Banana Bread Recipe without Baking Soda - Beat Bake Eat (2024)

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How to make Banana Bread from scratch without Baking Soda. This is an easy recipe with simple ingredients and only 8 minutes of prep required. Here, baking powder is used as a replacement for baking soda.

Banana Bread Recipe without Baking Soda - Beat Bake Eat (1)

Baking Powder Banana Bread

Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda to make banana bread? Yes, you can! Baking powder is a great substitute for baking soda in banana bread.

1/4 teaspoon baking soda = 1 teaspoon baking powder.

I adapted this recipe from my ever so popular banana bread recipe for 2 bananas and all I did was replace the 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 4 teaspoons of baking powder. It’s such a straightforward alternative.

Baking Powder Banana Bread vs. Baking Soda Banana Bread

Now, even though the taste and texture of this loaf is great, it is different than your typical banana bread due to the use of baking powder alone.

  • The crust looks odd. It is crispier than your average banana bread and it has a bright orange tinge. There is absolutely nothing wrong with how it tastes, it just looks different.
  • The banana flavor and aroma is not as intense. Baking soda helps to bring out the wonderful flavor and smell of bananas and since there is none in this bread, it’s not as strong.
  • The inside is very white and there are no little black specks.
  • The shape of the top is very flat. It doesn’t have that beautifully domed top with gorgeous cracks that we all know and love simply because the baking powder just isn’t strong enough to make it rise any higher.

It is so interesting what happens to banana bread without baking soda.

Banana Bread Recipe without Baking Soda - Beat Bake Eat (2)

Banana Bread Recipe with 2 Bananas

This basic recipe only calls for 2 bananas which is about 1 cup of mashed banana. All of the other ingredients are very simple and things that one usually has on hand.

Along with no bicarbonate of soda, there is also no milk, no butter, and no brown sugar in this loaf. You can also make it without vanilla extract if you don’t have any on hand.

This diary-free bread is soft, moist, fluffy, perfectly sweet, and lightly spiced with cinnamon.

It is super easy and quick to make, requires only one bowl, and no mixer.

Add-ins: Blueberries, nuts, chocolate chips.

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Recipe Tips:
  • Use overripe bananas. Their skin should be almost completely covered in black and brown spots. Those are the best bananas for homemade banana bread. Also, the darker they are the sweeter and more flavorful they’ll be which you definitely need for this recipe since it has no baking soda.
  • Mix the ingredients as instructed in the recipe. You’ll notice that most of the dry ingredients, even the baking powder, are mixed in with the bananas and not with the flour. This is so that the loaf doesn’t come out with clumps of baking powder. There is quite a lot of it in this recipe and incorporating the ingredients in this order ensures that it is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  • Do not overmix after adding the flour. Once the flour is fully moistened, stop mixing. The batter will most likely be lumpy and that is completely normal. All of those lumps will disappear during baking. Overmixing will result in a loaf that is dense and rubbery.
  • Cover the bread with foil to prevent the crust from burning. At the 30 minute-mark during baking, you’ll need to remove the bread from the oven and loosely cover it with foil so that the crust doesn’t get too dark. Depending on how the crust looks you may not have to do this, but I always do just to be safe.
  • This bread is done when the center is fully baked and a toothpick inserted comes out squeaky clean. If it comes out with moist crumbs, bake for a couple more minutes.
  • Wait till the bread is fully cooled before slicing. When hot or really warm, this bread is so soft that it falls apart very easily. When I took mine out of the oven all I wanted to do was cut a huge slice and eat it but you to be patient and let it cool before handling.

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Banana Bread Recipe without Baking Soda

Beat Bake Eat

How to make Banana Bread from scratch without Baking Soda. This is an easy recipe with simple ingredients and only 8 minutes of prep required. Here, baking powder is used as a replacement for baking soda.

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Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 53 minutes mins

Servings 12

Calories 171 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 overripe bananas, mashed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, or grease with oil or line with parchment paper and set aside.

  • In a large bowl combine bananas, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

  • Beat in the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.

  • Add the flour and gently mix until fully incorporated. DO NOT overmix.

  • Pour the batter into the pan in an even layer.

  • Bake for 30 minutes then remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil. *This prevents the crust from burning.

  • Continue to bake for 15 – 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  • Cool in pan 10 minutes then remove to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

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Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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Banana Bread Recipe without Baking Soda - Beat Bake Eat (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you don't use baking soda in banana bread? ›

Believe it or not, you can actually bake delicious banana bread without baking soda or another leavening agent to help it rise. Generally, it won't rise quite as much, but it will still taste absolutely delicious.

What is a good substitute for baking soda? ›

If you don't have baking soda on hand, you can use triple the amount of baking powder instead. Alternative substitutions include potassium bicarbonate, baker's ammonia, or self-rising powder. Baking soda is a staple ingredient found in the cupboards of both seasoned and amateur bakers.

How important is baking soda in bread? ›

Baking soda or baking powder are essential for your baked goods to come out light, airy, and with the right texture.

What is a substitute for baking powder in banana bread? ›

Substitute each teaspoon (5 grams) of baking powder in the recipe with 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) vinegar. Summary: Each teaspoon (5 grams) of baking powder can be replaced with a 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda and a 1/2 teaspoon vinegar.

Is it bad to bake without baking soda? ›

For baked goods that don't require too much leavening, such as cookies or pancakes, it's actually OK to leave out the baking soda completely — they just won't be as light and fluffy. If you do go this route when making pancakes, Gan recommends pouring less batter into the pan to cover the same surface area.

How do you bake without baking soda? ›

If you don't have baking soda, you can use baking powder, at three times what the recipe calls for. So if a recipe calls for one teaspoon of baking soda, you can use three teaspoons of baking powder. Baking powder also contains a little bit of salt, so it's also a good idea to halve the salt the recipe calls for.

Can you skip baking soda in bread? ›

Unless you have no other option, you really should use a leavening substitute. Other baked goods that rely more on rising — like cakes, muffins, and breads — cannot be made without baking soda or an acceptable alternative.

Is baking soda important in banana bread? ›

Baking soda is the leavening agent of choice in quickbreads like banana bread, but you can also use other leavening agents, such as baking powder or yeast. You've got a bunch of browning bananas, flour, sugar, eggs and butter but no baking soda. Don't get downhearted.

What is a substitute for baking powder and baking soda? ›

If you don't have either baking powder or baking soda, consider switching gears and relying on another type of leavener altogether: whipped egg whites. Instead of sparking a chemical reaction to produce carbon dioxide, whipped egg whites introduce air to the batter, bringing natural height to your baked goods.

Is baking soda or powder better for banana bread? ›

Baking soda works best in conjunction with an acidic ingredient. In the case of banana bread, this may be buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses or the bananas themselves. Recipes generally include just enough baking soda to balance the acidity in the batter.

Which is better in banana cake baking soda or baking powder? ›

Just using baking soda as your leavening agent will work perfectly fine in banana bread in most cases. However, if you don't have any acidic ingredients on hand, like buttermilk, and you're only using a small amount of mashed bananas, you might need to use baking powder.

What happens if you put too much baking powder in a banana loaf? ›

All you have to do is level out the amount of baking soda you used by putting in more of your other ingredients. By doing this, you may end up with a larger serving of cake, but you'll avoid making a big baking mistake.

Why does banana bread not need baking powder? ›

As a general rule, you can use either baking soda OR baking powder in banana bread – both ingredients will make your banana bread rise. While baking soda will react with acidic ingredients in the batter to raise your bread, baking powder can leaven banana bread without the addition of acidic ingredients.

Why does my banana bread not taste good? ›

You Measure Flour the Wrong Way

Moisture is key when it comes to banana bread, and the ratio of flour to banana makes all the difference. If you use too much flour, you'll end up with dry bread. If you don't use enough, your bread will be too wet.

Why does my banana bread taste like baking soda? ›

Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) is the raising agent and this can sometimes taste bitter or soapy if the wrong quantity is used.

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