Easy Slow Cooker Banana Bread

This easy slow cooker banana bread recipe is moist and so easy to prepare. You’ll use up three ripe bananas and it is lightly spiced with warming autumnal spices, with a tasty result your family will love.

Whatever the day, a simple banana bread with some added spice to warm it up and add depth of flavour, is always very welcome. I always turn to my slow cooker banana bread that is so easy to make.

Making banana bread in a slow cooker

This banana loaf is made in my slow cooker as it is just so easy!

The benefits of using the slow cooker are that the cake stays really moist, and can be left for a couple of hours while you do chores and get on with your day.

It uses less energy than the oven too!

I love to be able to catch up with some work on my computer, with the scent of cinnamon, ginger and all spice in the air. Perfect! Crockpot banana bread is so comforting.

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to make this easy slow cooker banana bread, all quite standard store-cupboard ingredients. Don’t miss the recipe card right at the bottom of the page which contains all the quantities.

• bananas – Ripe, browning bananas work best in banana bread, because they taste so sweet. But if you only have unripe bananas available, you can bake them in a hot oven for a few minutes to soften them first.
• eggs – I prefer free-range eggs. Medium or large will be fine.
• butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter as this is what I keep in stock in my fridge. But salted would also work.
• flour – I use plain flour (all-purpose flour for those in the US).
• baking powder – this gives lift to the bananas bread.
• sugar – I use caster sugar (superfine sugar for those in the US).
• spices – I use a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Very like pumpkin pie spice but without cloves. So warming.
• optional – if you want to add cream cheese icing/frosting – cream cheese, icing sugar, butter.

Method

Here is a walk-through of the recipe. Get the full recipe method with the ingredient quantities in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

Step 1. Line your slow cooker with a cake case or baking paper/parchment – (affiliate link) I use this type of cake case.

Step 2. Make up the banana bread mixture and pour into the cake case in the slow cooker.

Step 3. Cook on high for 1.5 hours approximately with a dish towel/tea towel under the lid to catch drips. Test the banana bread with a knife, metal skewer or cake tester to check if it is cooked through and adjust the cooking time as needed based on the result. You might need to cook for another 20-30 minutes if it is not yet cooked through. Or if you see burning round the edges, take it out or switch to low.

Step 4. Allow to cool. If adding frosting, make it now. 

Toppings

Sometimes I like to add frosting and toppings to make my banana bread even more special.

I found mini gingerbread man sprinkles in the store, my kids loved them and they top this off perfectly. You can also get (affiliate link) similar sprinkles from Amazon.

The icing I prefer is cream cheese icing, which I make using the linked recipe from The Pink Whisk.

I make half the amount stated to top this banana cake, using 100 g cream cheese, 35 g butter and 200 g icing sugar.

The addition of frosting gives an extra creaminess to the banana bread I think, but it is also great unadorned! Below is one of the banana breads I made with icing, so good!

Storage

Keep the banana bread in an airtight tin for 3-4 days.

To freeze leftovers, cut into slices and wrap well in parchment and then put into a freezer bag. Freeze for 3-6 months.

Troubleshooting

My banana bread is burnt on one side – you could have hot spot in your slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker pot around halfway during cooking to prevent it catching. Or, you may need to use a double layer of parchment paper to put the mixture in.

My banana bread is sunken on top – don’t forget the tea towel under the lid to stop water dripping from the lid onto your banana bread next time.

I only have a larger slow cooker – no problem, if you only have a large slow cooker such as 6.5 litre or similar, just pop the mix in a cake tin and follow the same instructions as above. Check the instructions for your slow cooker to see if you need to put water in the slow cooker pot under the tin or can cook dry in it.

I need to make this dairy free – replace the butter with a plant-based spread. Skip the cream cheese frosting.

More to try

• Biscoff banana bread
• slow cooker blueberry banana bread
• slow cooker pumpkin banana bread
• slow cooker chocolate scones

Also do check out my collection of Christmas baking recipes.

Make sure you don’t miss my collection of Christmas slow cooker recipes full of edible gifts, sweet treats, Christmas dinner recipes and more, all made in your slow cooker!

Related

Recipe

Slow Cooker Banana Bread

By Lucy Allen | BakingQueen74

A simple banana bread baked in the crockpot, spiced with warming spices for added flavour. A simple way to use up ripe bananas, with no need to turn on the oven.

4.84 from 6 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: Slow Cooker

Calories: 555kcal

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Ingredients

• 115 g (½ cup) butter softened
• 170 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 3 ripe bananas mashed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 300 g (1¾ cups + 2 tbsp) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

For the cream cheese frosting (optional):

• 35 g (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) butter
• 100 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) cream cheese
• 200 g (1¼ cup + 2 tbsp) icing sugar

To decorate (optional):

• gingerbread man sprinkles

Equipment

round slow cooker

cake liners

gingerbread man sprinkles

Instructions

 

• Grease and line your slow cooker with a large cake case (available from pound shops etc). I make this cake in my round 3.5 litre slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter together with the sugar, and then break in the eggs and beat well.
  115 g / ½ cup butter, 170 g / ¾ cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar), 2 eggs
• Mash the bananas in a separate bowl, then stir the mashed banana into the butter mixture.
  3 ripe bananas
• Add the spices, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir till well combined but try not to overmix.
  2 tsp baking powder, 300 g / 1¾ cups + 2 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour), pinch of salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• Put the mixture into the lined slow cooker pot.
• Cook on high for approximately 1½ hours or until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean.
• Tip: Place a clean tea towel under your slow cooker lid to stop condensation dripping on top of your cake and making it soggy.
• Turn the slow cooker off, and remove the pot from the metal part carefully. Allow the pot to cool and then turn the cake out, and let it cool completely on a rack.
• If you would like to add frosting, make up the cream cheese frosting using the butter, cream cheese and icing sugar following the method given here, then use a spatula to spread it on top of the banana bread. Sprinkle on the gingerbread men if using, and enjoy!
  35 g / 2 tbsp + 2 tsp butter, 100 g / ¼ cup + 3 tbsp cream cheese, 200 g / 1¼ cup + 2 tbsp icing sugar, gingerbread man sprinkles

Notes

Storage

Keep the banana bread in an airtight tin for 3-4 days. 

To freeze leftovers, cut into slices and wrap well in parchment and then put into a freezer bag. Freeze for 3-6 months.

Variations

There are loads of ways to adapt this banana bread:

• replace the spices with just cinnamon or leave them out entirely
• add vanilla extract to bring out the sweetness of the bananas
• add your preferred nuts such as chopped walnuts or hazelnuts
• add a handful of chocolate chips
• add cocoa powder for chocolate banana bread

Troubleshooting

My banana bread is burnt on one side – you could have hot spot in your slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker pot around halfway during cooking to prevent it catching. Or, you may need to use a double layer of parchment paper to put the mixture in.

My banana bread is sunken on top – don’t forget the tea towel under the lid to stop water dripping from the lid onto your banana bread next time.

I only have a larger slow cooker – no problem, if you only have a large slow cooker such as 6.5 litre or similar, just pop the mix in a cake tin and follow the same instructions as above. Check the instructions for your slow cooker to see if you need to put water in the slow cooker pot under the tin or can cook dry in it.

I need to make this dairy free – replace the butter with a plant-based spread. Skip the cream cheese frosting.

Slow cooker size

This recipe works best in a 3.5 litre slow cooker. I use a round slow cooker for a round banana bread. If you have a large slow cooker such as 6.5 litre, put the mixture in a cake tin in the slow cooker pot.

Nutrition

The calories per serving given include the optional frosting, based on cutting the. banana bread into 8. Without frosting, cut into 8 pieces, the value is 384 calories per serving.

Have you made this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you got on!