How To Freeze Banana Bread – Step By Step
It is a common problem to end up with a few slices of leftover banana bread. But should you let those incredibly filling and delicious slices go to waste? Never! You can freeze banana bread to enjoy it later.
So how to freeze banana bread? To successfully freeze banana bread it is important to wrap it well with food wrap before storing it in the freezer. A layer of aluminum foil should go over the plastic wrap to ensure that the bread doesn’t get a freezer burn. Banana bread will keep well around 4 months in the freezer.
Continue reading for step by step instructions on how to freeze banana bread. If freezing baked banana bread is not something you would prefer, keep reading to learn how to freeze banana bread batter as a way to save time.
What Is the Best Way to Store Banana Bread?
It is best to store banana bread and other baked goods at room temperature. While this doesn’t provide the longest shelf life for banana bread, it does keep the flavor and texture at their best.
So, if you know you will finish a loaf of banana bread within a few days, keep it on your kitchen counter. Simply cover it with plastic wrap to prevent the bread from drying out. Do not store banana bread in the fridge. The fridge will quickly dry out the bread.
The second-best method to store banana bread is in the freezer.
What To Know Before Freezing Banana Bread
Before you freeze banana bread, there is one rule you should always keep in mind. Never freeze banana bread while it is still warm. Let the bread cool off completely.
And by saying completely, we mean completely. Your banana bread shouldn’t be even slightly warm when you put it in the freezer.
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t put warm banana bread in your freezer. Firstly, the heat from the bread will interfere with the cold temperature of the fridge. If you put the hot bread near other items, it may cause them to thaw and go bad.
Secondly, hot banana bread, especially if it is a bigger loaf, may take quite long to cool off and freeze. This will create ideal conditions for bacteria growth in the fridge.
Lastly, wrapping warm bread with a plastic wrap will create condensation. This will make your bread soggy and all your efforts to freeze the bread successfully will be in vain.
Thus, always let your banana bread cool down before you start preparing it for the freezer.
How to Freeze a Loaf of Banana Bread
Here is how to freeze a loaf of banana bread that has cooled down:
- Wrap the bread tightly with food wrap. To protect the bread from freezer burn and drying out, make sure the plastic wrap goes around the bread multiple times.
- Check the corners of the bread to make sure you have covered them well with the wrap.
- Take a piece of aluminum foil that is a few times bigger than the bread. Wrap the bread tightly with aluminum foil making sure you have covered all edges.
- Put the bread in a sealable plastic bag.
- Push as much air as possible out of the bag.
- Seal the bag and label it with the date.
If your banana bread loaf is very big and inconvenient to store in the freezer, you can cut it in half and use the instructions above to freeze it. It is also recommended to freeze half loaves if you know you won’t be eating the entire loaf of banana bread when you thaw it.
How Do You Freeze a Slice of Banana Bread?
You may need to freeze a few slices of banana bread to save your leftovers for another occasion. You can also freeze a few slices of freshly baked banana bread if you know you won’t be able to eat the whole thing within a few days.
When freezing slices of banana bread, use the same technique as with a loaf of banana bread:
- Wrap each slice of banana bread with food wrap.
- Add a layer of aluminum foil.
- Put individually wrapped slices of banana bread into a zip-top bag.
- Label the bag and use it within four months.
Keeping banana bread in the cold storage in slices is a good option if you want to minimize the effects of freezing. The smaller your portions are, the quicker the bread will freeze. And the quicker it freezes the fewer changes it will suffer.
Additionally, you may want to slice the loaf and freeze the bread in smaller portions to make your job easier when you need to defrost and use it.
Tip: If it is not the leftovers that you are freezing but your preference to store the bread in the freezer in smaller portions, freeze the whole loaf partially and only slice it after.
This will allow you to slice banana bread much easier especially if your serrated knife is not at its best. Half-frozen banana bread will slice without crumbling and you will be able to get evenly thick slices.
Can You Freeze Homemade Banana Bread?
You can certainly freeze homemade banana bread. The freezing technique is the same as with store-bought banana bread.
If you freeze homemade banana bread and are satisfied with the results, you can always double the ingredients and make an extra bread every time you bake banana bread.
How Long Does Banana Bread Last in the Freezer?
Banana bread kept at room temperature will keep well for up to 4 days. Freezing banana bread significantly extends its shelf life.
Banana bread stored in the freezer will keep well for up to 4 months. However, it is always best to eat frozen food as soon as possible.
Eating banana bread that has been in the freezer longer is still safe. But the chances that it may have gotten a freezer burn are very high.
Eating frozen banana bread within the first few weeks is recommended. This way you will experience very little texture and flavor changes. The longer the bread sits in the freezer the more its texture and taste will suffer.
How to Thaw Banana Bread?
Luckily, banana bread doesn’t take that long to thaw, be it a slice or an entire loaf. Here is how to thaw banana bread:
- Take banana bread out of the freezer and remove it from the zip-top bag.
- Remove the foil and plastic wrap layers.
- Put the slice or the loaf of banana bread on a plate and let it thaw at room temperature.
Banana bread slices may take up to 30 minutes to defrost. A loaf of banana bread, on the other hand, needs more time. It may take 2 to 4 hours to fully thaw.
If you don’t have time to wait this long for the loaf of banana bread to defrost, use the oven to do it quicker. Wrap the loaf of banana bread in aluminum foil and put it in the oven preheated to 350 °F for around 90 minutes.
Banana bread can be served both hot and cold. It is up to your preference. However, it is always nice to warm up defrosted food to make it taste fresh and as if it has just been baked.
If don’t like your banana bread cold, you can use the microwave as a quick method to warm it up. Add a little butter to a freshly warmed slice to add some moisture (and flavor) back in!
You can also toast slices of banana bread in the pan or the oven. Doing this will make your banana bread slices golden and slightly crispy. Serve with ice cream, drizzle with chocolate sauce or add other toppings to your toasty banana bread slices.
Tip: If you have slices of frozen banana bread, you can take it with you for lunch. Simply take a slice of wrapped banana bread out of the freezer in the morning and put it in your lunch bag. It should defrost before lunch hour.
Related – Can You Freeze Banana Bread Batter?
If the idea of freezing banana bread doesn’t appeal to you, there is some good news for you. You can make banana bread batter and freeze it for later use. This way you will have freshly baked banana bread any time you are in the mood for it.
Baking banana bread when you have the batter ready in your freezer will save you time. However, it won’t be as quick as thawing a slice of frozen banana bread.
To freeze banana bread batter pour the mixture into the pan you will be baking the bread in. The pan should be freezer-friendly.
Cover the pan and place it in the freezer. Make sure you put the pan filled with batter on an even surface so that it doesn’t freeze crooked.
When you decide to bake your banana bread, preheat the oven to 350 °F. Transfer the batter from the freezer right into the oven. You may need to bake the bread for up to 2 hours until it is cooked through. Use the toothpick method to check the doneness.
