Moist, full of walnuts, and a great use for those brown, spotty bananas, this Banana Nut Bread is made without baking soda! And the best part, it's a one bowl wonder!
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, however this is at no cost to you.
Is there anything better than the smell of banana bread baking in the oven? My kids go on kicks with bananas. Some weeks I can't keep enough in the house, other weeks we have a whole bunch of bananas going very brown on the counter.
When that happens I break out my banana bread recipes! Check them out below!
- One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars
- Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a great way to use up spotty bananas! The spottier the better for banana bread! The natural sweetness from the spotty bananas makes this bread even sweeter without having to use much sugar.
- You only need one bowl! No need to break out the heavy equipment to make this recipe. Add all the ingredients to one bowl, mix, and you're ready to go!
- There's no baking soda! To replace the baking soda, you simply add 4 teaspoon of baking powder for 1 teaspoon of baking soda. It's just one less ingredient that you don't have to worry about adding.
Ingredients You'll Need
Most of these ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
- Bananas- You'll need brown, spotty bananas.
- Butter- to add fat to the bread. A neutral oil like vegetable oil will work in this recipe.
- Brown Sugar- For a little extra sweetness on top of the bananas.
- Walnuts- To give a little crunch to the banana bread.
- Baking Powder- To make the bread rise. Make sure your baking powder is not expired, or the bread will not rise at all.
Equipment You'll Need
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Spoon
- Loaf Pan
- Wire Rack- to cool the bread
Why No Baking Soda?
Baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate) is a type of leavening agent that needs an acid to activate. In banana bread, the bananas usually provide enough acid to activate the baking soda. There's a lot of science in baking!
Baking soda can have a very bitter taste if you use too much of it in a bread. To avoid that all together, we are using just baking powder to make this bread. Baking powder is activated by simply adding a liquid and then heating the bread.
How Is This Banana Bread Different?
- It's a little more dense than a normal banana bread. That is because it doesn't have the rise that a baking soda based banana bread would have and is also full of walnuts. It's still delicious though and perfect for toast or to eat with a slab of butter.
- The top is a little flatter. It doesn't make much of a difference taste wise, but it's noticeable.
- It will brown faster. When the banana bread is in the oven, keep an eye on it as you get closer to the end of the bake. If the banana bread gets too brown, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Let's Make Banana Nut Bread Without Baking Soda!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and set it aside.
Peel the bananas and mash them into a large bowl. Once the bananas are mashed, add the butter, sugar, and eggs. Mix well to make sure all the ingredients are combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix until just combined. It's ok if there are a few lumps left in the batter.
Mash the bananas 
Add the wet ingredients Mix in the dry ingredients
Add the chopped walnuts to the bowl and fold them into the batter, making sure not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. After one hour, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If the toothpick does not come out clean, add 5 more minutes of bake time until the toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
Add the walnuts Pour the batter into the loaf pan
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Once the banana bread is completely cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a Ziploc bag. Make note of the date you are placing it in the freezer on the bag and freeze the bread for up to 4 months. To defrost, place the frozen bread on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature.
It will last for up to 3 days wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a Ziploc bag.
Yes! To make these into muffins, line a muffin tin with muffin liners and scoop equal amounts of the batter into each muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 and check for doneness. If they are not done, add 5 minutes of bake time.
Other Recipes To Try!
Did you love this Banana Nut Bread Without Baking Soda? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5 star review! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!
And don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- Crusty Sourdough Bread
- Spooky Halloween Tortilla Chips
- Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
- Instant Pot Marinara Sauce
- Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Homemade Chunky Applesauce
- Halloween Funfetti Cheesecake Bars
- Simple Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- 5 Ingredient Meatballs
📖 Recipe
Banana Nut Bread- Without Baking Soda
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 Bananas Spotty and Brown
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Butter Melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray or butter and line it with parchment paper. Allow some of the parchment paper to overhang the sides of the loaf pan.
- In a large bowl add the peeled bananas and mash well.
- Add the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the bowl. Mix well until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix until just combined. It's ok if there are a few lumps left in the batter.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done.
- Allow the bread to cool before cutting into it.
Notes
- If the top of the loaf is getting too brown, cover the loaf pan with a piece of aluminum foil until the bread is done.
Judy
I have tried both baking powder and soda and most definitely it is better with the soda!
lynnswayoflife
Yes! You are so right!!
Rhonda Ortega
You said add the eggs .but in the ingredients you don't have any eggs on the list so what to do now
lynnswayoflife
Hi! It's 2 eggs! Sorry for any confusion!