I'm a recent convert to banana bread having somehow overlooked it for years until recently when a local independent coffee started baking it homemade every day and it was the delicious smell that lured me in!
I clearly don't have to tell you how delicious it is by the fact you're reading this, and due to it using fresh banana there is some health benefits. So...
Once you’ve baked your banana bread, however, you are left with the conundrum of how to store it. Get this wrong and your moist, delicious banana bread could become dry and tasteless.
Below, we’ll show you how to store banana bread the right way.
There are a few options available to you here as well, each of which will guarantee it stays as fresh and tasty for as long as possible.
3 Ways To Store Banana Bread After Baking
1. Storing Banana Bread on the Countertop
One of the best ways to store banana bread is simply leaving it on your countertop.
The room temperature will help the bread stay moist and soft, and it will continue to taste exactly as it did when it came fresh out of the oven.
However, while this is the easiest way of storing banana bread, it does come with a slight downside.
Banana bread that has been stored on a countertop will only last for around 4 days before it becomes susceptible to mold growth.
As banana bread is naturally moist, the surrounding warm air temperature can cause mold spores to grow at a faster rate than they would if the bread was stored at a cooler temperature.
You can cheat time a little bit here by storing the banana bread underneath a clean kitchen towel or some baking parchment. This will absorb any excess moisture and slow down the rate of mold growth.
Placing the wrapped bread inside a bread bin is also a good idea since the exclusion of light will also help delay mold growth.
Of course, depending on how fast you eat your banana bread this may not be an issue!
But it’s worth keeping a close eye on it and, if any remains after two or three days, move the banana bread from the countertop to the refrigerator.
2. Storing Banana Bread in the Refrigerator
If you’ve made a delicious loaf of banana bread and you want to keep it fresher for longer, then the refrigerator is your best friend!
However, there are a couple of steps you need to take in order to prevent the bread from drying out when it’s inside the refrigerator.
We recommend wrapping the banana bread tightly in plastic wrap and then taking the extra step of placing it inside a freezer bag.
This will keep the moisture inside and prevent it from drying out as much as possible.
No matter how well you’ve protected your banana bread from the refrigerator’s dry environment, it’s moisture levels will still be slightly impacted. But there is a way to restore the bread to its former glory!
Simply slice off the amount of banana bread you’d like to eat, and then place it into a microwave for about 10 seconds.
This will help to restore some of the moisture and bring it back to its original, oven-fresh quality.
You can also use a toaster to revive refrigerated banana bread and bring back some of the moisture to it.
Select the lowest setting possible so that it doesn’t get toasted and, if necessary, check it every minute or so to check its consistency.
3. Storing Banana Bread in the Freezer
If you’ve got a surplus of blackened bananas and, as a result, you’ve now got quite a few loaves of banana bread then the best place to store them would be in the freezer.
Freezing banana bread isn’t as simple as throwing it straight in the deep freeze though, and, as with refrigerating banana bread, there are a couple of steps to follow. Here’s what you need to do:
- Begin by dividing your banana bread into individual portions. By doing this, you’ll be able to use only as much as you want, rather than having to thaw an entire loaf each time you fancy a slice.
- Next, wrap each slice of banana bread in a piece of plastic wrap.
- Take a freezer bag and stuff it with the wrapped slices. Take care not to overfill the bag as this will cause the slices to lose their shape.
- Date and label the freezer bag, then place it in the freezer.
Banana bread that has been stored in the freezer will last for around 3 months, which is plenty of time to work your way through a loaf or two!
When the time comes to enjoy a slice of your banana bread, there are a couple of thawing options available to you.
The first, and easiest option, is to remove a slice from the freezer the night before and leave it to thaw at room temperature.
The second option is to take your frozen banana bread and place it into an oven set to 350ºF for about 15 minutes. This won’t only thaw the bread but will restore its oven-fresh taste and moistness.
Best Way To Store Banana Bread
As you can see, there is more than one way to store banana bread and keep it moist and delicious for longer than you might have thought.
If you’re short on refrigerator space, then simply keeping it on the countertop at room temperature will keep the banana bread fresh for around four days.
However, if you’d like to keep it for longer, turn to your refrigerator or freezer as your storage solution.
We would also recommend making more than one loaf at a time if you’ve got enough bananas to do so.
This is a great way to reduce your food waste levels and, after all, there’s nothing better than knowing you’ve got a stash of banana bread hidden in the deep freeze that’s ready to eat whenever you like!
Hi all! I’m Cora Benson, and I’ve been blogging about food, recipes and things that happen in my kitchen since 2019.