Baked Banana Bread Donuts with Browned Butter Glaze Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you put too much banana in banana bread? ›

Using too much banana could make your bread heavy and damp in the center, causing it to appear undercooked and unappealing. If you have bananas leftover, you can always freeze them for later use.

You may be baking at too high a temperature. Home ovens are often not accurate. Try lowering the temperature by 25°F, and bake for a slightly longer time. If you are using a dark colored pan like many non-stick pans it will cause the outside to brown more quickly while the inside stays raw.

Bake for longer: If the center of your banana bread is still gooey, you may need to bake it for a longer time. Check the bread every 5-10 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with moist crumbs, continue baking until the toothpick comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.

Adding more eggs makes for a spongy, less flavorful banana bread. Doubling the number of eggs I was using resulted in a spongy cake with a moist texture. While the banana flavor was present, it wasn't as prominent as it was in other loaves. This had more of a hint of flavor.

As with most produce, there comes a point of no return. If the bananas have any visible signs of mold, throw them out. If they smell off, that's another good indicator that they are no longer okay to use. Rotten bananas will often have a fermented or alcohol-like smell.

Let it cool for 10 minutes — this helps the loaf solidify and makes it easier to remove from the pan. Remove from pan and cool another 10 minutes. Grasping the parchment paper sling, lift the loaf out of the pan and place on the cooling rack. Cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.

If you're planning to eat your banana bread within three to four days, it can be left out at room temperature. To keep it fresh, place a paper towel in the bottom of an airtight container. Place the loaf of banana bread on top, add another paper towel, and put the lid on the container.

I'll be honest: As soon as I'm done baking a loaf of banana bread, I'm ready to slice it up and dig in. Waiting for the warm banana bread to cool to room temperature is nearly impossible! In my opinion, the best way to eat is warm, right out of the oven.

Over mixing the batter

The reason is as you mix, the gluten begins to develop, and when too much development happens, you can end up with a dense, chewy loaf rather than the soft and delicious banana bread you were hoping for.

As a general best practice, the middle oven rack is best for baking most types of bread due to the all-around temperatures.

Why is my banana bread batter thick? ›

Too much dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder) and you'll end up with a tough, cake-like result.

Banana bread is simple to make, but proper cooling is important, because the bananas caramelize and become sticky during the cooking process. As a result, the bread can be difficult to remove from the pan. Bread that is cooled too long or not long enough may emerge in pieces instead of smooth, lovely loaves.

🍞 Signs That Bananas Are Too Ripe for Banana Bread

While browned bananas are great for baking, there comes a point when they're past their prime. With mold and decay, it's best to throw them away for safety reasons. If you see fruit flies, it's time to throw the bananas away!

Alternatively, consider giving the bread an extra 10 or so minutes in the oven, which should be enough time for excess moisture to evaporate as steam. If it's too late to salvage the soggy loaf, fret not, as there are creative ways to put mushy banana bread to use.

Eating too many bananas or other high-potassium foods can cause excess potassium in the body, also called hyperkalemia. This can cause serious health problems, including heart issues. While most people wouldn't be able to stomach the number of bananas necessary to cause this to happen, it's something to be mindful of.