freezing food to preserve it extends far from prehistoric periods. More recent recordings proved that humans kept their food through ice boxes without refrigerators. Ice boxes were a unique gadget similar to today’s refrigerators, but they could not cool the food themselves. Instead, there was an ice delivery truck every day, where people would purchase ice for their ice boxes, delivered to homes in large half-meter chunks. 

However, the first electric refrigerator for domestic use was invented in 1913 by American Fred W. Wolf and was known as the Domelre or the DOMestic ELectric REfrigerator. Unfortunately for Wolf, his model was a failure, but one of his innovations, the ice cube tray, became popular and was incorporated into competitors’ models. ( source )

How Refrigeration Works

As to how refrigeration slows down spoiling, it all has to do with the microorganisms responsible for the spoilage of banana bread. It can manifest in different forms, but it mainly involves bacteria and fungi (specifically a particular class of fungi called molds). These microorganisms struggle to cultivate a colony under cold conditions as they slow down significantly.

Some microorganisms do not survive at all in freezing conditions. This feature is why sometimes, food can stay indefinitely edible as long as they are permanently frozen. However, aside from freezing, there are other forms of preservation, such as salting, as salt can prevent microorganisms from growing, creating a hostile environment for them. 

Signs Of A Staling Banana Bread

Staling and eventually spoiling is a natural process for most food products, including banana bread. However, how does one know if banana bread is stale or spoiled?

Is My Banana Bread Stale Or Spoiled?

• One of the tell-tale signs of whether banana bread is turning stale is to check how hard it is. As explained earlier, crystalline structures slowly harden and form rigid structures as it cools. As such, the longer banana bread stays at cooler temperatures (even at room temperature), it sets and stales.
• Checking the texture and the taste is also a fool-proof way to check whether banana bread is stale. While the smell might not be affected, there will be a change in taste and texture. Do note that stale bread, most of the time, is still edible.
• Checking for molds is the easiest way to know if your banana bread is spoiled. Molds indicate that strong microorganism colonies are already living in your banana bread. These colonies also affect how banana bread smells and tastes.

So, does banana bread need to be refrigerated? Unless you plan to eat your banana bread for the next 24 to 48 hours, you can keep it cool at normal room temperature. If you want to keep it longer, banana bread does need to be refrigerated.

However, there are some considerations you might need to know. For example, freezing your bread needs defrosting but can make your banana bread last longer. On the other hand, refrigerating your banana bread makes it more convenient, yet at the same time, your bread may be less tasty.

Banana bread is affected by the chemical reactions in the dough. Initially, the flour used in the dough has rigid crystalline structures; as it turns into the dough and is baked, the crystalline structures mix and mash. After cooling down, it forms a wooden structure again, inducing staling.

Freezing and cooling prevent food from spoiling, creating a hostile environment for microorganisms that induce the spoiling process. On the other hand, when your banana bread hardens and has a change in taste, it has gone stale. If it has molded, it is unedible and spoiled.

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• In The Kitchen
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How to Store and Freeze Banana Bread

Too many overripe bananas got you down? Bake some tasty banana bread and freeze it for later! Then, thaw and reheat it like it's fresh from the oven whenever a banana bread craving strikes.

Summer has spent the last 12 years working in food media and she's the author of the award-winning book "New Prairie Kitchen."

Elise Bauer

How to Store Fresh Baked Banana Bread

How long does banana bread last, how to freeze banana bread, how to thaw banana bread, how to “quick” thaw a half or full loaf.

My husband eats two bananas a day. Every day. Without fail. Sometimes my kids also eat lots of bananas. However, as soon as I increase the banana supply entering my house, the kids declare allegiance to apples, and my husband gets a cold.

Suddenly, I’m staring down a bowl of spotted, overripe fruit. Banana Bread to the rescue!

I often make two or three loaves at a time. I keep one loaf on the counter to enjoy over the next few days and freeze the remaining loaves for a day when I need breakfast, or company is coming over.

Today, I’m sharing a few tips and tricks for storing, freezing, and thawing banana bread so it’s as fresh as the day you made it.

Erin Alderson

The best place to store banana bread you’re planning to eat right away is on the countertop. Never store it in the refrigerator. A refrigerator circulates cool air, which removes moisture and can prematurely dry breads and cakes.

Place your cooled loaf on a plate and cover it in plastic wrap, or store it in an airtight container. Store it for up to four days on your counter.

Banana bread can keep for up to four days on your counter before you begin to notice changes in texture. When day five or six rolls around, the bread will begin to dry out, but it will still be fine to eat. Pop a slice in the toaster, and you will never know the difference.

If you notice mold, it’s time play like Elsa and “ Let it Go .”

Banana bread will keep in the freezer until the end of time, but it’s at its best when used within three or four months. It’s still edible after that timeframe, but it’s likely to develop freezer burn when kept much longer, and that can impact the taste and texture.

You can freeze slices, half loaves, or whole loaves. I prefer to wrap loaves and slices in foil, place them in a zip-top bag, remove as much air as I can, then freeze for up to four months. I find that this is enough to keep freezer burn away. (Also, you can reuse both the foil and the bag, yay!)

When testing the best ways to wrap and freeze the bread, I used plastic wrap by itself, plastic wrap and foil, and just foil. All versions were also placed in a zip-top bag. I didn’t notice any difference between the textures or taste of the bread with any of these, so use what you have on hand.

• How to Freeze Slices: Double wrap each slice individually in foil then put the wrapped slices in a zip-top bag. I double wrap slices because more of the bread’s surface is exposed, which could dry out easier than a whole loaf. Remove as much air from the bag as possible without squishing the bread. Place the bag in the freezer and remove slices as needed for a ready-made breakfast.
• How to Freeze a Half Loaf: Slice the cooled loaf in half. Wrap it in foil. Place the foil wrapped loaf in a zip-top bag, remove as much air as possible, and place it in the freezer.
• To Freeze a Whole Loaf: Wrap the whole loaf in aluminum foil. Store it in a zip-top bag. Squeeze as much air out as you can without smooshing the bread. Plop it in the freezer and save it for a rainy day. Or a sunny day. Any day, really.

It’s easy to thaw banana bread either on the countertop or in the oven. It all depends on the amount of time you have.

• How to Thaw Slices: Remove a pre-wrapped slice of banana bread and leave it on the countertop for about 20 to 30 minutes. To speed up the process, unwrap the bread and zap it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. If you were my husband (or if you just like crispy edges) you would also put it in the toaster.
• To Thaw a Half Loaf: When you have a hankering for banana bread remove it from the zip-top bag and let it thaw on the counter for 2 hours.
• How to Thaw a Whole Loaf: Once you’ve determined today is the day you need to eat banana bread, pat yourself on the back. It’s going to be a good day. Then, remove the loaf from the zip-top bag, but keep the loaf in the foil. (Save the bag for freezing pancakes .) Leave the loaf on the counter, go write some letters to an old friend or two. Return four hours later to find thawed banana bread ready for you to eat.

Patience may be virtue, but banana bread is a relentless temptress. If you just can’t wait for the frozen banana bread to thaw on the countertop, or you’re craving the sweet aroma of bananas and sugar wafting through your home, thaw banana bread in the oven.

Remove the half or whole loaf from the zip-top bag, but keep the foil on. Place it directly on the rack of your oven. Turn the oven to 350°F and set your timer: 40 minutes for a half loaf, or 90 minutes for a whole loaf. The bread will thaw as the oven warms and comes to temp.

Remove the bread from the oven, and let it stand in the foil for 10 minutes. This allows residual heat to continue thawing the bread.

When it’s cool enough to handle, unwrap it, slice it, and slather it with butter. Mmmm, butter.

Our Favorite Banana Bread Recipes!

Need some banana bread right now?! Try any of these great recipes:

• Classic Banana Bread
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Chocolate Banana Bread
• Vegan Banana Bread

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Is Banana Bread Healthy?

Leigh is a New York-based freelance writer with a decade of experience in media. She has been contributing to Byrdie since June 2019, specializing in wellness.

Shereen Jegtvig is an author, fact-checker, and expert on health and wellness in the lifestyle space.

In This Article

Once an easy way to make use of overripe bananas as long as you had a few other simple baking ingredients lying around, banana bread has risen to the forefront of our baking conversations in recent months—right up there with sourdough bread.

As the loaves pile up and we chow down on this dense, perfectly sweet bread day after day for breakfast, second breakfast , snack time, and dessert, the question arises: Is banana bread healthy? We chatted with a dietician and a nutritionist about what they think about this sweet treat. Scroll ahead for everything you need to know about this ultra-popular baked good.

Meet the Expert

• Maggie Michalczyk is a Chicago-based registered dietitian who specializes in millennial nutrition. She creates nutrient-dense, seasonal recipes and is the founder of the blog Once Upon A Pumpkin.
• Chelsea Markham is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, as well as the Founder of  Markham Method .

What Is Banana Bread?

A traditional banana bread recipe is made of very ripe bananas (you know the type we're talking about—not quite rotten, but not quite edible either), flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking soda, and salt.

The first-ever banana bread recipe was published by Pillsbury in 1933 , which was right in the middle of the Great Depression. Thanks to food scarcity, the Great Depression was a time when people worked hard to use every scrap of food they had, which included making use of over overripe, otherwise inedible, bananas.

Why Is It So Popular Right Now?

Many of us can relate to wanting to put as much space between grocery trips as possible.

"I've baked, on average, about 40 loaves of banana bread since quarantine started,"  Shindy Chen , CEO of financial content agency  Scribe , said. "I love banana bread because it's like a celebration of how a fruit can endure; just like you can use a picked-clean rotisserie chicken to make stock, you can give over-ripe bananas another life and use them for this beautiful bread. There's simply no reason to throw away any banana. The more speckled and brown, the sweeter and naturally better."

Is Banana Bread Bad For You?

We all know what makes banana bread so great, and it's clear why it's having such a moment right now. But health-wise, how does banana bread stack up?

"I would say banana bread is moderately healthy depending on what ingredients you use to make it," says nutritionist Maggie Michalczyk. For example, you might sub butter for coconut oil, use organic flour or almond or coconut flour, or change the type of sweetener you use.

Chelsea Markham, a nutritional therapy practitioner and founder of Markham Method agrees. "The nutritional value varies from recipe to recipe but generally speaking, banana bread contains flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and butter," she notes. "This is a carb-heavy food item, high in sugar, and low in fiber and protein." 

"Sweetening it with honey is a great sugar swap as honey is 100% pure and unprocessed," says Michalczyk. "Adding ground flax seeds in the batter, nuts, or pumpkin seeds on top is great for healthy fats and extra protein." 

Or, you can consider cutting the suggested sweetener in your recipe in half. "Bananas are already quite sweet, so you don’t need to add much additional sugar," Markham recommends. "I suggest using coconut sugar instead of cane sugar, or maple syrup! I love baking with coconut sugar because it’s usually a 1:1 ratio. Coconut sugar contains vital nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and calcium, and also contains inulin, a fiber which helps slow down the absorption of glucose." And if you want to get a little extra protein in and make it so that your banana bread keeps you full longer, you might want to stop eating your slices plain. "Nut butter is the perfect topping to spread on top of banana bread for a little extra protein," explains Michalczyk.

Banana Bread Recipe

If adjusting your favorite banana bread recipe feels too intimidating, try recreating this recipe from Markham. She limits the amount of sugar and ups the protein by adding greek yogurt.

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe by Chelsea Markham

• 1 ½ cup organic flour 
• ¾ cup coconut sugar 
• ½ cup grass fed butter, softened 
• 1 organic pasture-raised egg 
• ¼ tsp cinnamon 
• 3 bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup greek yogurt 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then, grease a loaf pan and have at the ready.
• Using a hand mixer or electric mixer, combine sugar and butter in a medium-sized bowl. Then mix in the egg.
• In a separate bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
• Then in an additional bowl, add bananas and yogurt and mash together.
• Slowly begin to add the flour mixture to the banana-yogurt mixture, mixing together until fully combined.
• Pour into the coated loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Nutrition Facts

• Servings: 12 slices
• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 203 calories
• Fat: 8.3 grams
• Saturated Fat: 5 grams
• Carbohydrates: 30.9 grams
• Fiber: 1.2 grams
• Sugar: 15.8 grams
• Protein: 2.8 grams

The Takeaway

Even in its least healthy form—you know, full-on butter, flour, and sugar—there are way worse baked goods out there than banana bread, because bananas do provide some nutritional content along with natural sweetness.

But at what point are you overdoing it? "I say a slice a day is a nice happy medium of enjoying it as a treat," says Michalczyk. "Most loaves will freeze well, so if you're baking up multiple loaves you always have that option to not go overboard." 

So yes, you can have your banana bread and eat it too—whether or not you're getting creative with the ingredients you use. Enjoy!

Markham suggests paying attention to your diet as a whole rather than focusing on a specific food. "Instead of trying to focus on what NOT to eat, it’s important to begin adding these items: grass-fed meat, organic produce, and complex carbohydrates," she says.

The nutritional benefits of banana bread varies from recipe to recipe. In general, bananas are a great source of potassium, fiber, and also contain vitamin C. "Potassium is essential for nerve conduction and heart function, and fiber is required for proper digestion," Markham says.

Again, this can vary. However, Markham recommends sticking to whole foods with traditional ingredients. She tries to avoid preservatives and processed ingredients as much as possible.

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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Cinnamon is incorporated two ways in this banana bread! The batter itself is spiced with cinnamon, and there’s also a cinnamon-sugar swirl running throughout the loaf. This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy “anytime” dessert!

Walnuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit — I love mix-ins in my banana bread as much as the next person, but the simple combination of cinnamon and mashed bananas will forever be my favorite.

This banana bread recipe is infused with cinnamon two ways: in the batter itself, as well as the ribbon of cinnamon sugar running throughout the loaf. The cinnamon sugar swirl takes just a few extra moments to prepare, but it never fails to impress when revealed within the finished loaf!

Enjoy the bread as is, or reheat individual servings in the microwave and enjoy warm. It’s also an excellent way to use up those ripe bananas sitting on your counter!

Recipe Ingredients 

This recipe is just as easy to make as my classic banana bread . The cinnamon sugar swirl in the center of the loaf requires minimal effort on your part to prepare, but adds even more cinnamon flavor to the bread.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it: 

• Butter:  I prefer to use unsalted butter when I’m baking, so that’s what I used here. If you only have salted butter on hand, reduce the salt to 1/8 teaspoon.
• Sugar:  I used a blend of granulated and brown sugar to sweeten the bread and make it ultra moist. 
• Eggs:  Must be room temperature before being mixed into the batter. If you forget to sit them out ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. 
• Vanilla extract:  Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. 
• Bananas:  You’ll need about four large bananas for this recipe. They should be overripe and speckled, but not completely black. 
• All-purpose flour:  Spoon and level the flour when measuring it. Don’t scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup, otherwise the flour will be compacted and you’ll accidentally measure out too much. 
• Baking powder and baking soda:  The combination of the two helps the bread rise in the oven. If you’re a baking nerd (like myself), then I highly recommend reading my post on baking soda and baking powder . I explain more about the difference between the two and why some recipes use both.
• Cinnamon and salt:  Cinnamon is used in the batter and in the cinnamon-sugar swirl. The salt balances out the sweetness of the batter and enhances the banana flavor. 

How to Make Cinnamon Banana Bread 

When preparing the banana bread, you can either create one larger swirl of cinnamon sugar in the center or you can create two smaller swirls. I walk you through both options in the recipe card below, but we’ll quickly review the basic recipe steps first.

• Prep the loaf pan: Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the pan with parchment paper. This is optional, but will make it much easier to remove the bread from the pan later on. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
• Combine the wet ingredients: You may use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer to cream together the butter and sugars. Then, mix in the eggs and vanilla. Add the mashed bananas last. The mixture may look a little curdled at this point, this is okay!
• Combine the dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
• Finish the batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.

• Make the cinnamon sugar mixture: Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Assemble the bread: Turn about half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with cinnamon sugar, and then pour the remaining batter over the top. (To make two swirls, add one-third of the batter to the pan, then half of the cinnamon sugar, another one-third of the batter, more cinnamon sugar, then the rest of the batter.)
• Bake: Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Typically two large bananas will yield 1 cup once mashed. This recipe calls for 2 cups of mashed bananas, which is equal to about four large bananas.

For best results, I recommend using bananas with lots of brown spots on them. They do not need to be completely black!

If the top of your banana bread browns well before the center of the loaf is finished cooking, loosely tent the pan with foil to prevent the bread from burning.

I recommend letting the banana bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

You can use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour in this recipe without noticing too much of a difference. If you prefer to only use whole wheat flour, I recommend making my whole wheat banana bread instead and adding the cinnamon swirl to that recipe.

Recipe Variations to Try

This bread is perfect as is, but you’re welcome to add mix-ins to the batter if desired. You can add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mix-ins, including:

• Chopped nuts
• Dried fruit
• Chocolate chips
• Fresh berries (chop larger berries into bite-sized pieces)
• Butterscotch chips
• Peanut butter chips
• Toffee bits

Baking Tips

• For the cinnamon swirl, you can either make one thicker layer or two slightly thinner layers. I’ve tried it both ways and they’re equally delicious.  
• Make sure not to over mix your batter, otherwise it can cause the bread to turn out dense and gummy.
• I think this recipe contains plenty of cinnamon as is, but you may add more if you prefer.

More Banana Recipes To Try!

• Banana Pudding Cheesecake
• Banana Pancakes
• Banana Cream Pie
• Homemade Banana Pudding
• Banana Muffins

Cinnamon Banana Bread

Ingredients.

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened (115 grams)
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• ▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
• ▢ 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups mashed banana (440 grams; about 4 large bananas)
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl

• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions  

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, line the pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
• Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla, making sure to mix well after each ingredient. Then, mix in the mashed banana.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, making sure not to overmix the batter.
• To make the cinnamon sugar swirl: In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
• For one layer of the cinnamon sugar: Pour about half of the banana bread into the loaf pan and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top, then pour the remaining batter on top.
• For two layers of the cinnamon sugar (like the pictures in the post): Pour about one-third of the batter in the loaf pan, sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top, and repeat layers, topping with the last third of the batter.
• Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the banana bread becomes too dark, tent with aluminum foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

More Desserts Using Ripe Bananas!

Banana Cupcakes

Banana Cookies

Classic Banana Bread

Banana Crumb Cake

published on Aug 9, 2023

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103 comments on “Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread”

Family loved this second time this week I made it.

This banana bread is the absolute best! The cinnamon swirl makes it!

Fantastic, Danielle!!! Made it this morning into 4 small loaf pans. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.

Wonderful recipe! I’ve not had much luck with banana bread consistency and this is great!

I’ve made this recipe many times–always great. I just tried it with coconut oil instead of butter and it is amazingly light and delicious! Thanks for this go-to recipe!

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What Goes Well with Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of the most magical smells coming from the oven as it bakes. It’s a simple cake method recipe that can be made in about 15 minutes plus baking time.

What to spread on banana bread

• peanut butter
• hazelnut spread
• almond butter

What to put on banana bread

There are a few items you can put on top of banana bread including:

• cream cheese icing
• whipped cream
• vanilla custard
• chocolate pudding
• vanilla ice cream
• chocolate sauce
• maple syrup

Do you need to put butter on banana bread

If you’re banana bread is quite moist, you won’t need to put any butter on your banana bread when you serve it. But if you’re banana bread is dry and needs more moisture, spread a layer of butter on top of your banana bread before serving.

What goes well with banana bread?

Tea and coffee go well with serving banana bread. You can also serve yogurt and fruit with banana bread for a light meal.

What spices go well with banana

How do you moisten banana bread.

Banana bread is made with the cake method, therefore you need to do as little mixing a physically possible. Even if there is a bit of flour showing as you mix the banana bread, once you put it in the mixing pan it will be fully mixed in. Only mixing your banana bread until it’s just combined will ensure your banana bread is moist and tasty. If you overmix your banana bread batter, this develops the gluten and causes it to be tough and dry. Serve your banana bread warm with a layer of butter on it to moisten your banana bread enough for your guests. Learn how to reheat banana bread so it retains it’s freshness.

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Easy Banana Bread (Classic Banana Bread)

This quick & easy banana bread recipe tastes delicious and is just like grandma’s old fashioned classic banana bread. It takes only 10 minutes or so to make this moist banana bread before putting it in the oven. In addition, this recipe only uses simple ingredients such as flour, butter, eggs, sugar… and of course, RIPE bananas. 

The key to great banana bread is RIPE bananas! Not green bananas. Not even perfectly yellow bananas. The best bananas (for banana bread) are those bananas that are soft and have lots of small black & brown spots on the yellow banana peel. Hard unripe green or yellow bananas have too much starch and are not very flavorful. In contrast, ripe bananas are sweeter, softer and have much more delicious banana flavor. Therefore, the best tasting banana breads are made with ripe bananas!!

Quick & Easy Banana Bread – Delicious!!

Recipe Sections

Ingredients

Instructions.

Helpful Tips

• Recipe Comments

As you probably know, banana bread is a type of “quick bread”. Quick breads use baking soda and/or baking powder to rise versus using yeast. Because quick breads rely on baking soda/powder, they rise more quickly than yeast breads. Most banana breads need only 65-70 minutes or so in the oven before they have risen & are fully cooked. Therefore, great tasting & moist banana breads are easy AND relatively quick to make! They are a perfect dessert or lunch snack. 

Key Ingredient – Ripe Bananas

FYI – This easy banana bread recipe takes me about 10-15 minutes to prepare and clean up. Please be aware that this is an oven-baked banana bread recipe. It is not made with a bread machine. 

• 3 – Bananas ( RIPE & large sized) – 345 grams – Use exactly 1 1/2 cups of mashed ripe bananas for the best results.
• 8 Tablespoons – Unsalted Butter (softened) – 115 grams
• 2 – Large Eggs – 114 grams – Not extra large or jumbo eggs.
• 1 Cup – White Granulated Sugar – 200 grams – If you want a slightly “richer” taste, you should use 1/2 cup of light brown sugar & 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar.
• 2 Cups – All Purpose Flour – 240 grams
• 1 Teaspoon – Vanilla Extract – 5 milliliters
• 1 Teaspoon – Baking Soda – 5 grams
• 1 Teaspoon – Baking Powder – 4 grams
• 1/2 Teaspoon – Salt – 3 grams
• Optional – 1 Cup – Chocolate Chips, Fresh Blueberries, Chopped Walnuts or Chopped Pecans

Servings – Roughly 12 slices

Equipment Needed  – Measuring cup & spoons, mixing bowl, long wooden spoon, 9 by 5 metal bread pan , oven mitts, silicon spatula, cooling rack and an oven.

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mash bananas with a fork.
• Soften butter in a microwave. FYI – I semi-melt the butter for better mixability.
• Stir bananas, butter, eggs & sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Mix until fully blended.
• Mix in the remaining ingredients. Stir until the batter is fully mixed.
• Optional – If you want to enhance this “basic” easy banana bread, you can stir in 1 cup of your family’s favorite dessert ingredient (i.e. chocolate chips or chopped walnuts) after you have mixed the batter.
• Pour the finished batter into a nonstick bread pan. Smooth out the top of the batter within the bread pan.
• Bake in the oven for 65-70 minutes at 325 degrees F or until golden brown.
• Take out of oven and let the banana bread cool down in the bread pan for 10 minutes . Use oven mitts. Do not remove the banana bread from the bread pan during this 10 minute cool down period.
• After 10 minutes, remove the banana bread from the bread pan. Place the banana bread on a cooling rack in order to completely cool. This cool down may take 1-2 hours.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully & to avoid common banana bread problems.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a comment below & give us a 5 star rating. Jump to comment section

Other Bread Dad Sections

• Bread Machines – My favorites!
• Bread Mixes – Buttermilk, rye, sourdough, French, etc.
• The tips below are designed to help banana bread “novices” and/or people with limited baking experience.
• Click on our “ print recipe ” link if you want to print out this recipe . It includes all of the recipe’s ingredients and instructions. However, the recipe print function does not include our tips section. Please read the tips section in order to avoid common recipe problems.
• This recipe is part of Bread Dad’s series on easy Banana Bread Recipes such as no butter banana bread, blueberry banana bread and chocolate chip banana bread.
• Use RIPE bananas for the best taste . Ripe bananas are soft and the exterior peel is yellow with many small black & brown spots. Hard yellow/green(ish) unripe bananas are too starchy and have much less banana flavor. FYI – Beautiful pure yellow bananas are not fully ripe!
• If you use UNRIPE bananas, your banana bread will taste bland!!!
• Make sure to use 3 large bananas (not 3 medium bananas). Otherwise, this easy banana bread might turn out to be a little dry.
• To reduce errors (i.e. potential moisture variability) when making this recipe, you should use EXACTLY 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas . This will help prevent banana bread problems (i.e. the banana bread being too dry or too wet).
• Emergency tip – If you have less than 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas, you can add a little milk to the measuring cup until you reach the 1 1/2 cup level.
• FYI – In general, 3 medium-sized bananas equal roughly 1 to 1 1/4 cups of mashed bananas (not sliced bananas). 3 large-sized bananas equal roughly 1 1/3 to 1 2/3 cups of mashed bananas (not sliced bananas). Of course, banana sizes can vary greatly… and my version of medium and large-sized bananas may differ from yours!
• Emergency Tip 2 – If your bananas are not fully ripe, you can add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to this recipe. The use of unripe bananas results in a bland banana bread and the cinnamon helps to combat this “blandness”.
• Visitors – What do you like to add to banana bread in order to make it even better or special? Do you add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, ground cinnamon, add a glaze topping, etc.? Please post your banana bread tips & variations in the comment box below . Your banana bread suggestions & comments are a great help to beginning bakers.
• Optional – You can easily turn this easy banana bread into a banana nut bread by adding 1 cup of chopped walnuts or chopped pecans.
• Optional – Instead of chopped nuts, you also can “enhance” this easy banana bread by adding 1 cup of your family’s favorite dessert ingredient such as chocolate chips, blueberries, golden raisins, cranberries, etc.
• Optional – If you have run out of butter or you are trying to reduce the saturated fat in your family’s diet, you might like to try our No Butter Banana Bread . It is very similar to this recipe… but the main difference is that it uses vegetable oil instead of butter.
• Optional – If you want your banana bread to have a slightly “richer” taste , you should use 1/2 cup of light brown sugar & 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar.
• Optional – Some people like to add spices (i.e. cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) to their banana breads. As I stated in the “emergency tip 2” above, you can add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to this recipe (especially if your bananas are not fully ripe).
• Use FRESH ingredients (i.e. baking soda and flour) for the best results. For example, if you use stale baking soda and/or baking powder, your banana bread will not rise properly and will be too dense. Baking soda & powder is best if used within 6 months of opening the container. Using baking soda from an open container (that has been deodorizing your refrigerator for months) may lead to subpar results. Old & hard baking soda/powder may lead to rising problems and/or leave small bitter clumps in your banana bread.
• Try to keep your ingredients (i.e. flour) in airtight food containers in order to extend their shelf life and avoid spoilage (i.e. exposure to moisture, pests and dust).
• Do NOT use an electric mixer to mix your ingredients (when combining the wet and dry ingredients). Stick to an old fashioned wooden spoon. An electric mixer can overmix the ingredients and the banana bread will turn out rubbery & gummy.
• This doesn’t happen often but if the top of the banana bread looks too moist or under cooked, you should try the “toothpick test” . Gently push a toothpick into the top of the bread and see if any batter sticks to the toothpick. If batter is sticking to the toothpick then it hasn’t completely cooked. Place the bread pan back into the still hot oven for another 2 or 3 minutes. Make sure to wear oven gloves because the bread pan will be very hot. After the 2 or 3 minutes, remove the bread pan and test the banana bread again with a tooth pick.
• Instead of the “toothpick test”, some people like to use a bread thermometer to test if their banana bread is done. Generally, a “quick bread” (i.e. banana bread or pumpkin bread) is done when the internal temperature reaches 200-205 degrees F. Just make sure to measure the temperature in the center of the loaf for the most accurate reading.
• Make sure that your oven has been completely preheated . If the oven has not been properly preheated, this banana bread could come out undercooked. Use an oven thermometer (that hangs inside the oven) to check the interior oven temperature.
• Please use the suggested 9 x 5 bread pan to make this recipe. If you start using different sized pans, there is a greater potential for bread top collapses (potentially less bread pan “wall” support for the quick bread as it rises), different interior batter to exterior bread ratios (thus the need for different baking time lengths), smaller pans are more likely to overflow, etc.
• My recipes are based on using a metal bread pan and NOT a glass bread pan . Glass bread pans bake faster than metal bread pans. If you use a glass bread pan for my recipes, you are more likely to overbake your banana bread (i.e. burnt crust).
• My recipes are based on using a regular oven and NOT a convection oven . Convection ovens bake faster than regular ovens and require less baking time than what is stated in my recipes.
• Place your banana bread in the middle of your oven . If you place it on the top or bottom racks, the banana bread may be too near the oven’s heating element and bake faster than expected.
• Optional – To prevent your banana bread from sticking to the bottom of the bread pan (especially if you are using “sticky” ingredients such as chocolate chips or fresh cranberries), you should consider either “greasing” the bottom of the pan with butter or vegetable oil, using a cooking spray, using a nonstick bread pan or lining the interior of the bread pan with baking parchment paper.
• Baking parchment is probably the safest method for preventing sticking problems. It also allows you to lift the banana bread out of the pan without disturbing the top of the banana bread… in case you have added any special ingredients (such as chopped nuts or chocolate chips) to the top of the banana bread. FYI – Baking parchment paper is NOT regular paper. It is a specialty paper designed for use with baking. For more information, you might like to read this Wikipedia article .
• Long-term storage – If you want to keep your banana bread for more than 1-2 days, you will need to freeze it. Please read Bread Dad’s How To Freeze Banana Bread for more details.
• Problem with sinking middles? Then check out my Why Does My Banana Bread Sink In The Middle? page for reasons & potential solutions.
• If you have a problem with a banana bread recipe, please make sure that you are following the recipe exactly (i.e. using the correct oven temperature), using the correct amounts of ingredients (i.e. don’t eyeball the measurements versus using a measuring cup or accidentally add a tablespoon when a teaspoon is called for), using the correct ingredients (i.e. baking soda/powder versus yeast or all purpose flour versus bread flour), etc. Please don’t “wing” things with recipes .
• My recipes are based on US ingredient measurements (i.e. US cups & tablespoons). However, as a courtesy to our European visitors, I have also included some very ROUGH European equivalents (i.e. grams & milliliters). Since I rarely use European measurements when baking, please let me know in the comment section below if any of the European ingredient measurements need to be changed (i.e. for XYZ ingredient, milliliters are more commonly used versus the grams information listed in the recipe).
• Always wear oven mitts/gloves when dealing with a hot oven and bread pan .
• For more delicious banana bread recipes (i.e. cranberry banana bread or blueberry banana bread), please visit Bread Dad’s sections on easy Banana Bread Recipes .

Highlighted Recipe

• Olive Oil Rosemary Bread Recipe – This recipe creates a great smelling… and great tasting bread!

Easy Banana Bread Recipe – Questions

What is banana bread?

Banana bread is a type of sweet “quick bread” focused on the wonderful taste of bananas. It is much more similar to a muffin or cake than a sandwich-type bread. You can make many different banana bread variations including Blueberry Banana Bread , Brown Sugar Banana Bread , Cranberry Banana Bread , Chocolate Chip Banana Bread , No Butter Banana Bread , Vegan Banana Bread , Walnut Banana Bread & many more. Banana breads are perfect as a snack, breakfast treat or lunch/dinner dessert.

Banana bread and other sweet quick bread recipes generally use baking soda and/or baking powder as a leavening agent (which helps the banana bread to rise). Banana breads do not use slow rising bread yeast as a leavening agent (unlike regular sandwich type breads).

Can I make banana bread without butter?

Yes, you can make banana bread without butter. You just need to substitute vegetable oil for the butter. They are almost equal substitutes. For example, 1 tablespoon of butter equals 3/4 to 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (depending on the oil used). In addition, when making banana bread, you should use a neutral flavored vegetable oil (i.e. corn or canola oil). Strongly flavored vegetable oils can negatively impact the flavor of banana breads.

Many people like to make “no butter” banana breads because they have run out of butter, they want to use a cheaper alternative to butter or they are trying to reduce the saturated fat in their diet. Therefore, if you are looking for a classic banana bread recipe made without butter, you should try our easy Banana Bread with Oil recipe.

I want to make my banana bread special. What other ingredients can I add to banana bread?

You can add a ton of different ingredients to a classic banana bread recipe in order to make it special & a hit with your family. Some common ingredients that people like to add to basic banana bread include blueberries, chocolate chips, cranberries, chopped walnuts, peanut butter, butterscotch chips, etc. If you would like to see recipes for a wide variety of moist banana breads with lots of different flavors, you should visit our section on Easy Banana Bread Variations .

My grandmother made banana bread with walnuts. Do you have a recipe for a classic banana bread with walnuts?

If you are looking for an old fashioned banana bread with walnuts, you should try our Walnut Banana Bread recipe. It is delicious and easy to make. In contrast, the recipe on this page is for a classic banana bread without nuts and is for people who dislike nuts or who have a nut allergy.

Is banana bread a type of quick bread?

Yes, banana bread is a type of sweet quick bread. In the United States, quick breads are breads that use faster rising baking soda/powder and do not use slower rising bread yeasts. Other types of quick breads include beer bread, carrot bread, cornbread, etc. Check out our Quick Bread Recipes section for many different sweet quick bread recipes.

I have run out of bananas. Can I make a similar type of quick bread dessert?

If you have run out of bananas and can’t easily get to the store, you can make an applesauce bread . An applesauce bread tastes very similar to banana bread. It just has a mild apple flavor versus a banana flavor. Moreover, an applesauce bread uses most of the same ingredients as a banana bread (well except the bananas!). You can also easily add your family’s favorite dessert ingredient (i.e. chocolate chips or blueberries) in order to “enhance” your applesauce bread and make it a special treat.

Can I make muffins from banana bread recipes?

Yes. It is very easy to make muffins from banana bread recipes. You are essentially taking the banana bread batter, pouring/scooping it into muffin trays and creating banana bread muffins. Check out our Easy Muffin Recipes section for many great banana bread muffin ideas (such as our Blueberry Banana Muffins , Cranberry Banana Muffins , Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins and No Butter Banana Muffins ).

What other fruit can I add to banana bread?

Besides bananas, you can add a huge variety of fruit to banana bread. For example, you can add fresh fruit such as blueberries , cranberries , strawberries , etc. You can also add dried fruit such as golden raisins , dried cranberries, etc. You can also mix & match! Anyone for blueberry & cranberry banana bread?!!

Reference Sources

• Wikipedia, Banana
• Wikipedia, Banana Bread

• 3 Bananas ( RIPE & large sized) – Use 1 1/2 cups of mashed ripe bananas to be exact.
• 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 2 Eggs (large)
• 1 Cup White Granulated Sugar – If you want a slightly "richer" taste, you should use 1/2 cup of light brown sugar & 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar.
• 2 Cups Flour (all purpose flour)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• Mix in remaining ingredients. Stir until the batter is fully mixed.
• Optional – If you want to enhance this easy “basic” banana bread, you can stir in 1 cup of your family’s favorite dessert ingredient (i.e. chocolate chips or chopped walnuts) after you have mixed the batter.
• Bake in the oven for 65-70 minutes at 325 degree F or until golden brown.
• Take out of oven and let the banana bread cool down in the bread pan for 10 minutes. Use oven mitts. Do not remove the banana bread from the bread pan during this 10 minute cool down period.

Related Recipes

• Bread Machine – Banana Bread
• No Butter Banana Bread
• No Egg Banana Bread
• 2 Banana Bread
• 4 Banana Bread
• Vegan Banana Bread

Please leave a comment & recipe in the comment box below.

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I want to thank EVERYONE who leaves a comment in our recipe comment sections!! Beginners learn a lot from your tips & recipe variations. Below are some of our recent noteworthy visitor comments .

• Colen posted a fantastic upgrade to my Bread Machine White Bread recipe – ” Made this first with my bread machine. The bread was excellent, however I don’t like like the shape of the loaf from the bread machine so decided to try again using the bread machine on the leaven dough setting to allow me to bake it in the oven. I allowed it to rise twice after removing it from the machine then baked it for 28 minutes at 405 degrees. Scored the top with a razor blade and brushed it with butter before baking. Excellent! Thank you! “
• Wendy posted an amazing raisin coconut pecan variation of my No Butter Banana Bread Recipe – “ I found this recipe because I was searching for a banana bread made with oil. I’ve made it several times. I make it with avocado oil, adding raisins, unsweetened shredded coconut and toasted pecans. Invariably delicious! “
• Bill has made a number of great variations of my Bread Machine Naan Recipe – “ I’ve been making this recipe at least 3 times a week and have been making different variations of it such as green onion, garlic, parmesan and others. Also, thank you for the tips, pictures, ideas and additional recipes. You will always be my first resource point for bread machine recipes, points, tips and the ease of which you present the complete start to finish process of your recipes, “
• Jackie posted a nice upgrade to my No Yeast White Bread Recipe – “ Hi, this bread turned out great. I added Everything bagel seasoning and cayenne pepper to the dry mix. Brushed the top of the uncooked loaf with an egg wash and a little more bagel seasoning. ” 
• Tony B  created a bacon lovers version of my Bread Machine Cheese Bread – “ I used a popular brand 4 state cheddar (a very nice blend of sharps) and 3 TBS of “real” bacon bits. The flavors complemented each other so well. It was the perfect bread to serve with my chicken cacciatore. Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes! “

For more visitor tips, recipe variations & humorous baking stories , please visit Bread Dad’s Noteworthy Visitor Comments page.

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Does Banana Bread Rise? (And What’s Wrong When It Doesn’t?)

By: Author Sarah Bridenstine

Posted on Last updated: January 13, 2024

Categories Quick Bread

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Banana bread is a great thing to eat when you’re in the mood for a snack. It’s something that’s tasty, and it doesn’t take that long to make.

To add to this, you’ll find it’s a good way to keep yourself from wasting bananas. Use some of your bananas that are getting a bit too ripe, and turn them into a delicious dessert when you’re in the mood for something sweet.

You probably already know that banana bread is a bit different from traditional bread. It’s a type of quick bread , but does it still rise?

Read on to learn about whether banana bread rises. You’ll have a better understanding of the process that it goes through when baking when all is said and done.

Does Banana Bread Rise When Cooking?

Yes, banana bread does rise when cooking. This is a type of quick bread that doesn’t require yeast to rise.

It isn’t even necessary to knead the bread to get it to rise. You simply put leavening ingredients in the bread, and it’ll rise during the normal baking process.

How Much Does It Rise?

Banana bread generally rises quite a bit. When you mix the batter together , you’ll pour it into a bread pan.

The batter will be fairly flat in the pan when you put it in the oven. Over the course of sixty minutes, the bread will rise substantially.

You’ll see that the banana bread has risen slightly over the lip of the bread pan when you take it out. This is totally normal.

It might rise a little more or less than usual, depending on the ingredients that you choose to use. Just know that rising is normal.

What Makes It Rise?

Leavening agents are added to the banana bread batter to make it rise. Typically, you’ll put either baking soda or baking powder in the mixture.

These ingredients are leavening agents that help to create air bubbles in the batter. It’s these air bubbles that cause the bread to rise.

There are other types of leavening agents that you can use, but baking powder and baking soda are the most common. Make sure to use the right amount of these ingredients so things will turn out properly.

If you don’t, you could wind up having the bread turn out flat. Always follow your recipe carefully.

How to Make Banana Bread Rise

To make banana bread rise, you must incorporate leavening agents into the batter. If the leavening agents aren’t present in the batter, the bread won’t rise as intended.

Be sure to use the right amount of baking soda or baking powder that is called for in the recipe. Using too much or too little can be detrimental to the bread.

Also, you need to bake the bread properly for it to rise. It needs to be baked at the right temperature, and it must bake for the right amount of time.

The standard way to bake banana bread is to put it in an oven for sixty minutes and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven should be preheated when the bread pan is put inside.

Ideally, you want to position the bread pan in the center of the oven. Putting the pan on the side of the oven might not get the best results if your oven has hot spots or other issues.

Why Is My Banana Bread Not Rising?

If your banana bread isn’t rising, there’s a good chance that something is wrong with the batter. You might have failed to use a leavening agent in it.

Did you forget to add baking soda or baking powder to the mixture? This oversight could be to blame for your bread not rising.

Otherwise, there could be something wrong with the oven. Are you using the right temperature?

Did you bake the banana bread for long enough? Make sure that you’re following the instructions in the recipe that you’re following.

Do your best to troubleshoot and figure out what went wrong. This can help you to avoid making the same mistake next time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that leavening agents can expire. Baking soda will only be effective for a certain period of time, and once it has gone past its expiration date, it won’t work as a leavening agent any longer.

You might have an inactive leavening agent that you’ll need to replace. In this case, you’d need to go buy more baking soda or baking powder from the store.

Sadly, there isn’t anything you can do to make the bread rise if your banana bread turns out flat. You might want to throw out this batch and try again.

You can test the bread to see if it tastes okay. If the bread is simply a bit sunken-in , you might have used too much flour or otherwise used an imbalance of ingredients.

Sometimes it can still taste fine even if it’s sunken in, but it depends on what went wrong. Testing the taste of the bread should be perfectly safe, and you can always throw it out if you think it tastes bad.

Why Did My Banana Bread Rise So Much?

When banana bread rises way too much, it means that you used too much leavening. You might have accidentally put twice the amount of baking soda or baking powder into the mixture.

Always be careful not to use too much of a certain ingredient. Even using a bit too much baking soda might cause the bread to overflow.

It can make a mess in the oven if things go wrong. When mixing your batter, take your time and try not to rush the measurement process.

Being careful and meticulous about measurements will lead to better results. This should help you to have the banana bread rise just the right amount that it needs to.

Final Thoughts

Banana bread does indeed rise, but you don’t need to use yeast for this type of bread. It’s a quick bread that rises due to leavening agents being included in the batter.

Baking soda or baking powder can be used to make the bread rise. It creates air pockets in the batter that helps the bread to rise while it bakes in the oven.

You must use the exact amount of baking soda or baking powder that the recipe calls for. Using too much or too little will cause problems, and the bread might not rise properly.

Remember that these leavening agents have expiration dates. They’ll only work as leavening agents for a certain time before they stop working.

You need to buy new baking soda and baking powder every so often. Luckily, these items can be found at the grocery store, and they’re rather inexpensive.

Be sure to bake the bread at the right temperature, too. Getting the baking temperature right and baking the bread long enough is an important part of the process.

Now that you know what to expect, it should be easier to bake banana bread. You can bake this treat whenever you want, but be sure to enjoy it in moderation since even a few slices of it contain quite a few calories.

Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.

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Saturday 18th of March 2023

We continue to have problems with quick breads not rising. We just get 'loaves' that are only close to 2" high, and they taste a bit 'gummy'. Baking powder and/or soda is measured correctly. Sometimes the 'loaf' is darker at the bottom. We are using recipes from a group cookbook.. most recently, the instructions were to bake at 300 degrees for 1 and 1/2 hour. Does anyone think we should have changed the recipe to stay with the 'typical' temperature of 350 degrees for 1 hour? Any other suggestions?

Sunday 26th of March 2023

@juna, That temp is too low try 375 or 400 for 45 minutes or until you test inside bread for a clean test to see if it's done properly!!! Oven all bake differently I have electric oven and it bakes extremely hot !!! Love it for Baking !!!