Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread was specialty of Grandma Mills. It’s a delicious dessert bread that cooks up fluffy and moist in the pressure cooker.
Instant Pot Banana Nut BreadBanana Bread is one of those sweets that just about everyone loves. Jan Borden Freeman is a wonderful baker, as a result of her Grandma Mills teaching her to bake when she was in her 20’s.
Jan purchased an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker last year and has been cooking up a storm. Her most favorite and prized recipe from her Grandma is her Grandma Mills’ Banana Nut Bread. She realized that baked goods were not only possible in a pressure cooker, but they come out very moist and delicious.
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Ingredients for Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread
- All Purpose Flour
- Bananas
- Butter
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Sea Salt
- Walnuts – totally optional
Jan decided to convert her Grandma’s famous Banana Nut Bread and the very popular Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread was born.
Nordic Ware 6-Cup Bundt Pan
Click to purchase this Nordic Ware 6 cup Bundt Pan.
The above photo of Jan’s cake is so beautiful, so I wanted to show case it. However, Jan says she gets her best results using this little Nordic Ware 6 cup Bundt Pan.
Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread is always a hit with Jan and her family. All the kids’ kids, still make this wonderful bread and remember their Grandma.
Lottie Bell Donnell Mills “Grandma Mills”
Jan wanted to give the history behind the bread and talk a little about Grandma Mills. She says: “Lottie Mills was a dear Christian woman from Oklahoma City. She loved to cook meals and bake desserts. She loved to have people over for a meal and dessert, and to share her love of Christ and the gospel.”
Pressure Cooker Grandma Mills’ Banana Nut Bread
How To Keep Sweets from Taking on Taste From Savory Recipes
- Easy.
- Get yourself a second and third silicone gasket/seal. They are super cheap.
- They come in colors. We use one for sweets, one for savory and one for strong smelling recipes like my incredible Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe.
In a Medium Mixing Bowl, add butter, sugar and eggs. Using a Hand Mixer, beat until combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. There should be no sugar granules left in the bowl.
Place bananas in a Small Mixing Bowl and mash well. Add the mashed bananas to the butter, eggs, sugar mixture and gently beat to combine.
Some people like nuts in their bread, others don’t. This is a personal choice.
Don’t Scoop from the Container or Bag of Flour
If you don’t read anything else of this story, please at least read my article on How to Properly Measure Flour.
I don’t want you to end up with a rubbery or a brick Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread and then blame the recipe. Proper measurement of Flour is essential!
Besides incorrectly measuring the flour, over working a batter will also lead to a heavy and dense bread.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the Flour
So, now that you know How to Properly Measure Flour, measure out the two cups of Flour. You did read that article, right????
Okay, then, add the rest of the dry ingredients into the Medium Mixing Bowl and beat just until combined. Do not over work your batter. Doing so will cause a very heavy and dense bread.
If using walnuts or your favorite nut, gently fold them in now and combine by hand. If you want to use Chocolate Chips, hand fold them in now.
Grandma and Grandpa Mills with their Children
Grandma and Grandpa Mills had five children. The above photo shows the lovely couple with their children.
Jan goes on to say: “This Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread is just one of her many recipes. She created this Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread many, many years ago. Her recipe was in her head and she measured the ingredients with the palm of her hand or by the pinch.
One day we made a loaf of banana bread with her. As she eyeballed the ingredients in the palm of her hand or by a pinch, we measured everything and wrote it down. I’ve been making Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread since the 1970s but she had been making it for decades before she shared the recipe with us.”
Pour the Batter into a Cake Pan
If you don’t have a 6 cup Bundt Pan, grease a 7 inch Push Pan or 7 inch Cake Pan and place a Parchment Round in the bottom. Grease the Parchment Round too.
Pour the batter in and jiggle the Bundt Pan, so that the batter is even. You may need more time, if using a Cake Pan instead of a Bundt Pan. The Bundt Pan is the preferred pan and will give you better results, time and time again.
Jan continues:
“A few months after I got the Instant Pot, I saw a pressure recipe for a carrot bread or cake. I thought I would experiment with Grandma’s recipe. I love the way it turned out. The taste reminds me of Grandma Mills, but the Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread is more moist because cooking it in the pressure cooker.
Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread cooks for about the same amount of time as in the oven. As I said, it’s more moist…and it’s fun being able to use my Instant Pot. During the scorching hot summer months, I can still make Banana Nut Bread without heating up the house. Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread freezes well. I cut it and wrap each piece, individually.”
Place Pan into Pressure Cooker
Jan also uses a 6 cup Bundt Pan (which I find gives a more even bake) for this recipe to change things up a bit. Grease and flour the bottom of the pan, since parchment paper wont work well.
Add some water to the bottom of your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker and place a Trivet inside.
Place the cake pan of batter on top of the Stainless Steel Trivet. You are all ready to bake!
Banana Bread will rise quite a bit
Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread
- A 6 cup Bundt Pan works best.
- If you don’t measure the Flour properly, you WILL end up with a rubber/brick Banana Bread. Please read my article How to Properly Measure Flour.
- Over working the batter will cause a dense and heavy bread.
- Allow the pressure to release for a bit. Grandma Mill’s Banana Nut Bread will rise nicely.
- Allow it to cool, before slicing.
Pressure Cooker Grandma Mills’ Banana Nut Bread, Bundt Style
Jan hopes you will enjoy her Instant Pot Grandma Mills’ Banana Nut Bread, as much as she and her family have been enjoying this for years.
One of my readers, Elisa, says: “I just made the best banana bread I have ever had. Used this recipe with following adjustments. Added 1 tsp of vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, dash of cloves and 1/4 cup of apple sauce. UNBELIEVABLE!!!”
Thank you, Elisa. I am so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
More Instant Pot Dessert Recipes to Make:
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Bundt Cake w/Butterscotch
- Instant Pot Bhapa Doi {Steamed Yogurt Pudding}
- Choco-Spice Layer Cake w/Mocha Buttercream Frosting
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Bundt Cake w/Butterscotch
- Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake [Instant Pot] – the BEST recipe ever! You must make this right away.
Enjoy this recipe from the oven or from the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- LamsonSharp Chef’s Slotted Turner– I totally love this spatula!
- Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Stainless Steel Tall/Short Trivet & Egg Cooker Set
- 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
- Small 1.5 Quart “Pot in Pot” Mixing Bowl
- Cuisinart Electric Hand Mixer
- 7 inch Parchment Paper Round
- Nordic Ware 6 cup Bundt Pan
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 3 medium Bananas mashed
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour properly measured
- 1.5 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 cup Walnuts optional (or other nut)
Optional Add Ins
- 4 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 4 oz Toffee Chips
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Add bananas to a small bowl and with a potato masher, mash bananas well. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl add butter, sugar and eggs.
- Beat at high speed until light and creamy, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl, so that all sugar is mixed into the butter and eggs.
- Add the mashed bananas and beat at high speed to combine.
- Add all dry ingredients, except walnuts and beat using medium speed just combined. Do not over mix the batter.
- With a spatula, gently fold in walnuts and/or chips, if using.
Conventional Oven
- Pour into greased/floured 8 inch loaf pan.
- Bake at 350° 60-70 minutes.
- Remove from pan and cool on rack.
Pressure Cooker
- Grease a 6 cup Bundt Pan. Line the bottom with a parchment round or paper, if you like.
- Pour in batter and smooth it out so batter is level.
- Add 1.5 cups of water into Pressure Cooker cooking pot. Place Trivet in Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
- Place cake pan on Trivet. Lightly cover the pan with a piece of paper towel and then a piece of foil.
- Lock on lid and close Pressure Valve. Cook at High Pressure for 55-60 minutes.
- When Beep sounds, allow a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release. Allow cake to cool in pan.
Notes
How to Serve Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread
- Hot coffee
- Hot Tea
- Hot Cocoa
- Scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Toasted with a slather of butter
- Turn it into French Toast!
Nutrition
PIN this Pressure Cooker Grandma Mills’ Banana Nut Bread!
Love your recipes. What is the volume of bananas? Looking to substitute partly with papaya. Thanks
Medium size bananas are fine. I’ve never weighed them. Jill
What measure are the 3 medium bananas? Very subjective. I live in Costa Rica and bananas are al different sizes. 1 cup mashed or 2 cups? Anyone know?
Do you need a bundt pan for this? Mine doesn’t fit into the IP. Can I just use the instant pot?
Today I’ve made this for the third time and it’s still the very best banana bread I’ve ever made!!!! Thanks a thousand fold for the recipe! I can’t wait for your book to come out! I’ve already pre-ordered it and will devour it when it comes! If your banana bread recipe is any indication of the rest of yours, then I’ll be very very happy with it! Thanks again!
Thank you, Gary. Very sweet of you to say. I am glad you enjoy the bread and thank you for buying my book. Jill
You did not cover the pan in the photo. You showed it uncovered in the instant pot. So i missed that direction. Please update so that doesn’t happen to someone else.
My bread just came out of the pan and looks good! Curious tho about two things. You are so specific about the flour measurement but very vague on the amount of banana. Hope The bananas I had were enough. Also so surprised at the length of cooking time. No faster than an oven and much longer than many other similar recipes. I cooked mine for 50 minutes and a pick came out clean. Can hardly wait to try it??
Correct on measuring. I always weigh all my ingredients for any recipe I use. Makes a huge difference!
Can I make this recipe in cups,if so how long do you pressure cook them?
recipe and directions for a 3 qt. pressure cooker ???
To honor my Jewish great grandmother, who, like so many Frenchwomen before her, kept geese and peacocks and plucked their down to make down pillows, I made this with unsalted goose fat. Using goose, duck or chicken fat (schmaltz) in sweet breads and cakes results in a complex richness and a tender crumb. While applesauce cake is traditional, banana bread can enjoy cross cultural benefits as well. Smaltz is a great substitute for anyone with a dairy allergy.
This recipe is great. My daughter had made it for her husbands birthday and I asked Her for the recipe. So moist and yummy!
I made this Banana Bread EXACTLY (especially the flour measuring) as the recipe indicated. I used walnuts and the 6 cup bundt pan. In pot as directed for 58 minutesz. I topped it with cream cheese icing and more walnuts. It was beautiful and delicious and the texture was perfect. Thank you for sharing! I’ll be making it again!
Cream Cheese icing sounds wonderful on this bread. So glad you loved it. 🙂 Jill
Hello Jill, I am totally in love with this bread.. I make it at least once a week… but I do have a question…. What is the best way to store it after it is done? I have stored it in a cake carrier *plastic plate with locking plastic top* but it condensates horribly!!! Then after day 2, it tastes sour.. I’ve stored it on a paper plate with parchment paper round, right in the fridge, then it seems to dry out on the sides.. HELP… 🙂
Let it cool completely and then store in the cake carrier with a paper towel also in the carrier.
I am seriously confused by this recipe.
The Recipe in the article is DIFFERENT
then the Recipe that you can print up.
Example: grease a 7 inch Push Pan or 7 inch Cake Pan and place a Parchment Round in the bottom. Grease the Parchment Round too.
In the recipe to print it says NOTHING about greasing the parchment round.
The MOST concerning difference and my question is related to this part
In your article it says-Add some water to the bottom of your Pressure Cooker and place a Trivet inside.
Place the cake pan of batter on top of the Stainless Steel Trivet.You are all ready to bake!
AND YET in the RECIPE TO PRINT IT SAYS THIS
Place Trivet in Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
Place cake pan on Trivet. Lightly cover the pan with a piece of paper towel and then a piece of foil.
I did the paper towel and foil thing, it was a pain to do AND the papertowel was soaked when I took the cake out.
So Which instruction is the right one to follow? Yes or no Paper Towel and Foil?
I did read your flour measuring article and bought myself a food scale before making this recipe.
Thanks so much. Trying this today.
Can I half the sugar in this recipe?
Made this tonight…followed all directions carefully…it was delicious! It came out slightly dry but the chocolate chips helped and a glass of cold milk made it perfect. I probably overworked the batter (specifically warned not to do that) but it was still great. I’m just not sure of using the IP for it in future. No time saved.
Glad you enjoyed the bread. I went to school with a girl named Charla. Haven’t seen this name in a while. Jill
can you make this banana bread in the instant pot using small mini loaf pans?
Yes, Patti. Jill
Haven’t tried the recipe yet, but just wanted to give an FYI that the current amazon link for the buddy pan is for a 12 cup, not 6. I ordered straight from your link and it’s far too big for the IP 🙁
Sorry *bundt pan. Auto correct!
Hi Marissa. Would you please let me know which link as I have just checked them all and they all lead to the one I use, which is this one. Thanks. Jill
Instructions say put a paper towel over the cake pan and then put a piece of foil on top. How does the paper towel not get stuck to the top of the cake?