Moist & Fluffy Banana Bread (without baking soda)

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

4.63 from 8 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

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:

Calories: 121kcal

Author: Kimberlee Ho

Equipment

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