Banana Bread Without Baking Soda

Banana bread on a cutting board being sliced.

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5 from 13 votes

Banana Bread Without Baking Soda

This is a classic banana bread without baking soda. Instead this easy recipe uses baking powder and basic ingredients

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 337kcal

Author: Janice Lawandi

Equipment

Ingredients

250 grams bleached all-purpose flour
10 mL baking powder
5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
175 grams unsalted butter softened
200 grams granulated sugar or a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar
2 large egg(s) room temperature
5 mL pure vanilla extract
300 grams mashed banana roughly 3 ripe bananas, approximately 450 grams with peel

Metric - US

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (175 °C). Butter and flour an 8½ x4½-inch (21.5x11.5 cm) loaf pan OR a 9x5-inch (23x12.5 cm) loaf pan, then line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for at least 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl often to make sure the mixture is evenly whipped.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each addition. Mix in the vanilla, if using, or add it when you add the banana.
Stir in the flour mixture, alternating with the banana, beginning and ending with flour.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf cake pan. Smooth the top to even it out.
Bake for 60–65 minutes for a 9x5" loaf or up to 75 minutes for an 8.5"x4.5" pan, until the edges are a deep golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Notes

I have tested this recipe in a 9-x5-inch pan, an 8.5x4.5-inch pan, and also a small 9x4-inch Pullman pan. All three work well. Don't use a pan smaller than this because the cake won't bake properly.
Use the largest bananas you can find for this recipe: I used a pound of bananas and after peeling, I was left with roughly 330 grams of fruit, which works out to 330 mL (1⅓ cups). This recipe could accommodate up to 375 mL (1½ cups) of mashed banana but don't use more than that because you may end up with a gummy layer at the bottom.
This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
Make sure the bananas are very ripe (black even).
If you are using frozen bananas for this recipe, please make sure to do the following:
- defrost the bananas
- peel the bananas and place in a strainer set over a bowl
- press very gently to squeeze out the liquid
- either discard the banana liquid OR place the liquid in a saucepan and boil it down to a couple tablespoons, stirring often so that it doesn't burn. Add this banana concentrate to the bananas and proceed with recipe.
If you want to make a fancier banana bread, add any of the following:
- 250 mL (1 cup) chocolate chips
- 250 mL (1 cup) chopped walnuts or chopped pecans
- 5 mL (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 10 mL (2 tsp) ground cardamom
- 3.75 mL (¾ tsp) ground nutmeg
You can also use a thermometer to check if your cake is done baking and the internal temperature should register around 212 ºF or 100 ºC when it's done.
If you don't have eggs or are allergic, try this eggless banana bread recipe.

Nutrition