Did you know bananas appeared in the United States in the 1870s?
What’s even crazier is it took nearly 60 years until the first banana bread recipes began circulating throughout American homes. The 1930s saw banana bread rise to fame rather quickly after the introduction of one secret ingredient.
If you’re thinking about making banana bread, or you’re making some right now but realized you need something to make it rise, then keep reading.
In this article, we’ll share exactly what makes banana bread rise and what to do if your banana bread is falling flat. If you want to ensure your banana bread comes out fluffy, don’t miss these 9 crucial tips!
Let’s dive in!
Here’s What Makes Banana Bread Rise:
Baking powder or baking soda allows banana bread to rise. In order to make a light, fluffy banana bread that rises properly, you need a leavening agent. Baking soda and baking powder are the most common options. They create air bubbles in the batter which allows it to rise as it bakes.

Why Does My Banana Bread Fall Flat?
Did you whip up some banana bread only to find that it’s falling flat? There’s nothing worse than taking the time to transform your ripe bananas into a delicious treat… just to have it turn out subpar at best. One of the most common reasons your banana bread is falling flat is because there’s something wrong with your batter.
The most likely culprit to a flat batter is forgetting to add a leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder.
Did you forget to add some baking powder or baking soda to your batter? If you did, but it’s still falling flat, there’s a good chance you simply didn’t add enough leavening.
Forgetting to add baking soda or baking powder (or just not adding enough) is the most common reason a banana bread won’t rise properly.

Here are a few potential reasons why your banana bread isn’t rising properly:
- You didn’t add a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda
- You didn’t add enough baking powder or baking soda
- You didn’t use the right temperature in the oven
- You didn’t bake the banana bread for long enough
- You overmixed the batter
Just remember, while the main reason banana bread falls flat is due to a lack of leavening, it could be one or more of the other reasons listed above. Just ensure you’re following the instructions step-by-step in the banana bread recipe you’re following.
If you’re unsure where to start, just do your best to troubleshoot your recipe to see what went wrong. This can be a big help to avoiding a flat banana bread next time you whip one up.
Keep in mind: leavening agents like baking soda can expire. It will only be effective for a certain time. Once it passes the expiration date, it won’t work properly, even if you use the correct amount in your recipe.

If you use the right amount of leavening but it’s still not rising, you could be using an “inactive” leavening agent that’s simply gone past its expiration or best-before date. In this scenario, your best bet is to simply head to the store to pick up some new baking powder or baking soda.
Unfortunately, if you pull out your banana bread and it’s flat, there isn’t anything you can do to un-flatten it if you know what I mean. But, you don’t need to let it go to waste! While you may be tempted to throw out this botched batch of banana bread, you could reuse it for something else.
One way to still make good use of your banana bread is to slice it up into small pieces and turn it into an ice cream topper. Simply add it to the top of a bowl of ice cream (and maybe even add some fresh slices of banana), and voila! Something that went wrong transformed into a whole new delicious dessert.
Why Is My Banana Bread Flat and Dense?
One of the main reasons your banana bread turned out flat and dense is that you didn’t add any leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder. Without a leavening agent like these two popular household ingredients, your banana bread won’t be given the ability to rise when in your oven.
However, there are a few more reasons why your banana bread didn’t rise. Another common reason for a flat banana bread is due to how much you mix it. If you overmix your banana bread, it could still turn out flat even if you used baking soda or baking powder.

Did you know that… The more you mix your banana bread batter, the more gluten is created in the banana bread! While this is handy if you’re making a yeast-risen, chewy loaf of bread, it’s not so great if you’re wanting to create a soft and fluffy banana bread.
Overmixing your banana bread will result in a dense, (and almost rubbery) loaf. One rule of thumb you can follow is to stir “no more than 10 seconds” or “stir until moistened”.
If you put in a “normal” amount of baking powder or baking soda, but your banana bread still didn’t rise properly, it could be that you didn’t add enough. This is especially true for recipes that include wetter and heavier ingredients like maple syrup instead of sugar or yogurt instead of milk.
If you’re using more dense or liquid ingredients in your loaf, you’ll want to increase the amount of baking soda or baking powder you use just a little bit. One word of warning… you can go too far with baking soda. While you may need to add a bit more baking soda, if you add too much, the bread could rise too quickly and end up sinking. Or, it could end up with a strange, sour taste and even develop an overly brown color.
How Do You Make Banana Bread Rise?
The best way to make banana bread rise is by using a leavening agent. The most common types of leavening agents for banana bread are baking powder and baking soda. In most cases, you’ll only use one of these ingredients in your recipe to ensure your loaf rises properly and comes out fluffy (rather than dense and flat).
Leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder form air bubbles within your bread batter which helps cause the bread to rise up. Even eggs can be a decent additional leavening agent within banana bread! However, there are several egg substitutes for banana bread that can also help it rise if you’d prefer to make banana bread without eggs.
Without a leavening agent, your bread simply won’t rise properly, which is why you should always make sure you add baking powder or baking soda to your recipe. Alternatively, you could use yeast, although the flavor tends to come out best with baking powder or baking soda.
What Does Baking Soda Do for Banana Bread?
So, what exactly does baking soda do within a banana bread recipe? The main effect is that it makes your banana bread rise so it’s light and fluffy rather than dense and flat. Without baking soda (or baking powder), your banana bread won’t be able to rise properly.
In 1846, sodium bicarbonate—or baking soda—was first introduced to America. This brand new baking invention made it possible to easily create light and fluffy baked goods that didn’t require an extremely lengthy rising process like yeast required. It was a way to cut down the time it took to rise baked goods
Does Baking Powder Help Banana Bread Rise?
Yes, baking powder is a great leavening agent you can use in a banana bread recipe to make it rise. In the mid-1800s, baking powder hit the shelves of American grocery stores and it quickly rose to fame. Why was it so popular? It let people create baked goods that would rise in very little time compared to yeast.
Like baking soda, baking powder is a common ingredient used in baked goods like banana bread. Its main function is to let the bread rise so it becomes light and fluffy rather than heavy and dense.
How Much Does Banana Bread Rise?
So, just how much does banana bread rise? Well, when you follow a good banana bread recipe, you’ll find that it always requires a leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder. Once your batter is ready to go into a dish in the oven, you should take note of the level it’s at.

Banana bread can end up rising a few inches over the course of time that it’s baking in the oven. In fact, this is why you shouldn’t fill your batter to the top of your baking dish. You should give yourself at least half an inch of room since it can rise a few inches.
Why Did My Banana Bread Rise?
The reason banana bread rises is due to leavening agents within the recipe. Typically, you’ll use baking powder or baking soda in your banana bread recipe to ensure the loaf rises properly.
Leavening agents’ main function is to create air bubbles within a batter. Once the batter begins baking in the oven, air bubbles expand the batter, allowing it to rise. As the batter rises into a loaf, it ensures that it comes out fluffy and light which makes it more enjoyable to eat.
Is Banana Bread Better With Baking Powder or Baking Soda?
You can use either baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent for your banana bread. The two are typically interchangeable depending on your recipe. However, it’s important to note that baking soda will react with acidic ingredients in your batter. While baking powder can raise your banana bread without the use of acidic ingredients.
Overall, baking powder is more versatile, so if you have to choose between the two, baking powder will give you some more flex room, ensuring you can create a wider variety of recipes.
Sources
https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakingpowder.html
https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/a-history-of-bananas/
https://humwp.ucsc.edu/cwh/bananas/Site/Modern%20History%20of%20the%20Banana.html
Can I use both baking soda and baking powder for my banana bread??
Hi Njay!
Ideally you should only use one or the other (not both). If you use too much of either (or both), it can change the flavor of your banana bread and make it acidic or too salty tasting. Technically baking powder has baking soda in it. If you had to choose between the two for a banana bread recipe, I’d go with baking soda! 🙂
Hope that helps!