Enjoy delicious banana bread without even turning on your oven with this fabulous recipe for slow cooker banana bread. Making banana bread in a Crock Pot is ideal for those hot summer days when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen by using the oven.
Ever wondered how your trusty slow cooker (aka your culinary helper for busy days) might fare in baking? Well, it makes this delicious, moist banana bread studded with walnuts and bursting with flavor.
If you love a warm slice of banana bread, you will be thrilled to learn how easy it is to bake in your slow cooker. Who knows, once you try this slow cooker version, you might never return to the traditional oven-baked method again!
We’ll cover everything from prepping the ingredients to the step-by-step cooking process, all while keeping things simple and beginner-friendly. Plus, I’ll throw in a few tips and tricks I’ve learned to make this banana bread even more tasty.
Love cooking in your slow cooker? Try my delicious recipes for Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles, Slow Cooker Pizza, and Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches.
🍌Ingredient Notes
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas for the best flavor and easy mashing. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more moist your bread will be. If your bananas get soft too fast, learn how to store bananas so they last longer.
- Sugar: You can use either white or light brown sugar. I use a mix of white and brown sugar because I love the hint of molasses flavor the brown sugar adds.
- Butter: You can substitute vegetable oil, but I prefer the butter flavor.
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Nuts: Nuts are optional, but I like to include them. Walnuts or macadamia are my favorites.
🥣How to Make Slow Cooker Banana Bread
- Add two strips of parchment paper to the slow cooker insert, so you can easily lift the bread out when it is done. Then spray it all with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until smooth.
- Mix well with the melted butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture, stirring until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- If you are using nuts, stir them in.
- Pour the batter into the slow cooker insert and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
- Cook on low for 4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Carefully remove the insert from the slow cooker, and let the bread cool for a few minutes before lifting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
🍴Serving Ideas
Slow cooker banana bread will not have a traditional loaf shape. To serve it, slice it into wedges or long skinny slices. Here are some serving ideas.
- Classic: Simply slice the banana bread and enjoy it as is, or spread some butter or cream cheese on top for added richness.
- Breakfast: Toast a slice of banana bread and top it with your favorite nut butter, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of honey. It also makes delicious French toast.
- Dessert: Warm up a slice of banana bread and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Trust me, it’s heavenly!
💭How to Store
Careful storage will make sure your banana bread stays fresh and delicious for as long as possible. Let it cool completely before storing it. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
Place the wrapped bread in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can place the wrapped bread in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy it again.
⭐Tips
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Overripe bananas are your friend: The more brown spots, the better! Overripe bananas are sweeter and easier to mash, giving your bread a deliciously moist texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter: To avoid a tough, dense loaf, mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. A few lumps are totally fine!
- Line and grease your slow cooker: Doing both will make taking the bread out in one piece a breeze. You can also use a slow cooker liner.
- Vary the mixins: Change the type of nuts or add chocolate chips or blueberries to your banana bread.
Slow Cooker Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas very ripe and mashed
- 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 stick
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts divided
Instructions
- Line your slow cooker with parchment paper. Do this in 2 long strips, making removing the bread easier. Then spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Then add the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the mashed bananas.3 large bananas, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup butter, melted
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Stir in 1 cup of the walnuts.1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
- Pour the banana bread mixture into the slow cooker and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of walnuts over the top of the bread.1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Start checking to see if your bread is done around 3 ½ hours. Slow cookers vary greatly, and your cooking time may be longer or shorter.
- When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, your bread is ready.
- Use the edges of the parchment paper to remove the bread from the slow cooker.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for the best texture and flavor.
- Line and grease your Crock Pot. Doing both will make taking the bread out in one piece a breeze. You can also use a slow cooker liner.
- Slice into wedges or long slices.
- You can leave the nuts out altogether, substitute your favorite nut or use chocolate chips or blueberries.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
What a brilliant idea!! As someone who cannot stand the heat, this recipe is right up my alley. I never thought to bake in the slow cooker and the banana bread turned out so well. I’ll be using this recipe all summer long. A new tradition! Thanks.
I love that this scrumptious banana bread can be made in a “set it and forget it” style in the slow cooker. Moist, easy, and delicious!
This is such a clever way to make banana bread! I always overbuy bananas with the intention of making bread, but it’s getting too hot down south to want to turn on the oven. I made this the night before memorial day for a quick breakfast and it was all gone by dinner!
This slow cooker banana bread is such a great recipe for summer. It’s perfectly sweet and moist without having to turn on the oven.
I love that I can make this banana bread in a slow cooker instead of turning on the oven. Wonderful!
Genius! I have never used a slow cooker to make banana bread, it was fantastic. So moist!