Banana Bread Recipe No Baking Soda

If you’re out of baking soda or just realized it’s expired, this easy Banana Bread Recipe No Baking Soda is for you! It makes a soft, moist, and delicious banana bread with baking power that will soon become another family favorite. 

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I absolutely hate when I’m ready to bake something and realize I’m missing ONE ingredient. Especially when it happens late at night and grocery stores are already closed. 

So, I decided to adapt my popular Banana Bread Recipe in different ways to help with this possible situation. 

Many people, who made or wanted to make the recipe, told me that they didn’t have baking soda or discovered, last minute, that their baking soda was expired. So we’ll start there!

Can you make Banana Bread without Baking Soda? 

Absolutely! 

Most quick bread recipes, including banana bread, depend on baking soda to rise. But, you can use a different leavening agent instead - baking powder. 

Unfortunately, it is hard to make banana bread without baking soda or baking powder. I tried. Numerous times. 

I really wanted this recipe to be “How to Make Banana Bread without Baking Soda or Baking Powder”. But, it just didn’t work. 

I tried to raise the banana bread with baking techniques and other ingredients, but the banana bread always came out unbelievably dense, smooth, and WET. 

It actually looked like marble when I sliced it. AND it stained my brand new cutting board.

When I threw the whole loaf out… it actually made a loud thump. It was definitely dense bread. 😂

Not the delicious, soft, perfectly moist banana bread that most people love.

Baking Soda vs Baking Powder

According to “Baking Powder versus Baking Soda”, by Arm & Hammer, baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. 

As soon as it is blended with moisture and an acidic ingredient, “a chemical reaction occurs that produces bubbles of carbon dioxide. These bubbles are what gives the light texture you want in baking.”

The reaction is immediate which is why baking soda, not yeast, is used in quick breads. 

In my original recipe for moist banana bread, the mashed bananas are usually acidic enough to trigger the reaction with baking soda and make enough carbon dioxide bubbles to raise the dough. 

Baking powder combines sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) with a powdered acid (usually tartaric acid aka cream of tartar). 

Because baking powder already contains an acid, it doesn’t need other acidic ingredients to trigger the chemical reaction that lifts the homemade banana bread. The moisture in the batter is enough for the first reaction. 

Most baking powders are “double-acting”, so they will react and create gas bubbles again when exposed to the heat of an oven. 

Easy Banana Bread Recipe with Baking Powder 

I was always told that 3 teaspoons of baking powder was a good substitute for 1 teaspoon of baking soda. It’s not. Not in this recipe. 

When I used that conversion, this banana bread recipe no baking soda tasted like chemicals. We couldn’t taste the banana flavor at all. It was awful. The bread rose beautifully though.

Next time, I reduced the amount of baking powder…. And the banana bread still had a metallic taste. One that hung around for a long time after eating a slice. 

I continued to play with the amount of baking powder in this recipe until I made a delicious bread with the perfect texture. 

This simple banana bread with baking powder is soft, airy, and perfectly moist.

And it tastes soooo good. 

Simple Ingredients

Besides baking powder, this recipe calls for overripe bananas, melted butter, white sugar, brown sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, all purpose flour, cinnamon, and salt. 

For the best flavor, I recommend using bananas that are mushy with lots of brown spots. 

Making banana bread is truly the best way to use overripe bananas that no one wants to eat. 

I like to use 3 medium bananas for this banana bread recipe no baking soda. Which is about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas.

If you only have 1 overripe banana, check out How to Make Banana Bread Cookies. They also make a delicious snack!

If you would prefer to make banana muffins, you may like these Simple Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Muffins. 

Optional Additions

To make this simple recipe into a chocolate chip banana bread without baking soda, add about 3/4 cup chocolate chips. 

To make it into a banana nut bread, add at least a 1/2 cup of your favorite kind of nuts. Walnuts work very well in this recipe. They provide a nice crunch to the soft, moist texture. 

If you have an extra banana, you could add banana slices to the top of your banana bread. It adds additional banana flavor while also looking a tad fancy. 

What other types of banana bread recipes would you like to see on LoveMischka.com? Eggless Banana Bread? Healthy Banana Bread? Please let me know in the comments below. 

How to Store

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. 

Individual slices can be wrapped in plastic wrap or put in plastic bags (like these Ziploc sandwich bags) for a portable treat. 

These reusable sandwich bags are also great. They're dishwasher safe!

Looking for more recipes without baking soda, you make like:
- Maraschino Cherry Cookies
- Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
- No Chill Sugar Cookies

If you make this recipe and love it, please remember to rate it below. If you post a photo or video on social media, I’d love to see it! Tag @lovemischka on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok.