bakingwithtradition.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to recommended products. Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

These mini banana breads are mini versions of classic banana bread jazzed up with customizable mix-ins like nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate.

Mini banana breads came into my life when I needed to teach my younger kids’ baking class how to make banana bread. This class is filled with 1st-4th graders and I have to work hard to keep a lot of little hands busy and I only have an hour to bake and feed everyone. Since traditional banana bread takes a solid 50 minutes to bake, there’s no way to make that time window work for my class.

So mini banana breads were born. In addition to baking faster, you can change up what you want in the banana breads. Have a person in your family who hates nuts? They can stuff theirs with chopped chocolate instead. When I make these with my students, we make a huge pile of mix-ins in the various categories represented (see mix-in ideas below). Most of the fun then is then mixing and matching the mix-ins into each person’s personal banana bread loaf.

I will tell you right now this is one of my students’ favorite recipes. They adore having personalized anything, so this is a great way to get kids into the kitchen and baking!

So pull out those old overripe bananas you have hanging out on the corner, and let’s make some awesome mini banana bread!

Affiliate disclosure

Mini Banana Breads with Customizable Mix-ins

Why you’ll love mini banana breads

Using up old bananas: Just like classic banana bread, mini banana breads are the perfect recipe to use up bruised, blackened, overripe bananas. In fact they’re better because the riper the bananas are, the sweeter they are.

Saving time: smaller breads take less time to bake. Ah but you have to prep many tiny pans…yes, but I have a couple hacks so you won’t actually add more time to your prep.

Customizable: this is my kids’ favorite thing. Chop up a pile of mix-ins, then each person can top their own bread with their favorites.

Hand-holdableness: While nobody would carry around a whole loaf of bread all day for snacking, my kids do just this with these mini breads. They’re the perfect size for hungry teenagers.

Gifts: Mini banana breads are an easy gift to make for people for birthdays, teacher appreciation gifts, neighbors, Christmas and more. Pop the breads in a decorative cup or bake them in a decorative pan, cover them in a cellophane bag with ribbon and you’ll have an easy gift for any occasion. I see these kinds of pans at Hobby Lobby all the time.

Save the Pin below to Pinterest and build your personal recipe file:

Ingredients for classic banana bread

Flour: all-purpose
Baking powder and baking soda: for leavening. Baking powder helps all quick breads rise. Baking soda is important to use in batters with acidic ingredients like banana.
Salt: for flavor.
Bananas: the key star! Mashed up and overripe, these will add flavor and moisture to the batter.
Butter: Adds fat for flavor, texture.
Eggs: to bind everything together, adds protein, fat and moisture.
Sugar: just a little for the texture and flavor of the bread.
Buttermilk: Another acidic ingredient that reacts with the baking soda to make a tender bread.
Vanilla paste: a flavor booster.
Mix-ins: These are anything you stir into a cake or bread batter to add extra flavor. Think chocolate chunks, dried fruit, nuts.

Do I need any special pans for mini banana breads?

For this recipe, you’ll need 6 mini loaf pans. Mine are vintage Ecko 3 1/4″ mini bread pans gifted to me by a woman at church. Walmart has these pans which are the right size.

Alternatively, I use this silicone mini loaf pan mold in my baking classes. This pan is so easy to use as it’s completely non-stick.

What if I don’t have mini loaf pans?

Muffin pans: increase the heat to 400 F and decrease the baking time to 20 minutes for easy banana bread muffins.
Loaf pan: increase the baking time to 50-55 minutes for traditional banana bread.

Mix-in ideas for mini banana breads

Nuts and seeds: Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachio, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Chocolate: chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, chocolate candy (chop if larger than an M&M).
Dried fruit: raisins, chopped dates, chopped apricots, dried cranberries, chopped prunes, currants, dried strawberries.
Flavor boosters (use no more than 1/4 cup): finely chopped crystallized ginger, chopped candied orange peel.

Tips for making the best mini banana breads

Prep your pans: if using a silicone pan, set it on a sheet tray. This way it won’t be wobbly when you’re filling and moving around the pan. If you’re using tins, cut pieces of parchment to fit in the bottom and up the long sides of the pan. After baking you can just pull on the paper to release the breads.
Dealing with mix-ins: Chop your mix-ins, then toss most of them in with the flour to distribute them evenly in the batter. Save a few of your mix-ins for the top of the loaves. This will mark the breads, showing what’s in them as well as just looking great.
Freeze for later: if you’re making these breads for gifts, cool them completely, then freeze in paper or aluminum pans for up to 1 month. From there, you can pull out the breads when you need them a couple hours ahead of time to thaw on the counter, then package them up.

Mini Banana Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Elizabeth Farr
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6 mini loaves

Print Recipe

Description

Classic banana bread with less sugar with easily customizable mix-ins to make everyone in your house happy.

Ingredients

Scale

Cooking spray for the pans (skip if using a silicone pan)
2 cups all-purpose flour (260 g)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 pound ripe bananas (454 g), from about 4 small bananas
1/2 cup butter (113 g)
1 cup sugar (200 g)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup buttermilk (75 mL)
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

Mix-ins (optional): see notes

1 cup of any combination of chopped nuts, chopped chocolate, shredded coconut, dried fruit
1/4 cup crystallized ginger or candied orange peel

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. If you’re using metal loaf pans, spray each with cooking spray, then cut a piece of parchment to fit up the bottom and long sides of the pan. Press each piece of parchment in place along the bottom so that the parchment sticks up over the top edges.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Chop your chosen mix ins. Toss your chosen mix ins together in a small bowl, then scoop out about 1/3 cup of the mix ins and set aside for topping the breads later.
5. Pour the remaining mix ins into your flour mixture and toss to distribute them throughout the flour.
6. Peel your bananas and smash them with a fork in a pie plate.
7. Melt the butter, then pour it in with the bananas to mix.
8. Crack the eggs into the pie plate. Break the yolks with the fork, then whisk them in gradually with the butter and bananas until the mixture is smooth.
9. Blend in the sugar, buttermilk and vanilla into the banana mixture.
10. Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in the banana mixture. Use a spatula to mix everything until the flour disappears.
11. Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly among your prepared pans as evenly as you can.
12. Top each banana bread loaf with a little of your leftover mix ins.
13. Set the tins on a sheet tray, then bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.
14. Cool breads completely on a wire rack.
15. Store breads at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze wrapped well for up to 1 month.

Notes

How ripe should my bananas be?: If you can, leave your bananas on your counter until the bananas are mostly black. Black bananas are going to be the sweetest. Well-spotted bananas will also give you a good result.

What kind of mix-ins should I use?:

Nuts and seeds: Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachio, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
Chocolate: chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, chocolate candy (chop if larger than an M&M)
Dried fruit: raisins, chopped dates, chopped apricots, dried cranberries, chopped prunes, currants, dried strawberries
Flavor boosters (use no more than 1/4 cup): finely chopped crystallized ginger, chopped candied orange peel.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Morning breads
Cuisine: American