Make moist, delicious banana bread without turning on the oven! Instant Pot Banana Bread with a cinnamon sugar crust is the ultimate pressure cooker bread recipe.
Comfort food is king, especially when you don’t need an oven. Try our favorite Instant Pot Zucchini Bread in the pressure cooker, or this moist, delicious Instant Pot Cinnamon Roll bread recipe!
Why this Recipe Works
You all know how much I love my Instant Pot right? It’s a lifesaver, not only for quick dinners like Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken and easy side dishes but for baked goods, too.
This pressure cooker banana bread recipe is my latest favorite!
With the weather getting warmer every day, I get more and more reluctant to turn on my oven. The last thing I want on a hot summer day is to generate even more heat in my house while I bake.
My love of baked goods doesn’t magically diminish when the sun is beating down on my house, though. So a girl has to get creative!
When a batch of ripe bananas needed to be used, I decided to go ahead and try something I’ve wanted to do for a while: make banana bread in the InstaPot!
The end result was beyond my expectations! Using a push cake pan and a high pressure steam cooking method created a bread that was every bit as delicious as my favorite sour cream banana bread recipe.
Banana Breads: Blueberry Banana Bread | Zucchini Banana Bread
Step by Step Instructions
The batter for this bread starts with overripe bananas (use our guide on how to ripen bananas in 20 minutes), softened butter and sugar. I also used sour cream here to make the bread ultra moist!
Similar to my favorite snickerdoodle banana bread, you can sprinkle the top of this bread with a cinnamon sugar mix. This is an optional addition but I highly recommend it if you like cinnamon.
Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps in this Instant Pot Banana Bread recipe. If you’re familiar with pressure cooker baking, this is a breeze. Even if you’re new to baking or cooking with the Instant Pot, it’s not difficult to master this technique.
First, prepare the batter:
After mashing the bananas, you beat them with softened butter, white and brown sugars in a mixing bowl. Then, add an egg, sour cream, vanilla and the dry ingredients until just combined.
Pressure cook:
Pour the batter into a greased push pan and cover with foil, then add water to the bottom of your instant pot.
Make sure you allow a little extra room in your foil for bread expansion!
Lower the cake pan into the pot on a trivet or sling, seal and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 55 minutes.
Release and cool:
Let the pot naturally release for 15 to 20 minutes, then turn the knob to VENTING to release any remaining pressure. Remove the pan from the pot, remove the foil and let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
How to remove bread from push pan
One of the trickiest parts of baking in a pressure cooker is getting the bread out of the pan in one piece.
To remove the bread from the pan, I use a sturdy glass jar or cup. Put the pan on top of the jar, and then push the cake plate up to remove it from the rimmed pan.
From here you can slide the bread out onto a platter or slice and serve directly from the plate. Your choice!
Storage
Keep your loaf of banana bread in an air tight container and enjoy within 3 days for best taste and texture.
This banana bread also freezes well.
If keeping in the freezer, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and eat within 3 months.
Variations
The recipe below creates a moist and flavorful loaf of classic banana bread. It’s delicious sliced and enjoyed on its own, with a pat of warm butter or any other spreads you like.
For some fun twists, try adding mix-ins to the batter before baking. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chopped walnuts
- Chopped pecans
- White chocolate chunks – Cut into small pieces
Add up to 3/4 of a cup of any of these additions or mix and match! The sweet additions of chocolate can turn banana bread into a treat worthy of a place on the dessert menu.
Serve your bread with a slather of butter or warm with fresh whipped cream.
You can never go wrong with banana bread, served for breakfast with your morning coffee or an anytime snack. Learning how to make banana bread in the instant pot means you always have a way to use those extra ripe bananas!
Make them into muffins or bites
Want to turn your bread into bread bites? It’s so easy if you have silicone muffins pan for the Instant Pot.
Not only is it great for making copycat Starbucks Instant Pot egg bites, but for muffins too!
- Start by making the batter as directed above.
- Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Fill muffin cups about 1/2 full, cover with silicone lid or loosely with foil.
- Place on trivet and lower into the Instapot.
- Select “HIGH PRESSURE” and cook for 14 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure and lift trivet out of the pot.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes, then invert and pop the bites out onto a cooling rack.
- Recipe makes about 21 bites. ENJOY.
Instant Pot Baking
While I find myself relying on my Instant Pot recipes for baking in the summer, there are plenty of other times when it’s handy to know how to make pressure cooker banana bread.
If you’re oven is out of commission (we’ve all been there!), Instant Pot recipes make it possible to still make all your favorites.
I also use my pressure cooker a lot when I’m planning a big meal in which a LOT of different dishes need to go in the oven all at once. Dinner parties, holidays or marathon baking days when I’m prepping things to freeze all see a lot of Instant Pot action.
More Easy Bread Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Blueberry Zucchini Bread
- Amish Friendship Bread
- Orange Bread
- Instant Pot Apple Cobbler
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section below!
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Instant Pot Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe bananas about 1 1/2 cups mashed
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar blend optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, blend mashed bananas with softened butter. Add in both sugars and beat until combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract. Beat in the sour cream.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, mix just until combined.
- Spray a 7×3-inch push pan with baking spray. Pour in batter. If you like, top with the extra cinnamon sugar blend (or leave plain). Cover with foil (leaving room for expansion), but pinch the edges tight.
- In the Instant Pot, add 1 1/2 cups water. Place cake pan on trivet or sling and lower into the pot.
- Secure the lid and make sure the vent valve is set to "sealing."
- Select HIGH PRESSURE for a cook time of 55 minutes.
- Once the cook time ends, allow to naturally release for 15-20 minutes, then release the remaining pressure by turning the valve to "VENTING"
- Remove pan by lifting the trivet or sling out of the pot. Immediately remove the foil. Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Using a sturdy jar or cup, place push pan on top, pushing the cake plate up and lifting the bread out of the pan. Slide the plate to a cake platter (you can remove the bread from the push pan plate or serve with it on there, your choice).
- Store in airtight container at room temperature. Best within 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. ENJOY.
Notes
- Recipe tested in a 6qt Instant Pot.
- Add up to 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips or nuts for a delicious twist!
I am going to attempt making this bread. So do you set the Pot for Pressure/High Cook and then the time?? for us newbies, being specific is Critical :). Looking forward to your answer before my bananas go bad.
Yes. Select high pressure or manual, then add in the cook time.
I am very new to anything in the kitchen! So excited about instant pot recipes. The only thing I know I forgot was the baking powder. Did the soda. Bread did not rise at all. Was cooked thoroughly though. Had more of the texture of a firm bread pudding. It’s delicious just a different texture. Could that be just because of the missing baking powder?
Baking powder and baking soda will give you different results.
I made this today for the first time. I love the texture. It’s yummy but a bit on the sweet side. I will use less sugar next time. Great recipe otherwise.
I wish I had noticed the comments before trying. We used a 6qt with same size push pan. The bread rose nicely at the recipe cooking time, but is raw in the middle. We’re putting it in the oven as I see another poster states they did to finish. Too bad, it was an easy recipe to throw together.
Hi Aimee,
I used a 6qt pressure cooker. I followed the recipe and added a handful of silvered almonds. It came out perfect, very moist.. I used the spring pan and the suggested method to remove the bread from the pan and it was easy. I’m not sure what size VM pan i have, but the batter was almost to the top.
So happy to hear it 🙂
Hi Aimee, The recipe is perfect. My experience with a lifetime of cooking is that when something goes wrong, 90% of the time I’ve just misread a step or ingredient. I feel like some of these folks might be blaming you unjustly… Just one guy’s opinion, though.
I’ve made it twice now tho king I did something wrong f the first time. My come out raw in the middle.
I’ve Put in back on for another 20 minutes.
I’m using a 6 qt pot.
I have a 3qt instant pot. I will just use half the batter in a spring form pan. Will the cooking time be the same?
I haven’t tested this in a 3qt instant pot so I’m unfamiliar with cooking time and size of pan. Sorry.
I made this and 3 bananas did not come to 1 1/2 cups so I added to make the right amount. I followed the recipe exactly in a 6 qt and a spring form pan. The outside of the cake was ok but just mushy bananas in the centre. Should I have used less than 1 1/2 cups. So disappointed as my cousin made it and substituted zuchinni and she said hers was fine.
Hi, I don’t have a 7X3 push pan, I have a 6X3 push pan, what adjustments would I need to make in order for the bread to come out nicely?
I found the banana bread to be very very very moist. I used Splenda instead of regular. Could that be the problem?
Can i substiture sour cream with regular full fat cream or something else? Please advise.
You can use greek yogurt. I haven’t tried full fat cream though.
Can you make this if you do not have a push pan? Maybe line the bottom with parchment? What are your thoughts? Thanks
It’s a very tall cake, and the push pan is 3 inches high. If you’re using a different pan, make sure it’s tall 🙂
Made this yesterday. Turned out perfect – added mini chocolate chips.
Everyone loved it!!
Awesome!!
Can I use my springform pan?
Yes, you can! I used mine and it came out wonderful.
Don’t know how you can put for total time 1 hour and 5 minutes. What about the 15+ minutes of natural release time and the at least 5 minutes to come up to pressure?
That’s at least half an hour more than it takes me to bake banana bread in my oven.
When you preheat an oven you don’t account for that time in the recipe either. Instant Pot cooking isn’t always faster, it’s just another way. I like to use this recipe in the summer so I don’t have to turn on my oven.
Just made the bread per the recipe and I pulled off the foil to reveal a half-baked globby mess!!! What did I do wrong?!? 😩
Was this using a 6qt Instant Pot? On high pressure? I’ve made this numerous times with zero issues, not sure what happened for you but I would check your sealing ring and valve on top to make sure all was securely in place.
Mine was too. I had to put it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes after.
Can I use a springform pan?
Yes as long as it fits in the Instant Pot 🙂
This looks great! I have an 8qt Instant Pot and an 8×3” push pan. Would I need to adjust the time?
I haven’t tested this in an 8qt.
So awesome!! Another reason for me to get an instant pot! haha
Thanks for the motivation to get my IP back out and try this! My kids are obsessed with banana bread and I’m sure in a few days, my bananas will be ready to go. Can’t wait to try it!
Ugh mine also came out a completely globby mess! Followed all instructions. The bread is formed around the edges for about 1 inch in but all mush in the middle. My instant pot is sealed properly and everything. Never had issues with it cooking before. I sure hope popping it in a little longer will resolve the issue otherwise I stayed up late for a disappointing midnight treat :,[
I’m so sorry to hear this, are you cooking it in a 6qt or larger? And did you make sure it was set to high pressure? I’ve made this numerous times, as have other people with no issues.
Same issue as some reviews. Does not cook at all. Followed recipe, would not recommend.
By chance are you higher elevation? The rule of thumb for high altitude pressure cooking, Instant Pot or otherwise: For every 1,000 feet above 2,000-foot elevation, increase cooking time by 5 percent.