Banana Bread without Baking Soda

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Tender and flavorful banana bread without baking soda. This an easy, full-proof, homemade banana bread recipe that relies on baking powder as the leavening agent.

Can you make banana bread without baking soda?

Most quick breads are made with soda. But not this banana bread without baking soda. Instead of the classic raising agent used for making sweet bread, the cake batter will rise nicely thanks to baking powder.

And despite the lack of soda, the banana nut bread will still rise beautifully; it will have a tender crumb and be perfectly fluffy.

Are you looking for more delicious recipes using bananas? Check out the Pumpkin Banana Muffins, The Best Banana Carrot Muffins, and the Banana Muffins with Nutella.

What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

They are both leavening agents that help bake goods rise during baking.

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline salt compound that is activated when mixed with an acidic ingredient (for instance, vinegar, lemon juice, or buttermilk) and a liquid. When activated, it produces carbon dioxide, which helps baked goods rise.

Baking powder is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate (soda) and an acid (for instance, cream of tartar). This makes it a complete leavening agent as it contains both the base and the acid that make baked goods rise. These two substances produce a chemical reaction when mixed with a liquid, thus activating carbon dioxide. Heat also triggers a second reaction, so the combination of moisture and heat makes the cakes rise.

Can you use baking powder instead of baking soda?

It depends on the recipe; the combination of the ingredients is critical. You should never just replace the soda with baking powder or the other way around.

You can replace the soda with baking powder in a recipe, but not 1:1; it is usually a ratio of 1:3 (so you will need 3 times as much baking powder).

The other way around is a bit more complicated as you must add an acid (like cream of tartar) to the baking soda to make the recipe work.

So unless you are a professional and familiar with all the chemical reactions taking place during baking, you should always follow a specific recipe developed to use one or the other mentioned products.

Recipe ingredients

• Overripe bananas: If you are looking for a banana bread recipe, chances are high that you have some brown bananas in your kitchen. They will be perfect for this sweet banana bread without soda.
  • You will need about 3 medium bananas. I weighed mine before peeling – 14 oz (400 g) and after peeling 10.5 oz (300 g). If you make sure you weigh the bananas and use the correct amount, nothing can go wrong.

• Two large eggs at room temperature.
• Vegetable oil: Neutral-tasting vegetable oil; I always use canola in baking.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar for the batter and powdered sugar (icing sugar/ confectioners’ sugar) for sprinkling over the loaf. You can use a combination of white sugar and brown sugar for the cake batter if you like.

• All-purpose flour: I sometimes use cake flour instead of all-purpose; both products will be fine.
• Baking powder: To help the batter rise nicely.
• Pecans: They are delicious and add a nice crunch. However, they are optional and can be replaced with walnuts or other nuts you like.
• Other ingredients: Fine sea salt or Kosher salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

What could I add?

• Walnuts are a good substitute for pecans, but you can also choose almonds, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts.
• Other spices like carrot cake or pumpkin cake spices, cardamom, allspice, cloves, ginger, or nutmeg.
• Chocolate chips

How to make banana bread without baking soda?

• Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Butter and flour the loaf pan (9 inches/ 22 cm). Turn it over the sink and pat it gently to remove the excess flour. You can also line the pan with parchment paper.
• Bananas: Peel and mash bananas with a fork. Set them aside (1).
• Pecans: Chop them and set them aside.
• Dry ingredients: Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set them aside (2).

• Wet ingredients: Place the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer (or in the stand mixer) on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes (3).
• Mix in the mashed bananas.
• Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture (4) and fold in gently using a spatula until just combined (5). Don’t overmix!
• Fold in the chopped nuts in just 2 or 3 movements (6).

• Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake the banana bread without soda in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Let the no-soda banana bread cool in the tin for about 30 minutes. Then, remove it and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
• Sprinkle the top of the loaf generously with powdered sugar before serving.

Expert Tips

The most important tip: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it’s the only way to ensure that cakes turn out as they should. Baking is a science, and it requires precise measurements (Amazon affiliate link).

• Room temperature: The eggs and the oil should be at room temperature. They will create a smooth emulsion that traps the air in the batter. This air will expand during baking, making the baked goods light and fluffy.
• Bake the banana bread immediately; otherwise, the baking powder will lose its powder, and the batter won’t rise. Make sure that you preheat the oven and prepare the baking tin before you start mixing the batter.
• Remember to take the toothpick test to ensure that the bread is baked.

Recipe FAQ

More delicious desserts

Check out the condensed presentation for this recipe: Bake Banana Bread without Baking Soda

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