How to Make Microwave Banana Bread

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: August 1, 2022 Tested

Banana bread is a tasty way to start your day or finish off a fine meal. Making an entire loaf can take a lot of time. Luckily, you can cut the time in half by making a smaller portion in the microwave. While it is not quite the same as banana bread baked in the oven, it is a great way to satisfy your banana bread craving. Depending on the strength of your microwave, it should only take 2 to 3 minutes.

Ingredients

Basic Banana Bread^{[1]
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6 tablespoons (60 grams) whole wheat or all-purpose flour
4½ tablespoons (56 grams) granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
½ ripe banana, mashed
3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) milk
3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Serves 2

Healthy Banana Bread

2 tablespoons (14 grams) coconut flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) full-fat coconut milk or almond milk
1 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey
1 large ripe banana, mashed
1 large egg lightly beaten
1 tablespoon (7.5 grams) raw walnuts, chopped (optional)

Serves 1

Vegan and Gluten-Free Banana Bread^{[2]
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2 tablespoons (14 grams) coconut flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
¼ cup (60 milliliters) almond milk
½ ripe banana, mashed
1 tablespoon (15 grams) nut butter

Serves 1

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Basic Banana Bread

1
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the flour into a mixing bowl, then add in the sugar and baking powder. Whisk them together until everything is evenly combined.
2
Stir the wet ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour the milk, oil, and vanilla extract into a microwave-safe bowl. Peel and mash a ripe banana, then add it to the bowl as well. Stir everything together until combined.
- To make the bread easier to remove later on, lightly grease the bowl with cooking spray, oil, or butter.
- You can also use a large, microwave-safe mug instead. The batter needs to fill it no more than halfway to allow room for rising.
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3
Add the flour mixture into the milk mixture. Stir the two together once more until no more lumps remain. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often.
4
Cook the bread on high for about 2 minutes. It is ready when a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Depending on the strength of your microwave, this could take a little more/less than 2 minutes.^{[3]
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5
Allow the bread to cool before serving it. You can eat it straight from the bowl, or you can turn it out onto a plate instead. Fr extra flavor, spread some chocolate-hazelnut spread on top.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Healthy Banana Bread

1
Spray the inside of a large, microwave-safe mug with cooking spray. This will make it easier to remove the bread at the end. If you don't have any cooking spray, you can use butter, coconut oil, or any other cooking oil instead.
2
Stir together the dry ingredients. Place the coconut flour, ground cinnamon, and baking powder into the mug. Add a pinch of salt, then stir everything together with a fork or mini whisk. This will ensure that the spices and salt get distributed evenly throughout the batter.
- Coconut flour is a great, healthy substitute for regular flour. It is full of fiber and will give the bread a light, fluffy, cake-like texture.
- You can also use 4 tablespoons (24 grams) of almond flour instead. This will give the bread a light, spongy, custard-like texture.
3
Pour in the wet ingredients. Measure out the milk, and pour it into the mug. Add in some maple syrup for extra sweetness. If you don't have any maple syrup, or if you just don't like it, you can use honey or agave nectar instead.
4
Add the rest of the ingredients. Peel and mash a ripe banana, and add it into the mug. Lightly beat an egg, and add in that as well. For extra crunch, add in some chopped walnuts.
5
Mix the batter together once more. Use a fork or spoon to stir everything together. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the mug often so that everything gets evenly mixed together.
6
Cook the bread on high for 3 to 3½ minutes. Place the mug into the microwave. Cook it on high for 3 minutes. If you used almond flour, cook it for 3½ minutes instead. The mug may start to rise as it cooks, but it will deflate once you stop the microwave.
7
Let the bread cool before serving it. Once the bread has cooled to room temperature, you can dig in with a fork or spoon. If you'd like, you can turn it out of the mug onto a plate instead, and eat it that way.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Vegan and Gluten-Free Banana Bread

1
Lightly grease the inside of a large, microwave-safe mug. You can use a vegan-friendly cooking spray or some coconut oil. This will make the bread easier to remove from the mug at the end.
2
Stir together the coconut flour and baking powder. Pour the coconut flour and baking powder into the mug. Stir them together using a fork or mini whisk.
3
Add in the brown sugar and milk. You can use almond milk or coconut milk. You can also try another type of vegan friendly milk as well, such as soy milk. Stir the batter once more.
4
Add in the banana and nut butter. Peel and mash a ripe banana, then add it into the mug. Pick your favorite nut butter (ie: almond, peanut, etc.) and add it into the mug as well.
- Allergic to nuts? Try soy nut butter or sunflower seed butter instead.^{[4]
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5
Mix everything together with a spoon or fork. Keep mixing until everything is evenly combined. Make sure that you scrape the bottom and sides of the mug often so that nothing gets left behind.
6
Cook the bread on high for 2½ to 3 minutes. How long this takes depends on the strength of your microwave and the type of mug you are using.^{[5]
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Research source} As the bread cooks, it may start to rise a little, but it will deflate once you stop the microwave.
7
Finished.