Cinnamon has a strong flavor and adding too much to banana bread can overpower it. It is best to add around 1 teaspoon to a single loaf of banana bread. If you accidentally add too much you can remove it from the dry ingredients by hand if it hasn’t been mixed through. You can also mask the flavor with extra sugar, vanilla, chocolate chips or nuts.
This article will explore what to do if you add too much cinnamon to banana bread to save the loaf.
Powdered or ground cinnamon is perfect for banana bread. It complements the banana and gives the bread some extra depth in flavor.
How much is too much cinnamon in banana bread?
Most banana bread recipes will have between ½-1 teaspoon of cinnamon per loaf. This will complement around 2 mashed bananas. Some recipes also contain other spices like nutmeg or cloves.
Adding more than 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the banana bread can overpower the flavor. It can make the banana bread taste savory rather than sweet and can cover the taste of banana.
If you accidentally add more cinnamon than this there are a few a few things you can do to save your bread.
How to save banana bread with too much cinnamon
Check out these easy steps to save banana bread with too much cinnamon.
1. Scoop it out of the dry ingredients
If you have just added your ground cinnamon on top of the other dry ingredients, then it will be easy to scoop out. Grab a teaspoon and lift out the extra cinnamon.
If you do this you can reduce the cinnamon flavor without affecting the rest of the recipe.
2. Add other spices
If you have already added too much cinnamon to your recipe and mixed it in then you can mask the flavor. Adding extra spices that complement the banana bread like nutmeg and cloves. This will help to balance the extra cinnamon so the flavor doesn’t overtake the bread.
3. Add extra sugar
Cinnamon has a strong savory flavor when you add too much to your banana bread. To make sure the banana bread still tastes sweet you will need to add some extra sugar.
Adding just an extra ¼ of a cup of caster or granulated sugar will help to mask the extra cinnamon and save your loaf.
4. Add vanilla
If you have added too much cinnamon to your banana bread you can add extra vanilla. This will give the banana bread a sweet flavor, a delicious smell and will help to cover the flavor of the extra cinnamon.
Add an extra ½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract to your banana bread recipe to cover the extra cinnamon.
5. Add chocolate chips
Another great way to mask the flavor if you have added extra cinnamon is with chocolate chips. Adding ½-1 cup of dark or milk chocolate chips to your recipe will help to cover the flavor of cinnamon.
My kids love banana bread with chocolate chips and it has become their new favorite treat.
5. Add nuts
If you add too much cinnamon to banana bread you can also mask the flavor with some chopped nuts. Chopped walnuts, pecans or even slivered almonds can help to add extra crunch and cover the taste of the extra cinnamon.
Add ½ to ¾ of a cup of your favorite nuts. Crush them slightly before adding them so the loaf is easy to cut and it is easy to eat.
What happens if you add too much cinnamon to banana bread
If you add too much cinnamon to banana bread you will notice a few differences. These are the top differences you will notice if you add too much cinnamon to banana bread.
It will look darker
Adding too much cinnamon to banana bread will make it turn out darker. Cinnamon will color the bread making it look brown and delicious.
It will taste more savory
Adding too much cinnamon to your banana bread will make it taste savory. To counteract this, add extra sugar or chocolate chips. This will sweeten the loaf and mask some of the excess cinnamon.
How does cinnamon affect baking?
Cinnamon does not really change the way banana bread bakes. It has more of an effect on the flavor of the bread rather than the baking process. Adding extra cinnamon will darken the loaf and make it taste more savory.
Can I add cinnamon to my banana cake?
Cinnamon is a common ingredient for banana cake or banana bread. You can add 1 teaspoon to the recipe to add extra flavor without it taking over.
Does cinnamon and banana go together?
Cinnamon and banana taste great together. Cinnamon tastes great in banana cake, banana bread or even sprinkled over fresh banana.
Too Much Cinnamon in Banana Bread | Summary
Adding more than a teaspoon of cinnamon to banana bread can overpower the flavor. If you add too much cinnamon to the dry ingredients you can scoop it out before it is mixed in. If you have already mixed it in, add some extra sugar, chocolate chips or nuts to balance the flavor.
Happy baking.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.