This pressure cooker banana bread is fluffy like cake and so delicious! Imagine banana bread for breakfast cooked in your Instant Pot, Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi and no oven.
There is one thing my mom made from scratch growing up, that was banana bread. Everything else pretty much came out of a box but I do agree that you can’t really find a great store bought banana bread, you really have to make it yourself for perfection. Now that I have an Instant Pot I have been baking in it here and there and today made this easy tropical pressure cooker banana bread that I had for breakfast, and then again for dessert that day. 😉 One of our favorite Instant Pot recipes. (originally published 2/18, affiliate links present)
Yes you can make a traditional recipe and follow these directions. However with a bit of sweetened coconut and pineapple tidbits takes this pressure cooker banana bread to a new level!
We added them years ago when we made these coconut banana bread mini muffins so I thought I’d figure out how to tweak that recipe to make it in my pressure cooker and it was really delicious.
I have baked in my pressure cooker before and it came out yummy but I have to say with time it has improved. It always does with trial and error when it comes to using a new kitchen appliance.
I made this fabulous Instant Pot coffee cake first that we loved. BUT there are two important things that help when you are baking in your pressure cooker that you must follow or it will not come out right.
Tips to making the best Instant Pot banana bread
- Before covering with foil, cover with a paper towel as well. (helps to absorb water and allow it to brown a bit)
- Measure flour by spooning it into your measuring cup vs. scooping it up with the cup. (it makes a huge difference when using a pressure cooker in my trials this year because it allows breads it to rise properly).
Following these tips will result in a fluffy bread that is lightly browned and really moist!
- Like way more moist than baking it in the oven which we love. Of course there are tons of banana bread recipes out there and if you have a favorite you can use yours, the key is to not fill your bundt pan past about the 3/4 full mark or it will really stick to the paper towel and if it is too much it will overflow and just be a mess.
This is what you’ll need to make this moist and easy pressure cooker banana bread recipe
- 7″ bundt pan – will fit in either 6 or 8 qt. Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Crock Pot Express
- if you use a springform pan it needs to be bundt shaped so it cooks evenly
- Trivet – this one with handles is best
- All purpose flour – this is how to measure flour properly or it will be dense
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Overripe bananas – mashed bananas, as brown as possible
- Almond extract
- 1.5 cups of water
- Adding a bit of sweetened flaked coconut is fabulous
- Can add just a bit of pineapple tidbits if desired
This recipe fits perfectly and serves about 8-12 depending on how big the slices are.
I like moist pressure cooker banana bread that I can add different things to like pineapple tidbits and/or coconut flakes which I do often but that is totally up to you.
AAaaaaand done!
- I always suggest making a sling out of tinfoil like you see here
- It will allow you to lower it on to your trivet and lift it out when it is done easier.
- Just get a large piece of foil and starting at the corner fold it like a bandana all the way up so you have a long strip.
- I keep this sling in the drawer with my foil and use it over and over again!
This is a great Crock Pot Express or Ninja Foodi banana bread recipe too. You just need high pressure for the setting and the rest will work the same.
Tips:
- Make sure you spoon flour into your measuring cup, don’t scoop or bread will be dense.
- Spray your bundt pan with non stick spray.
- Cover with aluminum foil so condensation doesn’t make the top wet.
- After cooking for 50 minutes do NOT quick release.
- Allow to naturally release steam by itself so it is fluffy.
Pressure Cooker Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 c butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract optional but good
- 1 c sugar
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 3 bananas 2 large, 3 small, overripe, mashed
- 2 c all purpose flour
- 1/4 c sweetened coconut flaked, optional
- 1/4 c pineapple tidbits optional, cut very small without juice
Instructions
- Mix mashed bananas, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract and melted butter in one bowl.
- Put rest of dry ingredients into another bowl and mix.
- Fold in dry ingredients into your wet ingredient mixture gently as to not over mix it. Fold in coconut and/or pineapple if you want to add it in now too.
- Spray your 7" bundt pan with non stick spray, just a bit.
- Pour banana bread mixture inside. Cover with a paper towel, then cover with foil.
- Pour 2 cups of water into your Instant Pot or pressure cooker and put a trivet inside.
- Lower your bundt pan on to your trivet. Close lid and steam valve.
- Set to pressure, high, for 50 minutes.
- Allow to naturally release.
- Lift out when steam has released and set on cooling rack.
- When slightly warm use a knife to loosen sides of bread from bundt pan.
- Put plate on top of pan and gently flip over allowing bread to slide out of bundt pan.
- Slice and serve.
My first attempt at making pressure cooker banana bread several months ago (with pineapple and coconut added in), didn’t come out ideally, it came out like you see below.
It was like a cross between a pudding cake consistency and fudge and when done it looked like this. Dense and didn’t hardly rise at all. Upon thinking what went wrong I realized I had been in a hurry and scooped the flour with my measuring cup vs spooning it in allowing the flour to aerate so it would come out fluffy.
I show you this so you can see the difference. It actually tasted pretty yummy but like I said there is a big difference if you do it correctly (also make sure your all purpose flour isn’t expired, I have made that mistake before in years past and no bueno).
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Jackie says
HI I love your recipes and Tips, can I use a regular (non bundt) instant pot cake pan or does it have to bea bundt pan?
The Typical Mom says
Thank you!! You could but I like the bundt because if not the middle gets underdone and the outside a bit overdone in my opinion.
Marilyn says
I made this banana loaf yesterday in my instant pot, it is delicious. I will add my photo with it. Very moist and so good, used 1/4 c of both coconut and pineapple. This site does not allow me to paste my photo of my loaf.
delicious and will make again! Thank you.
The Typical Mom says
So glad you loved it!
Liz says
I used 3 bananas and followed the recipe but I had a bunch left over after filling my 6 inch bundt pan 3/4 full. Did anyone else have extra? I put the remaining mix in a loaf pan into my regular oven so as not to waste it but that kind of defeats the purpose of easy in my Instant Pot:(. Thanks for the recipes!
Jan says
My attempt was a disaster, nowhere near cooked even though I followed the recipe to a tee. Very disappointed. Any ideas where I went wrong
The Typical Mom says
Did you make sure your steam valve was completely closed and the foil was tight around the bundt pan?
Luanne says
Mine was the same way. Don’t know what went wrong. Had to finish it in the oven.
The Typical Mom says
Did you make sure to spoon in the flour and not scoop it, and made sure you had enough water in the bottom.
Cece says
The best way is to weigh flour to get the right amount. I finally took the plunge and bought a weight/volume scale. I use it for sugar, flour, and other ingredients measured in cups. It has greatly improved my breads and since I make large batches of dough it saves me a lot of time.
Janet says
Ok, I’m new (since Christmas) to the Instant Pot. So far I like it, but there are still things I don’t understand. Everything I have made so far used my metal insert bowl. Do you put the water directly into the pot on the heating area or do you always use the insert pot? Do you order all of the different size pans on-line or is there a Brick&Mortar store that they can be purchased at? I really want to try this banana bread and breakfast bread recipes so I appreciate your time and help.
b says
I am new as well. But you definitely use the metal inset bowl when using your instant pot. With this recipe she puts in the trivet in so that the bundt pan can sit on it and not be submerged fully in the water that is added.