Instant Pot 4-Ingredient Banana Bread—an easy recipe that uses a cake mix, some ripe bananas and your electric pressure cooker. This steamed banana bread is very moist, the consistency is more like a bread pudding than bread.
Instant Pot 4-Ingredient Banana Bread (video)
I saw this traditional recipe for banana bread that uses a cake mix and I knew I had to try it in the Instant Pot. Sometimes when ease, time and convenience are valued those cake mixes really come in handy. I loved how the batter took me 5 minutes to whip up and then it was into the Instant Pot cooking away while I did stuff around the house.
The result was a moist, almost bread-pudding-like, banana bread that tasted so good warm with a little butter spread on it. After I’d eaten a couple of slices my kids devoured the rest in just a few minutes. I do believe if you have leftovers they would freeze really well in an airtight container or a ziploc bag.
The one weird thing about this recipe is that you only use half of a cake mix. But the good thing about that is if you want to make banana bread on back-to-back days you can. Just use your leftover cake mix. I used a spice cake mix and it was perfect. But I also believe that a white cake mix or a yellow cake mix would work well.
The advantage to using your Instant Pot to make banana bread is that you don’t have to turn on your oven on a 95 degree day! If you’re into moistness and bananas and chocolate I think you’ll really like this cake bread.
More Instant Pot recipes that use a bundt cake pan
I used a half size bundt cake pan* that I purchased on Amazon. Here are some other recipes that you can use with a small bundt pan:
Instant Pot Chocolate Bundt Cake
Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cake
Instant Pot Healthy Zucchini Banana Bread
Instant Pot Berries and Cream Breakfast Cake
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot 4-Ingredient Banana Bread I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
One of my favorite Instant Pot accessories is this OXO Sling*. It comes in handy for so many recipes!
Instant Pot 4-Ingredient Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR and cooling time)
- Total Time: 85 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
An easy recipe that uses a cake mix. some ripe bananas and your electric pressure cooker. This steamed banana bread is very moist, the consistency is more like a bread pudding than bread.
Ingredients
- 11 ounces (311 grams) peeled and mashed bananas (about 3 small bananas)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (215 grams) spice cake mix (1/2 of one 15 ounce cake mix)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended)
Instructions
- In a bowl add the mashed bananas, oil and eggs. Stir until combined. Then stir in the cake mix. Mix until no white streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spray a half-size bundt cake pan* with non-stick cooking spray. Scrape the batter into the pan. Smooth the top.
- Pour 1 ½ cups water into the bottom of your Instant Pot. To prevent drippage on top of the banana bread loosely cover the pan with foil. Make sure there is room for the cake to expand so make it dome-shaped. Place banana bread pan on top of trivet/sling and lower the trivet into the Instant Pot.
- Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook time to 60 minutes on high pressure. When the time is up allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release.
- Remove the lid. Lift out the trivet and cake pan. Let the banana bread sit for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the edges of the bread to loosen it. Place a plate on top of the cake pan and then invert the pan and plate so that it falls out onto the plate.
- Eat and enjoy warm or cold. Store leftovers in an airtight container. This bread freezes well.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Could you substitute pumpkin purée for the bananas. I would use spice cake mix with it.
I think that would work!!
I have a small silicone Bundt pan that I used to follow your recipe for monkey bread which was delicious. Is there any reason why I should not use a silicone pan as opposed to a metal one for this recipe! Thanks!
I do feel that the silicone pans take a longer cooking time…but other than that it should be just fine!
I just tried this recipe, substituted walnuts for chocolate chips and had to use a french vanilla cake mix — and it was delicious!!! I will try it with spice cake mix when I am able to get it. Used a silicone Bundt pan and it worked out wonderfully. Thanks.
Thanks Amy for the review! Sounds like a great version 🙂
Hi
Could you please tell me what ingredients to use instead of the box mix please – it can be a plain cake or a spice cake I just cant get box mixes (Im not in the US and what’s available here is not to my liking & may be different quantities/ingredients )
Thank you (& Thank you for alllll the recipes!!)
I haven’t tried that but you could just google up how to make a homemade cake mix??
Could you double the recipe to use the whole box and then cook it one after the other in the instant pot instead of starting again on another day?
yep! you could easily do that.
Don’t have a Bundt pan, so I used the normal pan: turned out more than okay.
★★★★★
YAY!!!! 👍👍👍
It turned out beautifully -When I went to buy spice cake at my local grocer it was $2.89 a box- I remembered that Aldie had yellow cake for $.85 so that is what I bought . I added my own cinnamon ginger and nutmeg to make a spice cake mixture-Worked like a charm
★★★★★
Nice! love this idea. Sometimes it’s hard to find spice cake mix to this is a good hack.
With weather here in Indiana starting into Fall I started thinking about cooler weather recipes I make. Since you have so many of them that can be made in the crock or for the Instant Pot like Banana Bread, I hope you know of my Christmas staple English Plum Pudding Cake? It is steamed and I was hoping you knew of a way of doing it in the Instant Pot? I have been making it on the stove ever since I received a Fanny Farmer cookbook for graduation back in ’93. I would love to be able to do it in the IP and free up some of the stove space at Christmas Season, I usually make a few of them.
Sounds good! I’d love to see your regular recipe to see if I can figure out how to make it in the Instant Pot
I bought the half-size bundt pan and it is wonderful. I’m hoping I can use it for other cake type mixtures in the future.
Now for this recipe….I made it exactly as described and cooked it the required 60 minutes. I naturally released it for 10 minutes and then fully released. It looks great and actually tastes god but when you cut into it, it isn’t cake like. It’s more soft like or solidified pudding….not too appetizing. Did I do something wrong?
★★★
nope that is what is like…more like bread pudding than bread
Sounds good, but to make it less calories, going to use a sugar free mix and instead of oil, will substitute apple sauce. Think this will work?
Um, I’m not sure. You could try it and see. Let me know how it turns out!
It looks really great. I want to do this. Thanks.
★★★★★
You’re welcome!
I have power pressure pro how do I cook it in this?
I haven’t tried it but I would follow the same instructions as the instant pot.
Is it really 60 minutes???
yes 🙂
I received a burn warning twice while making this – any ideas how to prevent this next time?
Did you use the pot in pot method? Did you put water in the bottom?
This sounds good but trying to find a bundt pan to fit a pressure cooker
I don’t know if they make one that small but also I’m not a fan on bananas do you have a recipe for mixed berries bundt cake using raspberries, blueberries and blackberries?
Nordic Ware 51322RD 51322 6 Cup Bundt Pan 8.4″ x 2.9″ Size, Multicolor on Amazon.
Just click on half-size bundt cake pan* up in the recipe and it will take you to it
I don’t have a recipe for that but it sounds really good!
I’m not sure I want to invest in a bundt pan, is there another pan that could be used?
Nordic Ware 51322RD 51322 6 Cup Bundt Pan 8.4″ x 2.9″ Size, Multicolor on Amazon.
Just click on half-size bundt cake pan* up in the recipe and it will take you to it
you could try a regular cake pan. I am hoping that it would cook evenly but am not sure.