Instant Pot Banana Bread Recipe

Ah, the Instant Pot — it truly has revolutionized the way we cook! In shorter periods of time and with exceptional ease, you can make countless recipes in an Instant pot, like brown rice, chicken, banana bread — wait a minute, banana bread? Sure, your first thought may not be to whip up banana bread in your Instant Pot, but recipe developer Ting Dalton's recipe proves that it can and should be done. "This is a great way to bake moist, sweet banana bread when you don't have an oven," Dalton says of her Instant Pot banana bread recipe. "Or, if you want to bake a fool-proof cake without worrying if it will over bake, burn or under-bake."

Instead of a loaf, your banana bread will come out as a round cake, but this shape-shifting won't compromise the flavor. If anything, using your Instant Pot will improve the flavor, ensuring that the bread stays "deliciously moist," as Dalton puts it. "Simplicity at its best," she says about this recipe, and once you follow the steps and end up with a perfectly cooked, moist, and flavorful banana bread with little effort, you'll be saying the same thing!

Aside from the baking method, you'll notice that this recipe looks very similar to a traditional banana bread. As far as ingredients go, you'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, eggs, both brown and white sugar, sour cream, melted butter, vanilla extract, and the star of the show: mashed ripe bananas. Dalton says that this recipe is a "great way to use up brown ripe bananas," so think twice before you throw them away! Dalton also dusts the cake with powdered sugar, and she notes that "you could add chocolate chips or walnuts" to switch things up. 

First, grab your trusty Instant Pot and insert the steam rack, along with 1 ½ cups water. Also, grease a 6-inch round cake pan and set it aside.

Now, let's focus on the batter. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl, and whisk these ingredients together. In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients, including the eggs, brown and white sugar, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together, then add the mashed bananas, simply stirring to combine them with everything else. Now, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ones, stirring until they're just combined, leaving you with a smooth, cohesive batter. 

Pour the batter right into the greased cake tin, then wrap the entire tin in foil.

Place the wrapped cake tin onto the Instant Pot's trivet. Secure the lid on the pot, then click the "manual" button, and cook the banana bread on high pressure for 40 minutes. When the time is up, leave the bread for 10 minutes to naturally release the pressure, then switch the vent on the pot to release the rest of the pressure. 

Use oven mitts to remove the cake pan from the Instant Pot (it will be very hot!), then carefully remove the foil and allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes. Finally, turn the bread out onto a cooling rack to fully cool before serving.

Once the banana bread has fully cooled, sprinkle on some powdered sugar for an extra hint of sweetness, then you're ready to serve. "I like to serve this with cream and some extra fresh fruit like blueberries," Dalton suggests, adding that this banana bread is "great for afternoon tea or as a treat." And, like any banana bread, you can store leftovers for a few days: "You can keep this 3-4 days in a suitable airtight container," Dalton says. With this easy recipe, you can make the banana bread on a Sunday evening, then enjoy a warm slice with a cup of coffee in the mornings!