This Stovetop Banana Bread can cook an entire skillet's worth of banana bread in under 20 minutes, start to finish. Enjoy a slice of warm sweet bread and forget about the oven!
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Ever find yourself without an oven and with ripe bananas? It happens more often than we'd like to admit and while you could simply freeze those bananas for later, why not enjoy them now?
While frozen bananas are great for smoothies and milkshakes like our Strawberry Banana Orange Smoothie or Banana Oreo Milkshake, we all know they were truly meant for banana bread.
With this no oven banana bread recipe you can enjoy the flavor of a freshly baked loaf in under half the time it would normally take to bake it. While it won't be exactly the same, it is a good little snack in its own right. Enjoy your skillet banana bread warm and within minutes.
For more banana bread recipes, be sure to check out my Cinnamon Crumble Banana Bread, One Bowl Banana Bread, and Oreo Banana Bread.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Buzz From Readers
"This is amazing. We are in the middle of snow storm and have been stranded in our house for a week due to downed trees and power lines. Since we haven't had power, I can only use the stove top to cook. I made this and because I only had one banana, I added frozen blueberries to the mix. When my son tried this he said, "OMG, this amazing." I had to remind him that there were four other people in the house and he couldn't eat the whole thing."
- Mary
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simplicity at its finest. Made with just a few simple ingredients and without dirtying every dish in the house, it's as easy to make as you can imagine.
- Quick prep. It's so fast to throw together that you can have the batter ready to cook in just a few minutes flat. And because we use the stovetop, the cooking time is lessened too!
- It's always popular. Banana bread doesn't need a time of the year to make an entrance at your house. It's evergreen and always well-received.
🛒 Ingredients
Ripe bananas- You will need some ripe spotted bananas to make this banana bread well flavored and sweeter.
Vegetable oil- Adding in vegetable oil will give the bread the necessary fats needed to stay moist.
Baking soda- Use baking soda as a leaving agent to help the bread puff up nicely as it bakes.
Egg- Use an egg to help bind the bread together so it doesn't turn out too crumbly. Don't want to use an egg? Try our Eggless Banana Bread or Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use overripe or discounted bananas: Many grocery stores sell ripe bananas at a reduced price. Using them prevents food waste and adds natural sweetness.
Freeze bananas for later: Peel and freeze ripe bananas so none go to waste and you always have some ready for baking.
Choose store-brand chocolate chips: Generic chips melt just as well and usually cost less.
🥄 Instructions for Stovetop Banana Bread
Step 1: Grease the bottoms and sides of your skillet or pot and set it on a stove burner over medium-low heat to preheat.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mash your bananas (Images 1&2).
Step 3: Stir in the oil, baking soda, and salt (Images 3&4).
Step 4: Add in the egg, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar (Image 5).
Step 5: Mix until smooth (Image 6).
Step 6: Add in the flour (Image 7).
Step 7: Stir until no flour streaks remain (Image 8). Do not overmix.
Step 8: Pour the batter into a preheated, greased skillet (Image 9).
Step 9: Add the lid and place over low-medium heat (Image 10).
Step 10: Cook with the lid on for 15 minutes (Image 11).
Step 12: When the bread is ready turn off the burner and place an upside-down plate on top.
Step 13: Flip the skillet so that the bread is on the plate. The bottom will be up and it will look a little darker/burnt in the center.
Step 14: Serve with powdered sugar or flip the bread back over so that it's upright and slice into wedges for serving (Image 12).
Watch the bread closely during the last 7 minutes of baking, as it may finish sooner than expected. During the first 6 minutes, the top may look raw, wet, and gooey, similar to a pancake before it is flipped.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Choose the right cookware. Nonstick or ceramic pans work best for stovetop banana bread and help prevent burning. Stainless steel can be used but may need lower heat and longer cooking time.
- Pan alternatives. If you do not have a large lidded skillet, a large pot with a lid works just as well.
- Expect a different look. Stovetop banana bread will not develop the same golden crust as oven baked loaves since heat comes mainly from the bottom.
- Watch closely. During the first few minutes, the top may look wet, raw, and pancake like. As it finishes cooking, the top will become set and dry. Monitor closely during the final minutes, as it may finish sooner than expected.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Store the banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Make Ahead: Bake the loaf a day in advance and let it cool completely before storing. The bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed before serving.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve Stovetop Banana Bread with coffee, milk, or tea for breakfast. Fresh fruit, yogurt, or a spread of peanut butter makes it a more filling snack or light meal.
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❓ Stovetop Banana Bread FAQs
I recommend eating this stove top banana bread while it's still warm for best tasting results. Due to the manner in which it is cooked the longer it sits out the less pretty it becomes. You could store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but it's best served almost immediately.
Stovetop banana bread tends to be more dense and moist than oven-baked banana bread, as it's cooked differently. It has a texture similar to griddled pancakes.
You'll need a skillet with a fitted lid to make stovetop banana bread. It's best to use a non-stick skillet or one that's well-seasoned to prevent sticking.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
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- 3 Ingredient Banana BreadRecipe $2.05 / Serving $0.10
🐝 If you tried this Stovetop Banana Bread, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Stovetop Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas, about 2 to 3 bananas - ($0.75)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil - ($0.23)
- 1 large egg - ($0.15)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - ($0.03)
- ½ cup granulated sugar - ($0.18)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda - ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour - ($0.20)
Instructions
- Preheat pan. Grease the bottom and sides of a large skillet or pot with a fitted lid. Place over medium-low heat to preheat.
- Mash bananas. Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash until mostly smooth.
- Add wet ingredients. Stir in the vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon until combined.
- Add leavening. Mix in the baking soda and salt.
- Add dry ingredients. Stir in the flour just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Cook. Pour the batter into the preheated skillet, cover with the lid, and cook over low to medium heat for about 15 minutes. Watch closely during the last several minutes.
- Check doneness. Early on, the top will look wet with set edges. Near the end, the top will appear dry. Test with a toothpick and remove from heat when it comes out clean.
- Flip and serve. Turn off the heat, place an inverted plate over the skillet, and carefully flip the bread out. The bottom will be darker in the center. Flip upright if desired and slice into wedges.
- Serve warm, plain or dusted with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Pan choice. Use a large nonstick or ceramic skillet or pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Heat control. Stainless steel pans may need lower heat and slightly longer cooking to prevent burning.
- Cooking method. Stovetop baking relies on bottom heat and trapped steam, so timing can vary. Watch closely.
- Storage. Best enjoyed fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutritional Information
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tiasha says
We are currently between moving right now sold our house and now staying in a RV till find a new home so I've limited cooking options appliance wise due afraid use the propane oven so I stick to a plug in deep stovetop pan so was happy come across this recipe also like to add I was limited on ingredients so used powdered sugar instead granulated, sour cream replace the egg and baking powder instead of soda ..I'd like to say even so it turned out exceptionally well & it really does look like it's going to mit cook through but like noted it really comes together at the 6 min mark ! a soft banana bread a lot quicker than the oven method!
Mary says
This is amazing. We are in the middle of snow storm and have been stranded in our house for a week due to downed trees and power lines. Since we haven’t had power, I can only use the stove top to cook. I made this and because I only had one banana, I added frozen blueberries to the mix. When my son tried this he said, “OMG, this amazing.” I had to remind him that there were four other people in the house and he couldn’t eat the whole thing.
Nicole says
I'm so glad you liked the recipe, (blueberries sound like a wonderful addition!)
Mel says
This is going to be super specific but maybe it will help another foreigner in Korea also trying to bake with an ovenless kitchen.
This recipe worked really well even with substitutes.
If you're having trouble finding regular flour, you can use Korean pancake mix and skip the salt. The pancake mix already has some salt in it.
I had trouble finding baking soda as well so I went with the whipped egg white method and folded that in last. Got a good rise out of it and it turned out fairly fluffy but maybe a little more on the pudding side.
Didn't have vanilla but I think the brown sugar kinda made up for it (I used brown sugar instead of white)
Overall it came out nicely sweet with a lovely balance between the cinnamon, brown sugar and banana.
Husband loved it, the kids loved it, definitely making this again!
Nicole says
Thank you so much for sharing these substitutions/tips, I'm sure it will be very helpful to many readers. I'm lad you all enjoyed this recipe too 🙂
Tsioyna says
I'm about to try this
Funke says
Thank you very much, dear Nicole! The instructions are really easy to follow, and the detailed tips are a huge bonus ?
Amanda says
You say to preheat the pot on a medium or low heat.but l can see no mention of the setting needed to cook this
NicoleDurham says
The banana bread is cooked at medium-low heat (the temperature between medium and low). I have edited the recipe card to reflect this in hopes it makes things clearer.