This slow cooker banana bread recipe uses up three ripe bananas and is lightly spiced with warming spices to make a banana loaf your family will love.
Whatever the day, a simple banana bread is in order, with some added spice to warm it up and add depth of flavour.
Time for my slow cooker banana bread!
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Making banana bread in a slow cooker
This banana loaf was made in my slow cooker as it is just so easy!
Of course it could equally be made in the oven.
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 errands.
It uses less energy than the oven too!
In my case, I catch up with some work with cinnamon, ginger and all spice wafting in my direction. Perfect!
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to make this banana bread. 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. But if you only have unripe bananas, you can always bake them in a hot oven for a few minutes to soften them!
- 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.
Instructions
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 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 is cream cheese icing, which I made using the linked recipe from The Pink Whisk.
I made half the amount stated to top this 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!
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.
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 Christmas slow cooker post full of edible gifts, sweet treats, Christmas dinner recipes and more, all made in your slow cooker!
Pin this recipe for later!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 115 g butter softened
- 170 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 300 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 35 g butter
- 100 g cream cheese
- 200 g icing sugar
To decorate:
- gingerbread man sprinkles
Instructions
- Grease and line your slow cooker with a large cake case (available from pound shops etc). I made 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 butter, 170 g caster sugar (superfine sugar), 2 eggs
- Stir in the mashed banana.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 plain flour (all-purpose flour), A 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 1.5 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 adding 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 butter, 100 g cream cheese, 200 g icing sugar, gingerbread man sprinkles
Notes
- 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
Sofia says
This was a super easy recipe. Prep time was a cinch, as was clean-up. I added some vanilla extract per one of the reviews. I normally add walnuts to my bread, but b/c of a tree nut allergy in the house, I had to come up with something else to add. I added about a cup of fresh blueberries and some dried cranberries to the batter. What a wonderful addition. Next time I’ll add more blueberries as I loved the flavor it added. I used 5 very ripe banana’s and the bread was super moist. I had enough batter left over to make 6 muffins in addition to the loaf. I’d like to reduce the butter next time also and replace it wtih applesauce and add some chopped up apples to the batter as well. This is a keeper. Thanks!
GregC says
I added two tablespoons of cocoa to this ecipe and it tasted delicious. A great way of using over the top bananas and the kids loved it. Thankyou.
bakingqueen74 says
Great, sounds lovely with cocoa in it!
Fiver Feeds says
I’ll just might have a banana bread tomorrow…thanks for giving me the idea 😉
bakingqueen74 says
Always a firm favourite here!
Nazima Pathan says
I love banana bread and am impressed with all the uses of it that people seem to find!
bakingqueen74 says
thanks for visiting Nazima, we do like a banana bread in this house!
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
How funny, I have just spent this weekend working on a banana bread recipe but not in the slow cooker. Like you I am a fan of nutmeg and cinnamon in banana bread..
bakingqueen74 says
It is definitely a favourite here too!