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    Home » Breads

    Moist & Fluffy Banana Bread (without baking soda)

    4.72 from 7 votes
    14 Comments

    Oct 8, 2023

    (updated Jun 21, 2025)

    by Kimberlee Ho

    Jump to Recipe

    4 ingredients is all you need to bake moist and fluffy banana bread. This easy banana bread recipe is made without baking soda or baking powder. Instead of using one of these common leavening agents, this moist banana bread uses self-rising flour which already includes leavener. This means no need for lots of additional ingredients.

    If you’re someone who bakes with self-rising flour like me, two popular recipes are Two-Ingredient Biscuits and Fluffy Pancakes, both made without baking soda.

    Banana bread loaf with 2 slices cut and laying on parchment paper in front of the loaf.

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    The magic behind 4 ingredient banana bread

    As a seasoned baker, one thing I love is teaching beginner bakers how to bake. This recipe is perfect for beginners. It requires no special equipment or ingredients; everything can be found at your local grocery store.

    Stack of 3 slices of banana bread without baking soda.

    The more ripe the bananas, the better. Not only do they provide more banana flavor and sweetness, They also add much-needed moisture to this recipe. Look for bananas that are bright yellow and heavily mottled or spotted with dark brown spots or black spots. Be sure they are not moldy, though. Bananas are not ripe enough? Here's a great trick for getting your bananas ready for baking in 15 minutes.

    Use large eggs at room temperature. During my recipe testing, I found cold eggs do not combine as easily into the batter. So be sure to remove your eggs from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking.

    Brown sugar has a higher moisture content than granulated sugar and will help keep this simple banana bread recipe moist when baked. I do not recommend substituting for white sugar.

    If you cannot find self-rising flour, make your own. After multiple tests, I found the perfect ratio is: for every cup of all-purpose flour, add 2 teaspoons baking powder and whisk well to combine. For this recipe, you would need 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour plus 3 teaspoons of baking powder.

    Ingredients shown are used to prepare banana bread without baking soda.

    Reader Review

    5 stars

    This recipe is a keeper! I have made my beloved banana nut bread recipe for 20+ years but this is so light and airy! I did add cinnamon and vanilla just to get those yummy smells and familiar flavors. Thank you!

    TFrederi

    Read more reviews

    Instructions to make banana bread (no baking soda)

    Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray so the parchment will stick.
    Spray loaf pan
    Start by cutting a narrow piece of parchment paper the width of the loaf pan.
    Cut a long strip of parchment paper
    Lay the parchment paper lengthwise in the pan.
    Lay strip length-wise in the pan
    Spray the parchment paper.
    Spray parchment again
    Lay the leftover piece of parchment paper across the pan the other way.
    Lay leftover piece of parchment across
    Press the paper down so it will stick and fold over the edges.
    Press down to stick and fold over overhang
    Peel overripe bananas into a bowl.
    Add bananas to a bowl
    Mash overripe bananas with a fork until almost liquefied.
    Mash bananas really well
    Mashed bananas in bowl.
    Bananas should be almost liquefied - this adds lots of moisture!
    Add two large eggs to mixing bowl.
    Add eggs to mashed bananas
    Whisk together eggs and mashed bananas.
    Whisk
    Whisk in brown sugar.
    Add brown sugar and whisk
    Add self-rising flour to mixing bowl.
    Add self-rising flour
    Stir in flour without overmixing.
    Stir in flour
    Pour banana bread batter into prepared loaf pan.
    Pour batter into the loaf pan
    Banana bread batter in a parchment paper topped loaf pan.
    Bake then allow to cool
    • For extra flavor, try adding 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
    • For chocolate chip banana bread, add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter after it is mixed up.
    • For banana nut bread, add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before pouring into the prepared pan
    Freshly baked banana bread loaf without baking soda resting on parchment paper.

    Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.

    Side view of a golden brown banana bread loaf with some banana slices along side it.

    FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

    Slices of banana bread without baking soda laying on parchment paper next to bananas.

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    A loaf of banana bread with slices cut away and laying in front and a few more slices cut into the loaf.

    Moist & Fluffy Banana Bread (without baking soda)

    Only 4 ingredients needed to make this moist & fluffy banana bread. Made without baking soda, this recipe uses self-rising flour to help the bread rise. Yields 16 slices.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Course: All Recipes, Bread, Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: banana bread, banana bread no baking soda, banana bread without baking soda, moist and fluffy banana bread
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 121kcal
    Author: Kimberlee Ho
    US Customary - Metric

    Equipment

    • 8x4 inch loaf pan
    • parchment paper

    Ingredients

    • 4 large overripe bananas
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • ¾ cup brown sugar packed
    • 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8x4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. I like to spray the loaf pan first with nonstick cooking spray (or coconut oil spray) then trim a long strip of parchment paper to the width of the loaf pan. Lay the parchment length-wise in the pan and press down gently so the parchment paper sticks to nonstick spray. Spray the parchment paper in the pan then lay the leftover piece of parchment across the pan. There should be overhang on all sides of the pan, allowing you to easily lift the baked banana bread out of the pan later on.
    • Peel the bananas, breaking them into pieces, if needed, and add them to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash the bananas until they are almost liquefied (some lumps are okay). This extra liquid helps keep the banana bread moist so do not skip this step. Alternately, use a food processor to puree the bananas.
      4 large overripe bananas
    • Add the eggs to the bowl with the mashed bananas and whisk to blend.
      2 large eggs
    • Add the brown sugar, whisking to combine. Then, add the self-rising flour and stir to combine. Stop stirring when there are no more dry streaks of flour in the batter. Overmixing will cause the banana bread to be dense and dry.
      ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
    • Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with just a few crumbs on it. There should be no wet batter on the toothpick.
    • Allow it to cool completely in the loaf pan before lifting it out using the parchment paper overhang. Slice and serve.

    Notes

    • If you cannot find self-rising flour, make your own: For every cup of all-purpose flour, add 2 teaspoons baking powder and whisk well to combine. For this recipe, you would need 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour plus 3 teaspoons of baking powder.
    • If you will not be serving the banana bread right away, wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap while it's still slightly warm to retain moisture
    • To store, wrap leftover banana bread with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3–4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week
    • Baked banana bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving
    • Optional: For extra flavor, add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract with the eggs
    • For banana nut bread, add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before pouring into the prepared pan
    • For chocolate chip banana bread, add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter after it is mixed up

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!

    ​​

    Pin for Pinterest.

    Filed Under

    BreadsLoaf CakesBeginnerBananas
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    Reader Interactions

      4.72 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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      Comments

    1. Cecilia

      December 16, 2023 at 9:44 pm

      5 stars
      These are amazing. I found that I only had self-rising flour at home and this turned out great!

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        December 21, 2023 at 12:30 pm

        So happy to hear this, Cecilia!!

        Reply
    2. Nina S

      March 18, 2024 at 12:58 am

      5 stars
      This was easy to make and it turned out great. The bread was moist and tasted great. I used slightly less sugar (150g) and will reduce it a bit more next time (just personal preference) and I added spices for flavoring (based on a chai spiced banana bread I’ve made several times before). I’ll definitely make it again!

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        March 18, 2024 at 9:48 am

        Chai spiced banana bread sounds amazing! So glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing your feedback, it's so helpful for other bakers!

        Reply
    3. TFrederi

      April 14, 2024 at 6:55 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is a keeper! I have made my beloved banana nut bread recipe for 20+ years but this is so light and airy! I did add cinnamon and vanilla just to get those yummy smells and familiar flavors. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        April 19, 2024 at 8:09 pm

        This is great to hear! So glad you love it. I appreciate you leaving your feedback - it helps other bakers who to hear from those who have made the recipe.

        Reply
    4. Karina

      June 13, 2024 at 11:03 pm

      3 stars
      It’s kinda confusing on how this recipe doesn’t need baking powder or baking soda and how if we don’t have a self rising flour we have to add baking powder in it? Please make it make sense.

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        June 16, 2024 at 4:28 pm

        Self rising flour is a mixture made up of regular flour, baking powder and salt. So, if you only have regular flour, you need to add baking powder and salt. I hope that helps.

        Reply
        • Jaclyn Z

          October 24, 2024 at 12:08 am

          How much salt do you add to the all-purpose flour and baking powder mixture?

          Reply
          • Kimberlee Ho

            October 27, 2024 at 2:26 pm

            To substitute 1 cup self-rising flour, use 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon salt.

            Reply
    5. Wendy

      January 05, 2025 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      Had bananas and wanted banana bread but didn’t have baking soda. I did have flour and baking powder, so I made this. I forgot to add the salt it says to add if using all-purpose flour but turned out great anyway. I also added vanilla extract and some Dove chocolate (cut into pieces). I also sprayed the pan with olive oil cooking spray instead of using parchment paper and it slid right out of the pan. Great and easy recipe.

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        January 05, 2025 at 2:01 pm

        This is great to hear, Wendy! Thanks so much for sharing how you made it - it's so helpful for other home bakers 😊 Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Rose

      June 05, 2025 at 4:56 pm

      Is it supposed to be dense? I just cut it and does not look like bread. It cooked the whole time but looks like it’s not cooked through?

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        June 07, 2025 at 3:02 pm

        It isn't supposed to be dense. I wonder if the bananas weren't ripe and juicy enough or too much flour was used? I'm sorry you had this experience!

        Reply

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