Banana bread can become dry if the ratio of flour to wet ingredients is too high. Not adding enough butter, using eggs that are too small or adding too much flour will make the banana bready dry. Putting the banana bread in an oven that is too hot and leaving it there for too long can also give you dry banana bread.
This article will explore the top reasons why banana bread becomes dry and how you can fix it.
Top 7 reasons why banana bread becomes dry
Check out the top reasons why banana bread becomes dry and how you can fix it.
1. Adding too much flour
The most common cause of dry banana bread is adding too much flour. This can happen if heaped cups are added or if it is not measured accurately on a scale.
To avoid dry banana bread, measure the flour in a standard measuring cup. Make sure you gently add the flour without packing it in. You can then flatten the top with a butter knife rather than adding a heaped amount.
I like to measure the flour using a kitchen scale. I can put the bowl straight onto the scales and measure into it.
2. Not adding enough mashed banana
Not adding enough mashed banana can lead to your banana bread becoming too dry. Adding bananas that are too small or adding bananas that are underripe can lead to dry banana bread.
It is best to use at least 2 medium sized bananas that are ripe. Look out for bananas that have black marks on the skin which means that the sugars have developed and it will mash easily.
3. Not adding enough butter or oil
Not adding enough wet ingredients including butter or oil to your banana bread recipe can cause the bread to become dry.
Butter is usually added in grams or ounces so weighing it on a scale is the best way to get the right amount in the recipe.
If you don’t have kitchen scales, butter packets will have sections marked so you can cut it into pieces. This will give you a fairly good idea of how much butter you are using.
4. Using eggs that are too small
Dry banana bread can be because of using eggs that are too small. Most banana bread recipes will include 2-3 eggs. Eggs can range from 50g all the way up to 120g for extra large.
This means that each egg could be double the size of others. For the best results it is important to use medium sized eggs. This is usually an egg that is 70-80g which will give you a consistent result.
5. The oven is too hot
Baking your banana bread in an oven that is too hot will make it dry out on the edges and base. For fan forced ovens they will need to be set slightly cooler than conventional.
A good temperature to avoid dry banana bread is around 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 175 degrees Celsius). The banana bread will take around 45-55 minutes to cook.
6. Not preheating your oven
Putting banana bread batter in the oven before the oven has preheated can quickly dry it out. When an oven preheats it will blast extra hot air to bring the temperature up rapidly. This means that the batter will be exposed to heat above the desired temperature.
This will crisp up the outside and base before it cooks through. This can give you dry bread on the outside by the time it cooks through all the way.
The easy solution is to let the oven come up to temperature before you add your batter. For me, this means I wait until the light goes off and we are ready to go.
7. Leaving the bread in the oven for too long
Leaving the banana bread in the oven for too long will dry it out. Banana bread can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour to cook through. To avoid drying out the bread, test the center with a skewer from the 40-45 minute mark.
Once the skewer comes out clean without banana bread batter on it, you can take it out of the oven to rest in the pan.
How to fix dry banana bread batter
If your banana bread batter is too dry you can fix it before it is baked. The simplest way is to add extra melted butter. You can easily add 2-3 tablespoons of extra butter to help to add extra moisture and to make the batter easier to pour into the pan.
The banana bread batter should be pourable but not thin like pancake batter.
For more tips on what banana bread batter should look like, check out my previously article here: Should Banana Bread Batter be Lumpy? | 5 Causes of Lumps
How to fix dry banana bread after baking
Once the banana bread has been baked it is trickier to fix it if it is dry. You can add a simple glaze of butter and sugar which will moisten the outside.
If the banana bread is still dry, cut it into pieces and turn it into banana bread pudding. This will give you a delicious moist dessert that tastes great.
Why is My Banana Bread Dry? | Summary
Banana bread can become dry if there is too much flour added or not enough wet ingredients like eggs, butter or mashed banana. Measure the ingredients accurately with a scale, use medium eggs and medium sized bananas.
Happy cooking.
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.