Banana Bread (with No Baking Soda) (2024)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I’ve been on the hunt for this the perfect banana bread recipe for a while now and this one ticks all the boxes. I love that this recipe is made without baking soda and that it uses a ton of bananas. It’s versatile and can be made with frozen or fresh bananas and you can add in nuts or chocolate chips easily if that’s your style. I think you’ll agree this is the best banana bread you’ve ever made!

Ingredient Notes

• Butter. Butter adds fantastic flavor to this banana bread recipe. Unlike oil, butter can have air whipped into it making it lighter, not too dense, and an overall better texture.
• Brown Sugar. The molasses in brown sugar adds moisture and an extra rich, slightly smokey flavor that white sugar lacks.
• Eggs. Eggs are a binder and expand when baked, helping the bread rise.
• Vanilla. Vanilla adds flavor and complements the banana.
• Bananas. You’ll need super ripe bananas for this recipe, the darker the better.
• Flour. Basic all-purpose flour is what we use.
• Salt. Salt is a flavor enhancer and a little salt adds so much to this recipe.
• Baking Powder. This is our no baking soda banana bread, so we use baking powder to help the bread rise and create a delicious quick bread that isn’t too dense. If you’d like to substitute baking soda for baking powder scroll down towards the bottom four our guide to baking powder vs. baking soda.

How to Make this Recipe

1. Cream Butter and Sugar. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream together butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until your mixture is light and fluffy. Beat the mixture for 3-4 minutes, the mixture should lighten and grow slightly in volume.
2. Add Bananas. Mash your bananas thoroughly until there are little to no chunks before adding it to the creamed mixture. Mix them together.

3. Add Dry Ingredients. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold into the mixture until there are no streaks of flour. Do not overmix. If you want to add nuts, chocolate chips, or any other mix-ins add them in now.
4. Pour. Pour into a greased loaf pan.

5. Smooth. Smooth the batter so it is even and level.
6. Top with Sugar. Sprinkle sugar on top of the batter. The sugar will caramelize the top and give it a subtle crunch.
7. Bake. Bake for 55-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (a few moist crumbs is okay too). Cool completely before eating.

Bananas Weren’t Ripe Enough

As bananas ripen their sugar and starch content changes. The riper the bananas the higher the sugar content which will create a lighter banana bread. Firmer, yellow bananas are starchier and will create a denser, more close-textured slice of banana bread.

Too Much Banana

If you add too much mashed banana to your batter the dry to liquid ratio will be off. Your banana bread will come out wetter, denser, and gummy texture.

Leavening Agent is Old

Baking powder and baking soda need to be replaced regularly. Over time these raising agents lose their leavening power and won’t work as well. Check the best by dates on the baking powder and baking soda in your fridge or pantry and throw them out if their past their prime.

Butter Was Too Soft

This recipe calls for room temperature butter. If you used melted or even butter that was too soft then not enough air will be whipped into your butter, sugar, and eggs as they are creamed together. Creaming these ingredients together for several minutes whips air into the mixture and will lift the bread and give it a more delicate crumb.

Bread Was Underbaked

If your bread underbaked the eggs and leavening agent will not have enough time to work their magic in the oven and lift the bread. Underbaked bread will be denser. If you cut into the bread and it’s underbaked you’ll likely see that the bread is much denser at the bottom of the loaf and the center is a little doughy.

To check the bread for doneness, take toothpick and insert it into the center of the bread, if there is anything stuck to it when you remove it beyond a few moist crumbs it will need to bake longer.

On the flipside, if you overbake the banana bread it will be drier than you might like. It is important to keep an eye on the bread once in the oven. The bake time can vary drastically based on the ripeness and sugar content of your bananas. If the bread starts to look too dark on top before it is done, cover it with tinfoil will it continues to bake in the oven .

Tried the Bread While Warm

This no baking soda banana bread is best after it cools. One thing I found is that when I sliced into the bread before it was cool, the texture was gummier, and flavor was not as rich. So be patient, we’re making the perfect banana bread here. Give it the extra time for it to cool, and enjoy it that much more when it’s done.

FAQs & Expert Tips

Banana Bread vs. Banana Cake

Banana bread and banana cake can seem very similar. In most instances if you compare the two banana cake is lighter and sweeter than banana bread.

Banana Bread with Frozen Bananas

It’s popular to take your over ripe bananas and throw the in the freezer to be used another day. This is a great way to store ripe bananas, but when using them in banana bread you’ll have to take an extra step to prepare them for banana bread.

When using frozen bananas you’ll need to thaw the bananas completely, peel the fruit and place it in a colander or a strainer to drain off any extra liquid. Extra liquid in baked goods can ruin the outcome.

Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

Baking powder and baking soda—both are common leavening agents used in baking. Their names are similar and they even look similar with both being white powders. However, each works a little differently in recipes.

Baking soda requires an acidic ingredient to activate it and create carbon dioxide and rise in your baked goods. Baking soda can have a strong metallic or soapy flavor to some people. I personally do not notice it in baked goods.

Baking powder is a complete leavening agent, meaning it doesn’t need any additional acidic ingredients. It is activated when baking powder is mixed with a liquid and then heat activated when baked

Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder?

While substituting baking soda and baking powder in recipes is not always ideal and I usually recommend doing what the recipe says, you can do it in a pinch.

Typically the ratio of substitution for baking soda to baking powder is 1:4. You’ll sometimes see 1:3, but I prefer the 1: 4 ratio. For example, if a recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of baking powder you can substitute 1 teaspoon of baking soda.

What can I substitute for baking powder in banana bread?

In this recipe you can substitute baking soda for the baking powder. This recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of baking powder, so instead use 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Use this Recipe to make Banana Muffins

Turn this banana bread without baking soda recipe into banana muffins instead! They’ll be a little denser than your traditional muffin but will taste great.

Follow the instructions for making the batter, then scoop the batter in a greased or lined muffin tin. Sprinkle a little white sugar on top and Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. This recipe will yield about 12 muffins.

How to Store Banana Bread

Room Temperature

Our banana bread without baking soda is best eaten within 2 days. Keep it covered when not eating it so the bread does not dry out.

How to Freeze Banana Bread

If you would like to freeze your banana bread, first make sure it is completely cool. Then, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so there is no space or air between the bread. Wrap it a second time or place it in a freezer gallon bag. Double wrapping it will ensure it doesn’t get freezer burned. When ready to eat, thaw completely before eating. It is best eaten within 3 months of freezing.

What to do with Leftovers

If you’re looking for other ways to use up this no baking soda banana bread here are some of my favorites:

Use it in banana pudding. Try swapping the vanilla wafers in this banana pudding recipe for chunks of banana bread!

Make a sundae. Warm up a slice of banana bead in the microwave and top it off with some vanilla ice cream and a salted caramel sauce.

We Think You'll Love these Other Recipes Too!