How to Fix Undercooked Banana Bread
Banana bread is essentially a cake made with the same basic ingredients, with the addition of mashed bananas. It is super easy to make and tastes very delicious.
However, it is also very easy to undercook and you may often find that the center of the bread is still wet.
So, how to fix undercooked banana bread? In most cases, you can easily fix undercooked banana bread by putting it back in the oven for a few minutes. This works great for loaves that are freshly baked and still hot.
Read on to find out the reasons for undercooked banana bread, how to fix wet banana bread, tips for making the most delicious banana bread, and much more!
Fixing Wet Banana Bread
The ideal banana bread is usually moist, but if yours is wet, it can taste not as good and might have a weird texture that you may not enjoy.
If you discover that your freshly baked banana bread is still wet on the inside, putting it back in the oven and baking it for a few additional minutes should do the trick!
Here’s what you need to do to fix undercooked banana bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Put the undercooked banana bread back into the loaf pan.
- To prevent overcooking the edges, tent the banana bread pan with foil.
- Bake it for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until it is properly cooked.
Can You Rebake Undercooked Banana Bread?
Yes, you can rebake undercooked banana bread, but it can only be done with freshly baked banana bread that hasn’t cooled down.
If you attempt to rebake cooled banana bread, you will have to heat it all the way through, causing the outer crust to become too dry.
Also, if your banana bread has sunken in the center due to being underbaked, rebaking it will not make it rise again as the raising agents will have expired by then.
Other than rebaking, here are some other ways to save undercooked banana bread:
- Toast It in the Toaster Oven: Cut the undercooked banana bread into slices and pop them in the toaster oven to cook them a little longer. This hack won’t work for very undercooked banana bread, but should be just fine for one that is slightly underbaked!
- Pan Fry It on a Skillet: You can use a little butter or oil to cook the banana bread slices on a griddle or skillet. When they are done, you can top the slices with fresh fruit, maple syrup, peanut butter, or Nutella, and enjoy it like French toast!
- Cut Off the Baked Parts: If the banana bread is severely undercooked and none of the methods mentioned above worked for you, you can simply cut the baked parts into cubes to snack on and discard the rest!
Reasons for Undercooked Banana Bread
While rebaking banana bread often fixes the issue, it is always helpful to determine the reason for the undercooked banana bread so that you can take the correct preventative measures.
There can be several causes for wet banana bread. Here are some of the most common ones!
Not Baking Long Enough
Your banana bread mainly will be undercooked because you did not bake it long enough. In baking, the cooking time is crucial, and every minute counts.
Banana bread usually takes around 55 minutes to cook at 350°F, after which, you need to keep checking it after every 5 minutes until it is done.
1 hour and 15 minutes is usually the maximum time it should take to fully bake on the inside, but it is always a good idea to keep checking at the 55-minute mark to make sure it doesn’t burn.
It may sometimes take longer depending on the size of the loaf, the freshness of your leavening agents, and the humidity.
Not Baking At The Right Temperature
Banana bread bakes perfectly at 350°F. If you see that your banana bread is raw, check the temperature of the oven to see if it is 350°F.
If the banana bread is undercooked even after baking it at the right temperature, the temperature of your oven may probably not be registering properly.
This problem usually happens in older oven models that need to be recalibrated. You can either upgrade to a newer and better model or invest in an oven thermometer to check the actual temperature of your oven.
Not Preheating the Oven
Other than not setting the right cooking time and oven temperature, not preheating the oven properly can be another mistake that can lead to your banana bread not being cooked properly.
You need to give your oven enough time to properly preheat. It is important because the instructions in the recipe are for baking the banana bread for a specific amount of time and at a specific temperature.
To make sure the oven is at the right temperature for the banana bread, use an oven thermometer to check the exact temperature that the oven is at.
Not Using the Right Loaf Pan
Loaf pans come in several different materials and the type you use for baking your banana bread can have a huge impact on how well it will be cooked.
Dark metal loaf pans (like these) are usually the ideal choice for baking banana bread as they help the bread cook evenly and help the crust turn a nice dark brown.
Using glass pans and stoneware may not give you the same quality of cooking and you may end up with undercooked or overcooked banana bread.
Not Using the Correct Mixing Methods
The way you mix your dough can affect how well the banana bread will be cooked. Both overmixing and undermixing can affect the amount of gluten formation.
This may cause the bread to not rise properly, resulting in a center that is undercooked, wet, and mushy.
For the best results, carefully fold the dough by hand until you can no longer see the flour. If any flour remains unmixed, the gluten will not be able to form and the banana bread will not be properly cooked.
Adding Too Much Banana
Banana bread gets its moisture mainly from bananas, which is one of its prime ingredients. Keeping this in mind, if you notice that your bread is more moist than usual, it is probably because you added too many bananas.
To prevent your banana bread from turning wet in the middle, try using fewer bananas. Make sure you use ripe bananas and mash them properly before adding them to the mix.
Not Adding Enough Flour
Similar to adding bananas, you also have to be mindful of the amount of flour you are adding to make banana bread. Banana bread made with less flour often has a very moist texture and it may not be able to retain its shape.
If this is the issue, we recommend increasing the amount of flour and adding just the right amount needed for the recipe.
Adding Too Much Fat
Fat content, usually in the form of butter or oil, is another key ingredient in making banana bread. While it gives the bread the right amount of moisture and softness, using too much of it may make the banana bread too moist.
It is very important to keep a check on the fat content you use. You may even substitute it with apple sauce to cut down on a few calories and make the banana bread healthier.
Not Letting It Cool Before Checking for Doneness
It may be entirely possible that your banana bread isn’t undercooked at all, especially if you didn’t allow it to cool before checking for its doneness.
It is very difficult to resist cutting the banana bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, but you must hold yourself back and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before testing for doneness.
When banana bread is cut too soon, it may appear heavy and dense, mainly because of the steam trapped inside that didn’t get a chance to dissipate.
How to Check if Banana Bread Is Done?
Now that we’ve covered some of the reasons why your banana bread might be undercooked, as well as how to fix it, here are a few easy ways to check if your banana bread is fully baked all the way through!
Check the Color
As a general rule of thumb, you can check whether your banana bread is done when its crust develops a nice golden-brown color.
The natural sugar of the bananas and the sugar or sweetener added to the banana bread give it a caramelized crust during baking.
If it is barely golden and has visible wet or shiny sections on the surface, let it cook for a bit longer. Pull it out of the oven when it has a golden-brown surface and the bread looks set.
Checking the color may not be a suitable option if you are baking chocolate banana bread and have a dark, chocolatey batter and chocolate chips or nuts covering the top.
Touch It
You can push a finger on top of the bread and let it go. If it bounces back up without leaving a dent, it means that it is done. Do this very carefully as the banana bread will be too hot.
You may also see that the banana bread may sometimes start to slightly pull away from the sides of the pan while baking. This happens due to the batter tightening up as it sets.
Use an Instant-Read Thermometer
Using an instant-read thermometer (this one is pretty versatile) is hands-down the most reliable and accurate way to determine the doneness of your banana bread.
Gently insert the thermometer into the center of your loaf. The internal temperature of perfectly cooked banana bread should be 200-205°F for regular bread and 205-210°F for gluten-free bread.
It also depends on the type of oven you have and the kitchen climate, and you should be able to tell what temperature works best for you with some trial and error.
Use a Knife or Toothpick
If you’re a fan of baking, you probably must’ve heard about the toothpick trick to check for the doneness of your baked goods, including banana bread.
It involves inserting a toothpick into the center of the banana bread. If it comes out clean with only a few crumbs and no smudges or streaks of wet batter, it is perfectly cooked.
We suggest checking 2 to 3 points on the bread using the toothpick for more accurate results. You may also use a wooden skewer or thin-blade knife. Just make sure to not poke too many holes in the banana bread!
How to Make Perfectly Cooked Banana Bread?
Here’s our favorite recipe for perfectly baked banana bread! You can easily customize it to your taste with added nuts, chocolate, coconut shavings, or anything else you’d like in your banana bread. Go bananas!
Perfect Banana Bread
Perfectly cooked banana bread is moist, flavorful, and a great way to put overripe bananas to good use. Here’s what you’ll need to make the perfect banana bread at home!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Very ripe bananas
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Oil
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Roughly chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nuts (if using), salt, and cinnamon.
- Peel and mash the bananas in a separate bowl using a fork or potato masher.
- Slowly add the oil to the mashed bananas and mix until it is well blended.
- Take a separate bowl and beat the eggs. Add the sugar until it is dissolved.
- Stir the vanilla into the egg mixture, then add it to the banana mixture.
- Stir until it is well combined.
- Gently mix the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients, making sure there are no pockets of dry flour.
- Be very careful to not overmix the batter.
- Once all the ingredients have been combined, pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes.
- When it is cooked, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Check for doneness.
- To remove the bread from the pan, carefully invert it and the loaf should drop right out.
- Let the banana bread cool on a wire rack at room temperature.
Notes
If you want your banana bread to be more moist, you may add a little bit of milk or plain yogurt to the egg mixture.
For added sweetness, you may replace the nuts (if added) with chocolate chips or add dates to the batter.
Drizzle some creamy vanilla custard over a slice of your perfectly baked banana bread for a real treat!
Related Questions
Now that you know all about undercooked banana bread and easy ways to fix it, here are a few additional questions we thought you might have.
How Can You Fix Burned Banana Bread?
To fix burned banana bread, you can take a knife and scrape off the burned edges of the banana bread loaf. To add moisture, you may add toppings such as syrups and frosting.
If it is a persistent issue, we recommend reducing the heat, checking your oven’s temperature, and adding an aluminum foil tent in the last 20 minutes.
What Causes Banana Bread to Sink in the Middle?
Here are some of the most common reasons why your banana bread might be sinking in the middle:
- It may be undercooked.
- It doesn’t have enough leavening.
- The batter wasn’t allowed to rest before baking.
- There is a high and unbalanced ratio between wet and dry ingredients.
What Are the Best Bananas for Banana Bread?
The best bananas for banana bread are completely ripe, or even over-ripe. They are black or at least streaked with shades of black or brown, with just a hint of green at the stem.
The darker the color of the bananas, the better. Just make sure the bananas haven’t gone bad.
