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.
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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.
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.
Reader Review
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
Instructions to make banana bread (no baking soda)
- 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
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large overripe bananas
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
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
Comments
Cecilia
These are amazing. I found that I only had self-rising flour at home and this turned out great!
Kimberlee Ho
So happy to hear this, Cecilia!!
Nina S
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!
Kimberlee Ho
Chai spiced banana bread sounds amazing! So glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing your feedback, it's so helpful for other bakers!
TFrederi
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!
Kimberlee Ho
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.
Karina
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.
Kimberlee Ho
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.
Jaclyn Z
How much salt do you add to the all-purpose flour and baking powder mixture?
Kimberlee Ho
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.
Wendy
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.
Kimberlee Ho
This is great to hear, Wendy! Thanks so much for sharing how you made it - it's so helpful for other home bakers 😊 Enjoy!
Rose
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?
Kimberlee Ho
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!