This Banana Bread without Baking Soda is essentially a life-saver when you are in a mood to bake a banana loaf but out of baking soda. No worries, I have got you covered. With only a few basic pantry staples and one-bowl you can bake this sweet, moist, tender, fluffy and light textured bread bursting with banana flavor. This is going to be your new favorite!

I am a big fan of quick breads as they are easy to bake and there is so much variety you can try with them like this Peanut Butter Bread and Praline Apple Bread.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This banana bread requires a few pantry ingredients and only 10 minutes to assemble the batter.
- The crumb of the bread is moist, tender and soft packed with a strong and powerful banana flavor like this 4-Ingredient Banana Bread.
- The cinnamon powder enhances the overall flavor of this quick bread like my Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake, Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Cinnamon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Don't have ripen bananas at home? No worries, ripen up the bananas within minutes using the oven method.
How Baking Soda Works in Quick Breads
Baking soda is a simple but powerful ingredient, which is also known as Sodium Bicarbonate. Here are a few reasons on how the baking soda works in quick breads and helps them to raise.
- Lifting the Bakes is the main role of this baking soda in bakes. The reaction of baking soda will give a good rise to the bakes.
- Baking Soda Reacts with Acidic Ingredients once it is added in the quick bread batter. The baking soda reacts with moisture and acidic ingredients (such as bananas and brown sugar) in the batter and creates bubbles of carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide then reacts with heat in the oven resulting in lifting of the bakes.
- Baking Soda in Quick Breads is simply to lift them. It also contains pH or alkalinity that gives an even, dark brown color and a crispy crust to quick breads.
Baking Soda VS. Baking Powder
Both baking powder and baking soda are leavening agents used in baking to give height and lift the bakes. Some facts about these leavening agents:
- Baking soda is much stronger as compared to baking powder, about five times stronger than the baking powder.
- Baking Soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. It needs acidic elements to react in the batter, and as a result produces carbon dioxide during the baking process.
- Baking powder on the other hand, is a milder leavening agent. It is also made with sodium bicarbonate and some powdered acid such as cream of tartar.
- Single-Acting VS. Double Acting - Baking soda is a single-acting agent while baking powder is a double-acting agent. Baking soda produces carbon dioxide when exposed to heat when the bakes are placed in the preheated ovens. While, on the other hand, baking powder is a double-acting agent meaning it will react twice, first when it is added to the batter, and again with heat when placed in the preheated hot oven.
Overripe Bananas for Baking
Always use the overripe bananas for your banana bakes especially banana bread. The ripe the bananas is the better the bake will be. Here are the reasons why:
- Dark Brown Bananas are just perfect for baking. I prefer dark-brown spotted or almost black bananas. The brown the bananas are the better it is.
- Sugar Content in Overripe Bananas is way higher than the yellow bananas as they contain more sugar content, flavor and aroma. Dark bananas are full of high antioxidant and Vitamin C levels, making them more nutritious than yellow bananas.
- Yellow Bananas Release Gases (ethylene gas and polyphenol oxidase), which helps with oxidation and darken the bananas.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour helps with the structure of this quick bread.
- Overripe bananas are the hero of this recipe.
- Baking powder will lift this loaf. Make sure you have a fresh batch of baking powder to get the optimal results.
- Vegetable Oil will add moisture and gives tender crumb.
- Walnuts (chopped) will add crunch to this banana loaf.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Baking Pro Tips
1. Unless a recipe says otherwise, always use room-temperature ingredients. This helps them mix together smoothly and evenly, for perfect results every time.
2. Ditch the measuring cups and grab your digital scale. Weighing dry ingredients in grams ensures perfect accuracy and consistent results.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use pecans, cashews, pistachios or almonds instead of walnuts in this banana bread.
- Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter.
- Add ½ cup of raisins to the batter.
- Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to add a fall flavor.
- Pour over the lemon icing on the loaf or drizzle over cream cheese glaze on the banana bread to get a heavenly flavor. To prepare the cream cheese glaze use 1 cup powdered sugar, 4 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature), 6 tablespoon milk (room temperature) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat using an electric beater until you get a smooth consistency.
Tip: Use one tablespoon milk at a time to achieve the desired consistency.
This recipe hasn't undergone testing with alternative substitutions or variations. If you decide to replace or incorporate any ingredients, we'd appreciate hearing about your experience. Please share your feedback in the comments section below!
How to Make Banana Bread without Baking Soda
Detailed Instructions Below! See the key steps here, then head to the recipe card below for full instructions.
1. Combine and sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom powder in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Using an electric/hand mixer beat the oil and sugar together.
4. Add in the eggs one by one and beat and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
5. Add in the mashed bananas.
6. Combine dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
7. Now fold in the chopped walnuts into the batter.
8. Pour the banana bread without baking soda batter into the 9 x 5 inch pan. Bake.
Expert Tips
- Do Not Overbeat: Avoid the over-beating of the batter once you add the flour or the gluten strands will get active which will result in tougher bread. To avoid it, you just want to beat flour just until is mixed in the batter.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use ingredients at room temperature so that they incorporate fully to give you best results of the bake once it is placed in the oven.
- Very Ripe Bananas: The key to a moist and aromatic banana bread is in the over ripe bananas. You should use overripe bananas to get that perfect flavor. The more brown spots on the bananas, the better it is to use for the bread.
Recipe FAQs
I wouldn't recommend so because it is hard to omit both baking powder and baking soda. I have tried making a banana bread without both leavening agents and the tries weren't successful. I tried incorporating air in the batter, using other ingredients and techniques but nothing worked. Without a leavening agent the banana bread came out dense in texture and not rising at all or just a bit. The best method to make banana bread without baking soda is to bake it with baking powder.
The answer is no as yeast does not react immediately the way baking powder does. That is why bakers prefer baking powder or baking soda and not yeast for quick breads. There is a reason why they are called quick breads.
One big reason could be your baking powder is stale and old. Always ensure that your baking powder is fresh and in a working condition. To test if your baking powder is still active, pour ¼ cup of boiling water over ½ teaspoon of baking powder. If there if foam and bubbles, your baking powder is active and good. If not, then your baking powder is not active and you need to toss it.
This can happen depending on your oven as the temperature of all ovens varies. If your bread is getting brown too quickly in the oven, cover the pan loosely with a piece of aluminum foil enough to cover the top. Remove the foil once the bread is done.
How to Store
Room Temperature
Keep this banana bread without baking soda in an airtight container for 2 – 3 days on the counter.
Refrigerator
This banana bread without baking soda will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. Place the banana slices in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator.
Freezing Instructions
Wrap each banana bread piece in plastic wrap and further add a foil layer. Place the pieces on a baking tray and put the tray in the freezer for about an hour till the bread slices have hardened. Take out the frozen pieces and add them to a Ziploc bag and freeze it for up to 2 months.
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Related Quick Breads & Banana Recipes
Recipe
Banana Bread Without Baking Soda
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour (240 g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder (10 g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder (1.38 g)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil (180 ml)
- 2 eggs (large)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 2 ½ cup bananas (mashed) (about 4 large sized bananas)
- ½ cup walnuts (75 g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 9” x 5” loaf pan or grease it with flour or spray with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- Take a medium bowl and sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom powder. Set aside.
- Take a large bowl and using an electric mixer cream together the vegetable oil and sugar until combined. It will take about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one by one, keep beating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix.
- Add in the mashed bananas. Mix until incorporated.
- Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter in the lined pan and bake at preheated 350 F for 65 – 75 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Use the toothpick test and insert it in the center and if comes out clean, your bread is ready.
Notes
- Do Not Overbeat: Avoid the over-beating of the batter once you add the flour or the gluten strands will get active which will result in tougher bread. To avoid it, you just want to beat flour just until is mixed in the batter.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use ingredients at room temperature so that they incorporate fully to give you best results of the bake once it is placed in the oven.
- Very Ripe Bananas: The key to a moist and aromatic banana bread is in the over ripe bananas. You should use overripe bananas to get that perfect flavor. The more brown spots on the bananas, the better it is to use for the bread.
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