How to Fix Undercooked Banana Bread (4 Easy Steps)

I’ve made a lot of banana bread in my day. As a matter of fact, banana bread is one of my sons’ favorite things. He doesn’t eat a lot of sweets, but he does love banana bread. But what do you do if you cut your banana bread and discover that it isn’t done?

Undercooked banana bread, if discovered when it has just been baked, can be put back into the oven and baked for a few minutes more until it tests done. Also, make sure the oven is set to the right temperature, which is 350° Fahrenheit.

Fixing Undercooked Banana Bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Slide the banana bread back into the loaf pan.
3. Tent the loaf of bread with foil to prevent overcooking the edges.
4. Bake the banana bread for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted into the bread, comes out clean.

In the next few paragraphs, we will discuss in more detail how to fix undercooked banana bread.

What to Do if Banana Bread Is Raw in the Middle?

If your banana bread is raw in the middle after baking the designated time, the problem is more than likely that it was baked at the wrong temperature or that the oven is not baking at the right temperature and should be adjusted by a professional.

If you discover that the banana bread is raw in the middle, you can try baking it a little longer by following the 4 steps mentioned above, but the chances of getting the center of the bread to cook without overcooking the rest of the loaf are not good.

What I have done in the past when I have a small portion in the very center that didn’t get completely done is just to cut out the undercooked portion and eat the rest.

How Do I Know When Banana Bread Is Done?

The best way to tell whether the banana bread is done is by looking for these indicators:

1. Check to see if the top is nicely browned.
2. Lightly press on the top of the bread to see if it springs back after being pressed.
3. Insert a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean. If you don’t have a toothpick, you can use a knife with a thin blade.

If the answer to all three of these indicators is yes, then the banana bread should be done.

What Is the Internal Temperature of Banana Bread When Done?

Whether a loaf of banana bread is done can be checked by using a cake thermometer. Simply insert the thermometer into the center of the banana bread, where the temperature will be 205℉ when done,  while around the edges will be 200℉ when done.

Can You Microwave Undercooked Banana Bread?

I would not recommend trying to finish cooking an undercooked banana bread in the microwave because even heating bread in the microwave a little too long can cause a rubbery texture. But, if you are going to eat a slice of banana bread right away, you can certainly heat it by microwaving it for just a few seconds without ruining it.

Having said that about microwaving, if your microwave also cooks by convection, you could definitely finish cooking the bread that way. I had a microwave/convention oven years ago that I even made biscuits in.

Why Does Banana Bread Sometimes Turn Out Dense and More Moist Than Other Times?

The main reason that banana bread sometimes is more dense and moist and doesn’t have the right texture is that overbeating can affect the gluten in the flour and cause it to react that way. They just don’t seem to cook right and will usually even rise and then fall in the center. 

Even though cakes need a lot of beating to achieve the fine texture that we like, quick breads like banana bread should be mixed or beaten only until all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

My favorite banana bread recipe that I am going to share with you calls for the wet ingredients plus the sugar to be put into a blender and combined and the dry ingredients put into a separate bowl. Then, to put all the ingredients together, simply pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir by hand only until all ingredients are combined. Most of the time, this recipe turns out perfectly. You did notice that I said most of the time, didn’t you? There are those occasions……

Jelly Grandma’s Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 large, very ripe Bananas
• 2 large Eggs
• ½ cup Butter or Margarine
• 1½ tablespoons Buttermilk or Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice or Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1&½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup Raisins or chopped Nuts

Directions:

1. Grease and flour loaf or baking pan.
2. Preheat oven to 350℉.
3. Mix all ingredients through sugar in a blender and process until smooth.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir by hand just until combined.
6. Add nuts and stir well.
7. Bake at 350℉ for 1 hour in a large loaf pan or 30 minutes in a 9” square baking pan.

Can You Get Sick From Undercooked Banana Bread?

Even though it is recommended that you shouldn’t eat raw cake or quick bread dough and your banana bread appears undercooked, it will have cooked sufficiently that it should not make you sick if you eat it. I have eaten raw cake dough often and undercooked banana bread from time to time with no ill effects. However, if you have any reservations, then just discard the undercooked portion.

What Are Some Things That Can Affect the Time It Takes for a Banana Bread to Be Cooked All the Way Through?

When you are baking, whether it is banana bread or anything else, the time prescribed in the recipe you are following is an “if all things are going perfectly” time and will not be the exact time that your baked goods will be done in all cases. Here are a few variables that can change the time that whatever you are baking takes to get done:

• The oven temperature might not be set exactly. Those hash marks on the oven knob are sometimes hard to read.
• The internal thermometer in the oven might not be adjusted properly and should be checked by a professional. Whether you cook with gas or electric, if you suspect your oven is not working properly, your power or gas company can send someone out to check your oven and make any adjustments necessary to the temperature settings.
• The pan you are baking in might be a different size than what was used by the person writing the recipe.
• The type of material of the pan you are baking in, whether it is glass, stainless steel, aluminum, or stoneware, can affect the time your food takes to bake.
• The elevation can affect baking times.
• The weather can affect baking times. Rain can affect things like baking, canning, making jelly, making meringue, and when making certain types of candy, especially divinity.
• The temperature in the room where the oven is located can have an effect on baking.
• The humidity when you are baking can create problems.
• Whether you are baking just the one item or whether you have multiple pans in the oven can affect the length of cooking time.
• The location of your baking pan in the oven, whether it is in the center of the oven, near the oven walls, on the top rack, or on the bottom rack, can easily affect baking times.

My tip for being able to take anything you are baking out of the oven at just the right time is to start checking for doneness about 10 minutes before the prescribed time is up and then check every 10 minutes until it appears and tests are done.

My second tip here is to always set an alarm when baking. I have often gotten busy when baking and forgot to check on what I’m baking until it is a little overcooked. 

Related Questions

How Do You Soften Hard Banana Bread?

If you have some banana bread that has been around for several days or it just wasn’t wrapped very well, which has caused it to become a little hard, it can be softened by placing a damp paper towel around it and microwaving for just a few seconds. Just be sure you don’t leave it in the microwave too long or it will become rubbery and inedible.

What’s the Difference Between Banana Cake and Banana Bread?

You may be wondering what the difference is between banana cake and banana bread. The main differences between any cakes and any quick breads are relatively the same.

First, let’s talk about the differences between quick breads and other breads. The primary difference is that quick breads are made with baking powder and/or baking soda while regular breads use yeast as a leavening agent. This difference allows quick breads to be made faster, thus the name “quick bread” rather than having to knead them and allow them time to rise like is necessary when making yeast bread.

While cakes and quick breads are both leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda, depending on your recipe, cakes are made with more sugar and fat than quick breads and require more beating or mixing than quick breads to create a finer texture.

So, the main differences between banana bread and banana cake are that cakes have less sugar less fat and are beaten or mixed for a longer period of time.

Final Bite

Even though you can put banana bread back into the oven and bake it a little longer when the center is a little undercooked, the best way to have a perfectly baked banana bread is to be sure you are not mixing your batter too much and to check your bread carefully to determine whether it is done by using the methods listed in this article so that you are not in a position to decide whether to try to finish cooking it or just cut out the undercooked part and eat the rest.

Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Jelly Grandma

For more, don’t miss Does Banana Bread Need to Be Refrigerated? | Storage Guide.