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Slow Cooker Banana Bread

When I first got my slow cooker I didn’t expect to be able to make breads and desserts in it. But after experimenting with a few recipes I’m pleased to report that a slow cooker is even more versatile than I thought it was.

But why would you want to make something like banana bread in a slow cooker when you can make it in the oven, or even a bread maker?

There are many reasons. Maybe your oven is full up cooking a roast dinner, or perhaps you want to head out for a few hours and don’t want to leave the oven on. 

Whatever your reason, making banana bread in a slow cooker is straight forward and it tastes just as good as making it any other way.

The texture comes out slightly differently than when made in an oven, it is more dense and doesn’t rise as much, but it still tastes AMAZING.

How To Make Banana Bread In A Slow Cooker

1. Gather together all the ingredients 

ingredients for slow cooker banana bread

You can use 2 or 3 bananas, depending on how many you have available. The more bananas that you use, the sweeter the bread will be, as well as moist. The important thing is that the bananas are ripe. Ripe bananas will not only be easier to mash up into a puree, they’ll also be much sweeter than unripened ones.

You might also like: How To Ripen Bananas 

2. Mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon

flour, cinnamon, baking powder

Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder and cinnamon. Cinnamon is entirely optional but it gives the banana bread a lovely warming taste. Mix these dry ingredients together.

3. Mash the bananas

mashing bananas

Peel the bananas and break them up in a bowl. You can use a potato masher or a fork to mash them up into a puree. The mixture doesn’t need to be completely lump free, a few small lumps of banana is fine and will taste delicious in the finished banana bread, giving the cake even more texture.

4. Mix in the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla essence

mix eggs, sugar, vanilla essence, oil

Once you have finished mashing the bananas, add in the beaten eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla essence. Gently stir it all round to mix it together. 

5. Add to the dry flour mix

Make a well in the middle of the dry flour mix and pour in the wet egg mixture. Gently stir it together.

6. Transfer to a baking tin

Lightly grease a baking tin. You can use a round baking tin, or a loaf style tin, depending on what will fit in your slow cooker. Double check the tin will fit in your slow cooker before transferring the banana bread mixture (sounds kind of obvious but I forgot to do this only to discover the tin didn’t fit!) 

7. Place baking tin in slow cooker

Put the baking tin in the slow cooker bowl, there is no need to add any water, or any liquid. 

8. Add a tea towel

As any moisture created during the slow cooking process has nowhere to go it’s a good idea to place a tea towel under the slow cooker lid. This will help to catch any moisture that evaporates and prevent it from dripping back on to the banana bread and making it soggy.

9. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours

The downside of using a tea towel under the lid is you can no longer spy on the banana bread as it bakes. Try to resist the urge to peek before 2 hours, or the heat will escape from the slow cooker and delay the cooking time. 

After 2 hours you can remove the lid and check if it is ready. Use a metal skewer to check if it is done – insert it to the middle and if it comes out clean it is ready. I generally find that it is ready after 2 hours, but it can be left on for 3 hours if needed.

10. Leave to stand, slice and serve

slice of banana bread

Leave the cooked banana bread to cool down a bit (about 10-20 minutes) before you remove it from the tin and slice it. 

More Slow Cooker Cakes and Bakes

slice of banana bread

Slow Cooker Banana Bread

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Slow cooker banana bread is both tasty and easy to make. Prepare the mixture and then let the slow cooker work it's magic!

Ingredients

  • 200g strong White Flour, (you can also use plain flour)
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • 2tsp cinnamon
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 100ml vegetable oil
  • 150g soft brown sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease a loaf tin (make sure it can fit in your slow cooker)
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and mix together.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until smooth.
  4. In another bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they are smooth and lump free (you must use ripe bananas).
  5. Add the bananas in with the beaten egg and stir until mixed in.
  6. Add in the oil, sugar and vanilla extract.
  7. Make a well in the bowl containing the flour etc. Slowly pour in the egg mixture, stirring gently until all the ingredients are blended together. Do not mix too much, just until it is smooth.
  8. Add the mixture to your greased loaf tin. Place the tin into your slow cooker. I like to put a tea towel under the lid to stop any condensation dripping back down onto the bread and making it soggy.
  9. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. When it is ready you should be able to insert a skewer into the centre and it come out clean.
  10. Allow to cool for a bit before removing from the tin and then transfer to a wire rack to cool some more.

Notes

You can use either a round baking tin or a loaf shape one - whichever fits the best in your slow cooker.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 325Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 2gSugar: 24gProtein: 5g

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easy slow cooker banana bread

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Roger Burton

Monday 16th of May 2022

After over 3 hours a skewer is still not ‘clean’ any advise please ?

Cheeks

Saturday 18th of April 2020

Do you need to add water to slow cooker?

Liana Green

Saturday 18th of April 2020

Hi - no need to add any water to the slow cooker - I hope you enjoy it :)

SHERRY BROWN

Monday 6th of April 2020

Thank you Liana, great recipe and very pleased with the result. I only had one banana so substituted with cooked carrots mashed/whizzed in blender, the amount was about 2 large tablespoons per banana, so I added 4 tablespoons. I also added raisins, sultanas and dark chocolate chips. My loaf tin would not fit into the slow cooker so I used a glass pudding basin and a cake tin liner/greaseproof paper as a lid to prevent water dripping in from the slow cooker lid and it worked very well. I used most of the mixture for the glass pudding basin in the slow cooker and left some to use in ramekins/teacups, loosely covered with cling film and put in a steamer pan on the stove. These were individual portions and cooked in just under an hour, a bit like a steamed pudding. Both methods gave excellent results, tasted delicious, moist and stays moist for the next few days when eaten cold. Very versatile recipe and has definitely become a favourite in our family and a real treat during this difficult time.

Amanda

Sunday 5th of April 2020

This is first cake I’ve made in the slow cooker and will be making again!

Thomas Cook

Sunday 15th of March 2020

I swapped the plain flour over to patisserie flour, was lovely, great recipe thank you.

Liana Green

Tuesday 17th of March 2020

Thanks for your comment Thomas - happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe :)

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