How Long Can Banana Bread Be Stored In The Freezer?

Banana bread is kind of like the fruit version of "turn it off and back on again." Anytime you have too many bananas or a couple that are going brown faster than you planned for, you can simply whip up a delicious loaf of banana bread. And even on times when the craving strikes but all your bananas are green, there's a simple trick to make banana bread out of bananas that aren't ripe yet. However, once you have a delicious loaf in the oven baking away, another dilemma often appears: What happens if you can't finish it all?

Freezing banana bread isn't just a practical move to reduce food waste; it's also a gift to your future self if wrapped properly in foil or plastic wrap. And good news: Banana bread can sit in the freezer for up to three or four months without losing its texture or flavor, although some bakers say the quality starts to dip after two months. To freeze it well, let your banana bread cool completely. Then, if you want to freeze slices, simply slice your loaf into individual slices, wrap them, and throw them in the freezer. Otherwise, wrap the whole thing in foil or plastic wrap and freeze. Note: Slices are more convenient since you can thaw them one at a time, but they may be more susceptible to drying out, so try and keep the slices thick to retain as much moisture as possible.

Banana bread can handle being frozen, and it turns out, so can its ingredients. In fact, there's a lot to say on why you should freeze bananas for bananas bread. For one, freezing overripe bananas locks in all that sweetness, and once thawed, they mash into a perfectly gooey and sugary base. Plus, it's just a really clever way to rescue any fruit that's on the edge of the compost pile without committing to a loaf of banana bread then and there. 

Freezing and preparing banana bread in advance also makes room for creativity. Why not experiment with extras such as nuts, chocolate chips, berries (whether fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried), shredded coconut, or even espresso powder? After all, there's really not a lot that banana bread doesn't play well with. We have a ready-made list of 20 banana bread mix-in ideas. With these, you can freeze a few loaves and have each one feel like its own surprise.