Banana Bread - Quick Bread for Machines Recipe

Name: Banana Bread - Quick Bread for Machines
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 2 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 0.75 cup white sugar; 2 large eggs; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 0.5 teaspoon baking soda

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 cups all-purpose flour
cup white sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Step 1: Place the bananas, flour, sugar, eggs, oil, baking powder, and baking soda in the bread machine pan.

Step 2: Select the Dough setting and press Start. Allow the dough to mix until it is well combined and the bananas are mashed (this should take about 3 to 5 minutes). Use a rubber spatula to push the dough from the sides of the pan if necessary.

Step 3: Press Stop, and smooth the top of the loaf using the rubber spatula.

Step 4: Select the Bake setting and press Start. Bake the dough in the bread machine for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 5: If the toothpick has batter on it, reset the machine to Bake mode and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 6: Once baking is complete, remove the pan from the bread machine. Allow the bread to remain in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Nutrient	Amount	% Daily Value
Calories	221
Total Fat	5g	7%
Saturated Fat	1g	5%
Cholesterol	37mg	12%
Sodium	126mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate	40g	14%
Dietary Fiber	1g	5%
Total Sugars	18g
Protein	4g	8%
Vitamin C	2mg	2%
Calcium	37mg	3%
Iron	2mg	8%
Potassium	125mg	3%

Note: Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Banana bread has become a beloved comfort food around the world. This quick bread recipe, perfect for bread machines, provides an easy and convenient way to enjoy this delicious treat without the hassle of kneading or baking in the oven. In this article, we will explore the origins, regional variations, and some fun facts about this classic dish.

History of Banana Bread

Banana bread as we know it today became popular in the United States during the Great Depression. The invention of baking powder and baking soda allowed for easy, quick breads that didnt require yeast. The use of overripe bananas, often discarded, made banana bread an economical and practical solution. Its rise in popularity was also fueled by the home-baking movement, especially after World War II, when many women baked at home during the post-war economic boom. The use of a bread machine for banana bread is a modern convenience, streamlining the process further for busy home bakers.

Regional Variations and Unique Twists

Banana bread recipes vary greatly depending on region and personal preference. In some parts of the United States, particularly the South, it is common to add nuts like pecans or walnuts for an extra crunch. In the Caribbean, some banana bread recipes include spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to add a warmer, more aromatic flavor. Some variations incorporate coconut or even chocolate chips, giving the bread a richer taste. The bread machine version of banana bread, which we explore in this recipe, offers an even more convenient method to prepare the treat without sacrificing taste.

How Banana Bread Differs from Similar Dishes

While banana bread shares similarities with other quick breads, like zucchini bread or pumpkin bread, its defining characteristic is the use of mashed bananas, which provide moisture and sweetness. Unlike yeast-based breads, which require rising and kneading, banana bread uses baking soda and baking powder for leavening, making it quicker and easier to prepare. Additionally, banana bread often has a denser, cakier texture compared to the airy crumb of yeast bread or sponge cakes.

Where to Serve Banana Bread

Banana bread is a versatile treat, enjoyed in a variety of settings. It is often served at breakfast or brunch, paired with coffee or tea, but it also makes a delicious snack or dessert. The bread is perfect for sharing at gatherings, picnics, or potlucks. Due to its quick preparation and minimal ingredients, its an excellent choice for a home-baking beginner or someone looking to use up overripe bananas.

Interesting Facts About Banana Bread

Banana bread became a household staple thanks to the rise of home baking during the 1940s and 50s.
Many people have unique family recipes for banana bread, often passed down through generations. These recipes include secret ingredients or tweaks that make the bread uniquely theirs.
Bananas, when mashed into bread, provide natural sweetness, reducing the need for large amounts of sugar.
Banana bread is often made with the leftovers of bananas that are too ripe to eat raw, making it a sustainable use of fruit that would otherwise go to waste.

Conclusion

Whether made in a traditional oven or a modern bread machine, banana bread remains a delicious and comforting treat. The combination of simplicity, flavor, and versatility has ensured its place in kitchens across the globe. From its humble beginnings to the many regional twists that have emerged over the years, banana bread continues to be enjoyed by families and friends, creating cherished moments and warm memories with every slice.

FAQ about Banana Bread - Quick Bread for Machines Recipe

Banana bread made in a bread machine should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep it fresh for longer, you can freeze the bread. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before placing it in the freezer. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Yes, you can substitute all-purpose flour with other types of flour like whole wheat flour or oat flour. However, using whole wheat flour may result in a denser texture. If you use oat flour, you might need to adjust the liquid content slightly, as it absorbs more moisture than all-purpose flour.

Yes, you can add nuts like walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips to the banana bread. It’s best to fold these in gently after the wet and dry ingredients have been mixed. You can also experiment with dried fruits or spices like cinnamon or vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.

If the batter is too dry, try adding a small amount of milk, yogurt, or applesauce to adjust the consistency. If the batter is too runny, it could be due to overripe bananas or too much liquid. You can add a little extra flour to thicken it, but be careful not to overdo it.

Yes, you can bake this banana bread in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you use a glass pan, you may need to lower the oven temperature slightly to prevent over-browning.

To ensure your banana bread is moist, make sure you're using ripe bananas with plenty of black spots, as they are sweeter and contain more moisture. Adding a bit of oil or applesauce can also help with moisture. Avoid overmixing the batter, as that can make the bread tough.

Yes, you can substitute vegetable oil with other oils like canola oil, melted coconut oil, or even melted butter. Each oil will slightly alter the flavor of the bread, so feel free to experiment based on your preference.

Yes, you can double the recipe to make two loaves. However, be mindful of your bread machine's capacity to handle the larger volume. If you are baking in the oven, you can divide the batter between two loaf pans and bake both at the same time. The baking time may need to be adjusted slightly.

A dense or rubbery banana bread can occur for several reasons. Overmixing the batter can cause this, as it develops the gluten in the flour. Using too many bananas or too much sugar can also result in a dense loaf. Be sure to follow the recipe closely and avoid overmixing the batter.

To prevent the bread from sticking, make sure to grease the pan thoroughly with butter or oil, or use parchment paper. If you’re using a bread machine, check that the pan is clean and well-greased before starting the process.

Comments

Marinated

10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM

Indescribably delicious! I usually make banana bread by hand, so I was a touch skeptical about using the bread machine, but it came out dense and golden and smelled wonderful while baking. I began with the recipe Dee provided, then I added an extra banana, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, a splash of vanilla, and in lieu of nuts, a heaping tbsp. of poppy seeds. I also added 4 oz. of plain applesauce (one of those individual cups). I used a Breadman Rapid Deluxe machine, which does not allow you to stop and then bake. Instead, I used the 1 pound setting and the "fruit/nut bread" option. It takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes to produce the loaf, but it mixes and stops and mixes and stops: the actual baking part is about an hour long. The banana bread had a more cakelike than breadlike texture (due to the addition of the applesauce) and was very dense, but oh so good! I love the ease and convenience of this recipe and I will use it often. A word of caution: use a rubber spatula to scrape the corners during the mixing phase to integrate all of the flour (be careful of the machine's mixing paddle), or some of the dry ingredients may get stuck in the corners of the pan. Enjoy!

Barb A

05/17/2017 11:28:03 PM

I'll admit I held my breath as I made this recipe, as I have a Sunbeam Bread Machine and like some other reviewers, there is not a separate bake cycle on it. Following the advice of others, I used the Quick Bread cycle and plunged ahead with the recipe. After reading the reviews, I added another banana, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1/4 tsp of salt. The bread is denser than other recipes I have made, that being said, it is tasty and I will make it again (not having to puree the banana was very positive!).

Betsy

12/04/2016 04:36:23 PM

Used the recipe, but baked it in the oven in a glass 8 1/2" loaf pan-Wonderfully crunchy crust on all sides, and moist on the in. After checking with reviews, I made these changes: added a 3rd small banana, subbed 1/4 c. brown sugar for one of the 3/4 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 chopped pecans, 1 tsp vanilla, & 2 Tbsp raisins. Also, I mixed the wet & dry ingredients separately, then added the dry to the beaten bananas, vanilla, oil, & egg, stirring gently just enough to mix. Then folded in the nuts & raisins. Baked at 350 for 45 min, checked it and decided to lower the temp to 325 for the last 5 min so as to not over-brown the outside. I have made this before in the bread machine, & the loaf turned out very soft, light colored, and short. In the oven it made a beautiful crispy tall full loaf. with a hint of cinnamon. YUM!

kelsnic

09/25/2023 11:12:40 PM

I have the master chef bread maker . I would mash the bananas next time . I added cinnamon and a splash of milk maybe just less than 1/4 cup after reading some reviews it was dry. I baked for 65 minutes ( 1 hr bake time pressed bake again and just stopped it after 5) it makes a cute little loaf . Next time I may add some apple sauce instead of milk because seems like lots of sugar for the small amount of bread but otherwise good first banana bread recipe in the maker . If you want an easy bread with less dishes or when you are busy to have the oven on . Otherwise make your normal oven recipe.

jturner443

11/07/2016 04:52:41 PM

I doubled the recipe, then adjusted it for high altitude. Added about a cup of chopped walnuts, a cup of chopped cranberries, and a cup of chocolate chips. I did not want to cook this in a bread machine because of the texture. So I allowed the machine to run until all ingredients were smooth. (Realized this will work with a regular mixer...) Then ladled it out into oiled mini muffin pans and baked it in the oven for 25 minutes. The results were fantastic. Thought the recipe would be too sweet, but absolutely loved it.

CinLarr

08/23/2017 03:00:04 PM

Turned out fantastic! I added a 3rd banana and 1/3 cup of walnuts. Made 2 loafs, first loaf cooked for 1 hr 20 min on light crust setting, second was on medium crust setting, used the same cook time so a little over done but still good. Love that there is no dairy in it so I can enjo y too.

Diane Bonn Damle

01/13/2018 02:48:23 PM

I am new to making bread so I tried this in my new Oster bread machine and set it on the quick bread menu and it came out great. I followed the directions as stated BUT I added a few of my favorite ingredients *** 1 tbsp cinnamon 1 tsp of vanilla and a handful of pecans . Very easy,.

Detra Wilson

06/22/2019 09:11:02 PM

I was looking for a quick recipe, bread machine and I landed on this recipe. This was the first time I'd used a bread machine. By the way, I recovered it from the basement of the building that I live in. Wow, I love it, I must admit I tweak it. 3 tablespoon of Vegetable oil spread, and one tablespoon of coconut oil .2 Frozen banana., and the eggs I just used the white s, whipped,. Oh,, I shouldn't forget self rising flour King Arthur's..in which I omitted the baking soda.

Spipy

04/04/2020 03:01:53 AM

SALT. HOLY , SALT. This recipe has no salt. The bread is fine, bready and not super moist or super dry, fine crust, worked in my bread machine fairly well, but holy cheese I can't put enough butter on this to fix the utter lack of SALT. Just throw a half teaspoon or so in. I'm sure that would make it at least 3 stars. Also, I had chunks of banana the size of my thumb, so don't trust the machine. Mash your bananas. I might add a little vanilla or spice or something since it's also a little bland, but that might still be the lack of salt talking. SALT.

Viktoriia Thorson

10/13/2015 12:53:01 PM

Yes, I will make it again. My husband said it's perfect. But I have some comments. I use this recipe but I doubled it and add 100 grams walnuts. It took 1 hour 30 minutes to cook it well. Also you need to be sure that dough mixed well, before baking, by checking with spatula in corners of the pan.

Nibbler Dynamite

05/13/2020 10:50:20 PM

This was easy, moist, and tasty enough that I'm making a second loaf to share the day after I made the first one. I took another reviewer's suggestion to add cinnamon (1 tsp for me) and vanilla (I just splashed it in -- it's probably 1 tsp). I also added an extra banana and a 1/2 c. of raisins. I whisked the eggs and mashed the bananas before adding them to the bread machine. I chose the 1 lb. quick bread option on my machine and it came out perfectly! This is a great base recipe for whatever you want to do with your own banana bread.

Mrs Becks

07/29/2025 08:08:46 AM

Thanks for this recipe. It is a no fuss quick to make quick bread. Having made this so many times, I just tweak it to my liking such as : adding oats and ground cinnamon or nuts and cranberries or chocolate chips. To make it more moist (like banana cake), add 2 -3 tablespoons of milk. I've also tried making it with whole wheat (turned out really dense!), used honey or brown instead of white sugar and combined bread and oat flour.

benshalom1948

02/11/2025 04:30:39 PM

I was not sure if this recipe would work, but wow! This bread turned out perfectly. For the second batch, I added a few chopped nuts and my homemade vanilla extract. YUM!

Annabelle

02/07/2025 01:14:38 AM

I altered slightly due to ingredients I had on hand. I used 3 bananas, brown sugar instead of white and just one half cup, and 4 tablespoons of butter instead of vegetable oil. I also added a tablespoon of cinnamon and a couple tablespoons of vanilla due to my families preference. Turned out beautiful! Really, I think the way it's written would have worked out great too. I'll try that next time I have all the ingredients on hand.

SavvyMash5169

01/14/2025 05:36:39 AM

Compared this recipe to others and added tsp vietnamese cinnamon, 1/8 tsp (?) salt and about 2 tsp vanilla extract - will try brown sugar next time instead of white. Smelled divine but baking time for my machine needed to be closer to 2 hrs and it still looks a little uncooked in the corner. Overall liked it very much!

SwiftGum7777

01/03/2025 07:27:27 PM

I just knew it was going to turn out awful because it was so liquidy to start...not like regular bread dough...it was much more watery in the start, but it baked perfectly...the taste was excellent...not too sweet, not too salty. I used salted butter and added the recipe-recommended salt...and it was perfect. I will definitely make it again. I also had to really mash the super over ripe bananas but that might have been my machine.

FunCream5968

12/22/2024 11:40:40 PM

Honestly, the worst banana bread and I've made various recipes. It was very flavorless and the texture seemed a bit rubbery. My daughter agreed.

FunNori8769

10/25/2024 06:25:53 PM

This was so simple! And I didn't have to get my apartment all hot using the oven! And it smells wonderful! I have 6 minutes before I can get it on the cooling rack.

Nancy King

09/11/2024 02:31:07 PM

It turned out so pretty too!

VividScoop3741

07/28/2024 01:20:21 AM

Made on a dual paddle machine. This bread came out very good but after the first loaf I made some changes. 3 bananas vs. 2, 1C brown sugar vs. 3/4C white sugar, 4Tbs of butter vs. 3Tbs oil. Really made it tasty. And, once everybody got their fill of banana bread, I swapped out the bananas for 1C applesauce. It came out great, a little taller than the banana bread but same texture. BTW, I am at 5000'.