Learn to Make Banana Bread in a Bread Machine

Written by
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Updated 01/06/21
Slices of banana bread made in a bread machine
The Spruce
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 loaf
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
303 Calories
17g Fat
33g Carbs
7g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 303
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 134mg 45%
Sodium 523mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 7g
Calcium 98mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Using a bread machine makes baking banana bread easier than ever. The bread machine helps make soft, delicious banana bread and allows it to stay perfectly moist throughout the process. It's an excellent way to use up ripe bananas without turning on the oven, so your kitchen stays cool.

Banana bread is a quick bread recipe, which means you don't add yeast. Instead, baking powder and baking soda are the leavening agents used to cause a faster rise than required for yeasted bread. Using the bread machine makes for an almost completely hands-off process with very little mess: almost everything gets mixed right in the pan you bake it in.

All bread machines are different, so it's very important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for the model you own in order to ensure success. Also, make sure the bread machine is ready to go before you start mixing. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined in the pan, it needs to be mixed and baked right away. Many have a setting for quick bread, or some people use their machine's rapid bread program or manual settings. At the end of the cycle, you can always use a toothpick to check the doneness of your bread and bake it a little longer if it's not thoroughly baked.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons milk (room temperature)
  • 2 medium ripe bananas (mashed)
  • 1 1/3 cups bread flour
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (lightly toasted) such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for banana bread
    The Spruce

  2. Add eggs, butter, milk, and bananas to the bread pan and set aside.

    Eggs, bananas, butter, and milk added to the bread machine pan
    The Spruce

  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.

    Dry ingredients in a bowl for banana bread
    The Spruce

  4. Mix well and add to the bread pan.

    Dry ingredients added to the bread machine pan
    The Spruce

  5. Use the setting for quick bread (or equivalent) for your machine. When it's done baking, remove the pan from the machine. Let the bread sit for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and set the loaf on a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

    Fnished banana bread in the bread machine pan
    The Spruce 

Can You Use All-Purpose Flour in a Bread Machine Instead of Bread Flour?

Yes, you can swap the bread flour for all-purpose flour unless a recipe specifies otherwise. In this recipe, your bread may not have the same rise because bread flour has more gluten, but you can make the substitution and the recipe will still work.

Tips

Since the batter for quick bread doesn't require kneading and is best with minimal mixing, you may need to adjust the mixing setting. This is especially true if your bread machine doesn't have a program for quick bread. For example, some machines have a "dough" setting to mix and a separate "bake" setting. Mixing should require just 3 to 5 minutes.

Test the bread by poking a wooden toothpick or thin skewer into the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Bake for about another 10 minutes if the batter sticks to the wood before checking it again.

When you discover the perfect settings and time that work for your bread machine, write them down so you can repeat it next time. It will likely work for other quick breads as well.

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