Instant Pot Banana Bread Recipe

By
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
An internationally recognized culinary authority, Kristina Vanni is well-known for her recipe development, food photography, and experience as a TV show host.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/27/22
Instant Pot Banana Bread

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Pressure Build/Release: 12 mins
Total: 62 mins
Servings: 6 servings

There are several reasons why it is fun and convenient to make banana bread or other breads in the Instant Pot instead of baking it the traditional way in the oven.

Instant Pots are great for camping trips or tailgating. If you have access to an electrical outlet but not an oven, this bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. This method of preparation is also great for community events and bake sales. The Instant Pot is easy and portable to take to group functions. It's also a nice option when your oven is full of other dishes with no room leftover for banana bread. Plus, the Instant Pot is a great tool to use in the summertime when it is hot outside and you don't want to heat up your house.

When "baking" bread in an Instant Pot it is important to wrap the cake pan tightly with foil. This will not only help the bread bake, but it will also prevent moisture from the water in the pressure cooker from making your bread a soggy mess.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 1/3 cup sour cream

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large banana)

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Instant Pot Banana Bread ingredients
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Insert the steam rack into the Instant Pot and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Grease a 6-inch-round cake pan and set aside. 

    Prepared pan and Instant Pot
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

    Instant Pot Banana Bread dry ingredients
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract. 

    Instant Pot Banana Bread wet ingredients
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Mix in the mashed banana. 

    Mashed banana
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. 

    Mix wet and dry ingredients
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

    Walnuts and batter
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  8. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil.

    Instant Pot Banana Bread batter in a pan
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  9. Place the pan on the steam rack. 

    Banana bread on steamer rack in Instant Pot
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  10. Secure the lid. Press the Manual button and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. After hitting the start button, it will take several minutes for the pressure cooker to preheat before the cooking timer will begin. 

    Instant Pot set to 40 minutes
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  11. Once the cook time is up, use the “quick release” method to vent the steam. (Use caution because the steam release valve will release a continuous stream of hot steam.) The float valve will drop when the pressure has been fully released and it is safe to open the lid. 

    Instant Pot valve
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  12. Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. 

    Instant Pot Banana Bread cooling
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  13. Turn the bread out onto the rack and cool completely before serving.

    Instant Pot Banana Bread on cooling rack
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  14. For beautiful presentation, dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

    Instant Pot Banana Bread
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
322 Calories
19g Fat
34g Carbs
6g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 322
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 7g 36%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 299mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 62mg 5%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 190mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)