Banana bread is a delicious snack and a popular treat for many people— it makes for a quick last-minute gift or a simple grab-and-go snack. Freshly-baked banana bread is perfect to go alongside your afternoon tea. As with any other homemade bread or cake, it tastes better when it’s warm and moist. So, how can you make banana bread moist after baking? Let’s find out.
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What’s the deal with dry banana bread?
Banana bread uses the same batter we use for baking tasty muffins. It’s a mixture of baking soda, flour, salt, butter, cream, and brown sugar. The best banana bread is served warm and a little moist. The problem with banana bread is that it goes dry rather quickly.
You can maintain your banana bread’s moisture by leaving a damp kitchen cloth over it. This method works, but you can’t leave the damp cloth there too long. You risk drenching your banana bread and making it soggy beyond repair.
You can also keep your bread moist by altering the ingredients. Mix your wet ingredients with your dry ingredients. Then, add melted butter to the mix. If your bread still comes out dry, try adding some vegetable oil after this step.
You can also add more butter, but keep in mind that butter also contains milk solids and water. These extra ingredients will create steam, which makes the banana bread moist.
Sifting all the dry ingredients can also help give you light, fluffy, and moist banana bread.
A Quick Alternative
If you have a dry loaf of banana bread after baking, you can make the syrup to add moisture. Here’s how you can make simple syrup at home:
Pour ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar in a pot. Warm the mixture on medium heat, and remove once the sugar dissolves.
Take a skewer and poke some holes in the banana bread. Next, spoon some syrup over the top of your banana bread. You can also use a pastry brush to spread the syrup evenly.
Once you’ve done that, keep it inside a Tupperware box and let it sit for a couple of hours before serving.
Banana Bread Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these common baking mistakes to get the perfect banana bread:
Using under-ripe bananas
Green bananas are harder to mash than ripe bananas. That’s why you should always use ripe bananas to make banana bread. Over-ripe bananas are the easiest to mash, and they also give the bread more moisture and flavor. So, how ripe is overripe? Anything from spotted bananas to solid black bananas is considered overripe. If you have to make banana bread today and all you have are under-ripe bananas, we recommend roasting them.
Over mixing the batter
For soft and moist banana bread, gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Make sure you don’t over-mix these ingredients. The more you mix, the more gluten will develop. The result will be dry, rubbery banana bread. Simply mix until moist, and then stop.
In summary: Do less work, get better banana bread.
Measuring flour the wrong way
Moisture is important when it comes to banana bread, and the ratio of banana to the floor makes all the difference. If you use excessive flour, you’ll end up with dry banana bread. If you don’t use enough flour, your banana bread will be too wet. The secret lies in the way you measure the flour. Scooping flour straight out of the bag could be packing excessive flour into your measuring cup. Instead, you should use the “spoon and level” method by adding flour into a measuring cup and scraping off the excess with a flat spatula.
You don’t test the bread
Don’t make the mistake of cutting into your bread only to find it raw in the center. You can test the banana bread by inserting a skewer into the center while it’s still in the oven. If the skewer comes out squeaky clean — or with a crumb or two sticking to the skewer — it’s ready. If the skewer has raw batter sticking to it, put the banana bread back in the oven for 5 minutes, and then check it again.
You don’t let it cool
You should remove the banana bread from the pan right after it comes out of the oven. The longer your bread sits in the pan, the soggier it will become. Allow the banana bread to cool on a cooling rack before wrapping it or transferring it to an airtight container. If you wrap warm bread in plastic wrap, it may cause mold buildup. Plus, cooling the banana bread firms up its structure and makes for cleaner slices. If you enjoy eating warm bread, you can always heat a slice in the oven.
How to Store Banana Bread
Let’s take a look at the best storage methods for banana bread.
On the Counter
The ideal place to store bread is on your counter at room temperature. When kept on the counter, your banana bread will stay moist and soft. It will also taste as it did when you first pulled it out of the oven.
Keep in mind that bread stored on the counter will only last for four days. Since banana bread is full of over-ripe bananas, it will be very moist. Moisture and the wrong air temperature around bread can quickly lead to mold.
Keep an eye on your banana bread, and be sure to check it. You can even move it into the fridge after a few days.
When storing banana bread on your counter, you should place it in a plastic storage container with a locking lid to prevent your banana bread from becoming soggy.
It is also good to place a paper towel or a napkin in the storage container with the bread. The napkin will absorb the excess moisture in the container and keep your bread fresh and mold-free for longer!
In the Fridge
If you want to extend your banana bread’s shelf life, you can try storing it in the fridge. When you keep banana bread in the refrigerator, wrap it securely in plastic wrap to retain the bread’s moisture.
Refrigerators have very drying environments, and you do not want your bread to dry out quickly. When wrapped correctly, your banana bread will last over a week.
When you take your banana bread out of the fridge to eat, you may want to re-heat it for about 10 seconds. Warming your bread will restore it to a soft and moist consistency. It will be simply irresistible!
In the Freezer
Banana bread can freeze quickly. Always make more than one loaf of banana bread to freeze the extra.
Wrap your banana bread in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. The bread will last for up to 3 months! When you are ready to enjoy your bread, you can pull it out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw on the kitchen counter. It will be ready to relish by morning!
If you want to eat your bread right away, pull it out of the freezer and place it in the oven—Thaw for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. You can speed up the thawing process by slicing the bread and heating the individual pieces.
The warm and moist banana bread coming out of the oven will smell and taste amazing.
Quick Tips
- Use apple sauce or sour cream in your recipe – they are perfect for moist baked goods.
- Don’t over-mix your batter.
- Don’t over-bake.
- Banana bread made with vegetable oil is moister than banana bread made with butter.
- Measure ingredients accurately. Incorrect dry ingredients (like flour) will make the bread dry.
FAQs
What is the main difference between banana bread and banana cake?
Traditional banana cake has mashed banana for flavor and is like a butter cake. Banana bread has a firmer and denser texture than banana cake and is perfect for slicing and toasting.
How can I keep banana bread moist?
Tightly wrap the banana bread in a plastic film and place the banana bread in an airtight container. The wrap will help retain the moisture in the bread.
Is banana bread bad for you?
There’s no better way to use ripe bananas than banana bread, but all the sugar and butter in traditional banana bread recipes can make you fat. You can try a low-calorie banana bread recipe at home. Banana bread recipes with butter and eggs have higher levels of unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol. Those made with vegetable oils are high in fat and calories but contain heart-healthy fats. On average, most bread recipes have 110 calories and 4 to 6 grams of fat per ounce — and slices can vary from anywhere between 2 to 5 ounces.
What should I add to banana bread?
Not all banana bread recipes need spices, but spices are a welcome addition to any batter. Warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and even clove work well with banana bread. You can also mix nuts for added flavor.
Can banana bread help lose weight?
Freshly baked, warm, and calorie-dense banana bread is a fan favorite. But traditional recipes have added sugar and aren’t ideal for a weight loss plan.