• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Lynn's Way of Life
  • #2201 (no title)
  • CCPA Notice
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Meet Lynn
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recipe Index
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Supplemental Privacy Policy for Nevada Residents
  • Web Stories
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Meet Lynn
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Meet Lynn
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breakfast Recipes » Banana Nut Bread- Without Baking Soda

    Banana Nut Bread- Without Baking Soda

    Published: Oct 28, 2021 · Modified: Nov 19, 2021 by lynnswayoflife · This post may contain affiliate links

    Sharing is caring!

    44 shares
    • Facebook11
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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!

    A straight on shot of the banana bread sliced

    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
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • Equipment You'll Need
    • Why No Baking Soda?
    • How Is This Banana Bread Different?
    • Let's Make Banana Nut Bread Without Baking Soda!
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Other Recipes To Try!
    • 📖 Recipe
    A loaf of banana bread without baking soda is baked and out of the oven

    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!

    An overhead view of the ingredients for Banana Nut bread without baking soda
    • 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
    An off center shot of the banana bread on a cutting board with coffee in the background

    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.
    A close up view of the texture of the banana bread

    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.

    • The bananas are mashed into a large bowl
      Mash the bananas
    • The butter and sugar are added to the bowl with the bananas
      Add the wet ingredients
    • The dry ingredients are added to the bowl.
      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.

    • An overhead view of the walnuts added to the bowl
      Add the walnuts
    • The banana bread without baking soda batter is ready for the oven
      Pour the batter into the loaf pan

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you freeze banana bread?

    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.

    How long will banana bread without baking soda last?

    It will last for up to 3 days wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a Ziploc bag.

    Can I make this into muffins?

    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.

    An overhead shot of the banana bread surrounded by walnuts

    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!

    • More Breakfast 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

    A straight on shot of the banana bread sliced

    Banana Nut Bread- Without Baking Soda

    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!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 Slices
    Calories 313 kcal

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 371mgPotassium: 221mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 309IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Crusty Sourdough Bread- Proof In the Instant Pot!
    Hearty Instant Pot Minestrone Soup »

    Sharing is caring!

    44 shares
    • Facebook11
    • Twitter

    Subscribe

    for your weekly recipe fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Judy

      November 05, 2021 at 11:06 am

      I have tried both baking powder and soda and most definitely it is better with the soda!

      Reply
      • lynnswayoflife

        November 05, 2021 at 1:30 pm

        Yes! You are so right!!

        Reply
    2. Rhonda Ortega

      November 19, 2021 at 4:33 pm

      You said add the eggs .but in the ingredients you don't have any eggs on the list so what to do now

      Reply
      • lynnswayoflife

        November 19, 2021 at 5:23 pm

        Hi! It's 2 eggs! Sorry for any confusion!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hey there! I'm Lynn and I'm based just outside of Boston. I'm a wife and mom of two with a passion for cooking and creating homemade food for my family.

    Whether it's creating new recipes, or exploring tried and true classics, I am constantly trying to show that homemade doesn't have to be hard

    More about me →

    Recent Recipes

    • Soft Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Cookies
    • How To Boil Water in an Instant Pot
    • The Easiest Instant Pot Pear Butter
    • Simple Sourdough Zucchini Bread
    • Classic Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
    • Strawberry Kefir Ice Cream {No churn!}
    • Red, White and Blue Cookies
    • Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
    • Cheddar Jalapeno Sourdough Bread
    • Bakery Style Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    • Pinterest

    Categories

    • Dinner Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Snacks
    • Sourdough Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • What is Lynn's Way of Life

    Let's Connect!

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Lynn's Way of Life