I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I often end up having too many banana bread leftovers with which I could feed ten families. I usually keep them on the countertop for 4 to 5 days, or I refrigerate them. Sometimes, I freeze them.
If you intend to do the same, then you need to know for many days you can keep banana bread at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer. Also, you need to know how to properly reheat and thaw banana bread.
We’ll go through all that below!
Oh, I almost forgot! I’ve also included a few brilliant ways to use up leftover banana bread (see the recipes below).
How To Store Banana Bread At Room Temperature
Shelf life: 4 to 5 days
If you’re going to eat banana bread within a few days, then it’s best to keep it at room temperature because you won’t have to deal with thawing or reheating. Here’s how to store banana bread at room temperature:
• Step 1: Let the banana bread cool completely before covering it or placing it in an airtight container. Place banana bread on a cooling rack, so that it doesn’t turn soggy.
• Step 2: If you plan to eat banana bread within a day or two, then you can keep it in a glass cloche. If you want it to stay fresh for 4 to 5 days, then it’s best to keep it in a ziploc bag or an airtight container. This will keep the bread from molding.
How To Store Banana Bread In The Fridge
Shelf life: 7 to 10 days
If you’re going to eat banana bread leftovers within seven to ten days, then you certainly don’t want to put it in the freezer. However, refrigerators are famous for drying out bread which is why you need to take the following steps when storing it:
• Step 1: Let the banana bread cool completely before placing it in the fridge. If you don’t let it cool, it can turn soggy.
• Step 2: First, wrap banana bread in parchment paper and then add an additional layer by wrapping it in plastic wrap. By doing this, the bread will not lose its moisture and it will stay fresh for longer.
• Step 3: Place the wrapped banana bread in an airtight container or in a ziploc bag. Congrats, now you can put it in the fridge.
How To Store Banana Bread In The Freezer
Shelf life: up to 3 months
If you choose to freeze banana bread, it’s best to use it within 3 months. This doesn’t mean that the food will be spoiled after 3 months, but the quality of it will suffer if you keep it for longer in the freezer. The same applies to freezing banana pudding. Here’s how to do it:
• Step 1: Let the banana bread cool completely before freezing it.
• Step 2: Wrap banana bread in parchment paper and then add an additional layer by wrapping it in plastic wrap.
• Step 3: Place the wrapped banana bread in an airtight container or in a ziploc bag. Don’t forget to add the storage date label. Now you can place it in the freezer.
NOTE: According to the USDA, you shouldn’t refreeze any foods left outside the fridge for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F.
Thawing And Reheating Banana Bread
Now that you know how to store banana bread at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer, it’s time to learn how to thaw and reheat it the right way.
How to thaw banana bread
You can thaw banana bread in the following ways:
• On the countertop: Keep banana bread for a maximum of 2 hours at room temperature on the countertop to avoid “entering the Danger Zone“.
• In the fridge: Place banana bread in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
• In the oven: Thaw banana bread in the oven at 350 °F for around 90 minutes. Pro tip: Keep it wrapped in aluminum foil to retain moisture.
How to reheat banana bread
NOTE: Don’t use the following methods to reheat frozen banana bread but allow it to thaw beforehand (see the thawing methods above).
• On the countertop: If you stored banana bread in the fridge, then it’s best to place it on the countertop for a maximum of 2 hours at room temperature.
• In the microwave: Microwave a slice or a few slices of banana bread for around 10 to 15 seconds.
• In the toaster oven: Reheat banana bread slices in the toaster oven to 350 °F for around 5 minutes.
3 Ways To Use Up Leftover Banana Bread
Let’s say that you have stored a bit more banana bread than you needed. Perhaps you kept it in the freezer and now you have no idea what to do with it. Worry not. Here’s how you can use up leftover banana bread:
1. Banana Bread Pudding
Banana Bread Pudding
If you’re a fan of pudding, then it’s your holy duty to try this banana bread pudding recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 cup banana bread (cubed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Step 2: Place milk, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk together. Add the cubed banana bread to the mixture and stir.
- Step 3: Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Bake it for 30 minutes. When done, allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving.
2. Banana Bread French Toast
Banana Bread French Toast
Mornings have never been sweeter with this banana bread French toast because it’s one of the most delicious things you can eat for breakfast.
Ingredients
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 7-8 slices banana bread (about ¾ inch thick)
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- butter for cooking
Instructions
- Step 1: Place the milk, vanilla, egg yolks, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish.
- Step 2: Place the banana bread slices in the mixture, and soak them for 15 minutes on one side. Then flip the slices over and let them soak for another 15 minutes.
- Step 2: Place the banana bread slices in the mixture, and soak them for 15 minutes on one side. Then flip the slices over and let them soak for another 15 minutes.
Serving suggestion: I like to serve banana bread French toast with fresh berries or maple syrup.
3. Banana Bread Tiramisu
Banana Bread Tiramisu
Speaking of two classics! Banana bread and tiramisu are definitely a win-win combination.
Ingredients
- 16 sliced banana bread (about ½ inch thick)
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp (or 1 stick) instant espresso granulate
- 2 bananas (sliced)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tsp Amaretto (optional)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (for decoration)
Instructions
- Step 1: Dissolve instant espresso in cold water and mix it with Amaretto (optional). Apply half of this mixture to the first layer of banana bread slices using a brush. Cover the banana slices with ⅓ whipped cream.
- Step 2: Add the second layer of banana bread slices, and cover them with another ⅓ whipped cream.
- Step 3: Add the third layer of banana bread slices, the coffee mixture, and the remaining whipped cream. Dust cocoa powder on top of the banana bread tiramisu.
Notes
Instead of three, you can make two layers of banana slices. Everything else remains the same.
Enjoy!
