Yes, you can make banana bread in the Instant Pot—no need to heat up your oven!

Learn how to make moist, tender Instant Pot banana bread with this easy pressure-cooker method.

Banana bread is a classic comfort food everyone should know how to make. It brightens the day and fills your home with a warm, irresistible aroma. While I enjoy many banana bread variations—nuts, chocolate chips, or specialty versions like pistachio, strawberry, pear, or chocolate-peanut butter—this Instant Pot method is a reliable way to get consistently moist results without using your oven.

Can You “Bake” in the Instant Pot?

Yes—you can effectively “bake” banana bread in the Instant Pot, though the process uses moist heat (steaming) rather than the dry heat of an oven. That means the crust won’t brown the same way as oven-baked bread, which is normal. Still, the texture is tender and incredibly moist, making the Instant Pot an excellent alternative when you don’t want to heat the kitchen or when your oven is already in use.

People who travel with an Instant Pot, or who live in spaces without a conventional oven, will find this method especially useful. And if you like baking in the pressure cooker, try other desserts adapted for the Instant Pot, such as bundt cakes and cheesecakes.

Why Make Banana Bread in the Instant Pot?

This method doesn’t necessarily save a lot of time compared to the oven, but it offers several advantages:

• You avoid heating your kitchen with the oven.
• Your Instant Pot provides a moist environment that helps prevent the bread from drying out.
• It’s ideal when your oven is occupied or when you’re traveling and don’t have oven access.

How to Make Instant Pot Banana Bread

This Instant Pot banana bread comes together easily and produces a moist, tender loaf. Use a bundt pan or another pan that fits your pressure cooker. A bundt pan often helps the bread cook more evenly.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 large or 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

(Full printable recipe and timings are in the recipe card below.)

1. Pour 1½ cups of water into the Instant Pot insert and set the trivet in place. Grease a bundt pan (or other pan that fits) with cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream until incorporated.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon if using.
6. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix just until combined—do not overmix.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil to prevent condensation from dripping onto the bread.
8. Using a sling or carefully, lower the pan onto the trivet in the Instant Pot. Seal the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 55 minutes.
9. Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release, then perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
10. When the valve drops, remove the lid and carefully lift the pan out using the sling. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
11. If desired, top with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a sprinkle of chopped pecans or walnuts before serving.

Notes and Variations

• Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter for nutty texture.
• Top with caramel sauce and additional chopped nuts for a richer presentation.
• A 6-cup bundt pan is a good size for most 6–8 quart Instant Pots; choose a pan that fits comfortably on the trivet.

Yield: 8 Servings

Easy Instant Pot Banana Bread

This moist and tender banana bread “bakes” in your Instant Pot for a delicious breakfast or snack.

Prep Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
55 minutes

Additional Time
30 minutes

Total Time
1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 large or 3 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Pour 1½ cups of water into the Instant Pot insert and set the trivet in place. Grease a bundt pan that fits in your Instant Pot.
2. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.
4. Stir in mashed bananas and sour cream until fully incorporated.
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon (if using).
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Lower the pan onto the trivet (use a foil or silicone sling to help).
8. Seal the vent and cook at high pressure for 55 minutes.
9. Allow a 10-minute natural release, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
10. Carefully remove the pan and let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
11. Optional: drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle chopped pecans before serving.

Notes

• Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter if desired.
• Topping the bread with pre-made caramel sauce and nuts enhances flavor and presentation.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 8 | Serving Size: 1

Calories: 381 | Total Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 390mg | Carbohydrates: 58g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Protein: 6g

Nutrition information is an estimate and not guaranteed for accuracy.