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A bread machine is a shortcut to delicious bread where you can let the bread maker do all the hard work for you. This Bread Machine Banana Bread Recipe makes banana bread that is moist, flavorful, and perfect for Sunday brunch.

Growing up, my mom used to make banana bread all the time. Martha Stewart’s recipe from the teal cookbook was her go-to recipe, and the smell of that freshly baked delicious bread is still one of my favorite smells. Now, I make chocolate chip banana bread or chocolate raspberry banana bread because I’m in my chocolate phase of life.

Homemade Banana Bread is still one of my favorite food groups. (Clearly, I love it – you can find so many banana bread recipes on this site.) Lately, I’ve been trying to experiment with making banana bread in a bread machine, and this recipe is similar to one of my other favorite banana bread recipes using buttermilk.

This bread machine recipe is an easy way to make delicious banana bread and let the bread machine do all the hard work for you. Different bread machine models might have different buttons – this is how to make a pretty traditional banana bread using the basic Cuisinart Bread Machine.

A loaf of bread machine banana bread on a white plate with a slice on a smaller white plate.

The way the bread machine works, it kind of steams the bread and keeps the moisture inside the machine, so the end result is a really moist banana bread. It is so delicious.

🥘 Ingredients

Nonstick Cooking Spray
Buttermilk, at room temperature – You can also use sour cream.
Butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch pieces
Large Eggs, at room temperature
Vanilla Extract
Ripe Bananas, mashed – Use bananas that are soft and still yellow with black spots on them. You will need about 3 bananas.
Kosher Salt
Granulated Sugar
All-Purpose Flour
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Optional – Chopped Walnuts

If you have extra bananas that are overripe, but you are not ready to use them, you can freeze them until you are ready to use them. When you are ready to bake a loaf of banana bread, you can defrost them and get baking! Frozen bananas are a great way to save bananas for smoothies or more banana bread.

Recipe Tip: For tips on speeding up the ripening process, check out this post from Taste of Home on freezing and ripening bananas.

🌾 Can You Use All-purpose Flour in a Bread Machine Instead of Bread Flour?

Yes! Bread flour is not needed for making sweet bread or cakes in a bread machine. Bread flour is only necessary when making recipes that specifically call for bread flour – this is usually yeasted bread and high protein dough. (Banana bread is neither of those things!)

🍽 Equipment Needed

A Rubber Spatula
Measuring Cups/Measuring Spoons
A Bread Machine – I use a Cuisinart Bread Maker.
A Wire Rack

🥣 How to Make Banana Bread in a Bread Machine

Spray the inside of the bread pan fitted with the kneading paddle with nonstick cooking spray – make sure to spray up the sides of the bread pan.

Add all of the ingredients into the bread pan in order – buttermilk, softened butter, eggs, vanilla extract, mashed bananas, salt, sugar, flour, baking soda, and baking powder, then secure the pan into your bread maker.

Next, press the PROG button on your bread maker and select the Cake option. Press the START/STOP button and begin the bread making process.

The bread machine will mix for a bit, so while it is mixing, you can assist it with a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides to make sure that the dry ingredients get fully incorporated into the liquid ingredients. Just be careful that your spatula doesn’t get tangled up in the kneading blades. For best results, if you’re adding nuts, add them at the end of the mixing cycle so they don’t get crushed.

At the end of the mixing cycle, let the bread machine begin the baking process and do its thing. It’s so easy – just let the bread bake, and the machine does all the work. (And in the summer, this is great because the house won’t get hot!)

When the baking cycle is complete, use oven mitts to remove the bread pan from the machine and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

A loaf of bread machine banana bread on a white plate.

🫙 How to Store Leftover Banana Bread

Once cooled, store banana bread in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap to freeze it for later.

✏️ Helpful Tips

Add Your Favorite Mix-Ins. Banana bread is delicious on its own, but you can also add mix-ins to give it a unique twist. Chocolate chips, fresh fruit, chopped nuts, or dried fruit are all great additions. Make sure to add them during the last few minutes of the mixing cycle so they don’t get crushed up by the paddle. You can make bread machine banana nut bread by adding chopped walnuts or pecans.
Use Overripe Bananas. The secret to making flavorful banana bread is to use overripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter they will be, which will give your bread a more naturally sweet banana flavor. You can also roast the bananas ahead of time in the oven to help release their natural sweetness.
All Bread Machines are Different. Be sure to follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions for operating your bread machine when making banana bread. Some machines have a specific setting for sweet bread or a quick bread setting – on the one I use, it’s easier to bake banana bread as if it is a banana cake because the sweet bread program has extra steps for a second rise and second knead and this is not required for banana bread.