Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe (Mini Loaves, Freezer-Friendly)

Introduction

Freezer-friendly whole-wheat blueberry banana bread is the perfect make-ahead for any busy morning and a great way to use up bananas that aren't at their peak ripeness. There is a reason why the banana is one of the most consumed fruits in the world. It's easily portable, well-liked by almost everyone, and it's delicious to eat when both slightly underripe and even more delicious when overripe. As bananas age, they get sweeter and softer, making them perfect for mini banana bread loaves. In fact, the browner and more speckled your bananas are, the sweeter, more tender and flavorful your banana bread will be. As the bananas ripen, the starch breaks down into simple sugars, giving it more moisture and deep caramel notes. These are perfectly portioned in the mini loaves and give a great rising crown, golden-brown caramelized crust, and bursts of juicy blueberries in every bite.

Why You'll Love This Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe

Perfectly Portioned Mini Loaves

Baking directly in the 1-cup trays creates mini loaves that thaw quickly and easily vs. thawing a large loaf. Since the mini loaves are smaller, you get more crispy edges. You can bake and freeze directly in the same tray. Best part is you pull out a mini loaf when you want and it's as fresh as the day you made it.

Customizable

Each well of the Souper Cubes tray, functions as a mini baking dish, so you can easily customize each one to your hearts content! Keep a few classic loaves with turbinado sugar, add chopped toasted walnuts to another, and a few with dark chocolate chips! Create some for everyone to enjoy or to keep your mornings interesting with different flavor profiles.

Flavor & Texture

Ripe bananas give a sweet flavor to this whole-wheat banana bread. It is balanced with warm cinnamon and bright, juicy, and tangy blueberries. Perfectly tender, this banana bread has a moist crumb with a caramelized crust and crunchy top of coarse sugar.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions for Blueberry Banana Bread

How Ripe Should Your Bananas Be?

The riper the better. Look for a deeply speckled to black banana. This banana has all the concentrated sugars right in the peel to give you the best banana bread you have made. As the banana ripens, the starches convert to sugars. Don't have ripened bananas? You can use your yellow ones too. If you want to speed up the ripening process, there are a couple things you can do. First, if you have time, add few whole bananas to a brown paper bag. Secondly, if you don't want to wait, you can speed ripen them by baking whole, unpeeled bananas on a parchment lined pan at 300°F oven, until skins are black, about 20 minutes. Lastly, you can add your bananas to the freezer, then the day before you bake pull out of the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Whole-Wheat + All-Purpose Flour 

Flour provides structure to the bread through protein networks. We added a 50/50 split of whole wheat and all-purpose flour for the following reasons: whole-wheat flour brings a subtle nutty flavor, extra fiber, and rich color. While all-purpose flour keeps the crumb light and airy, rather than dense. Additionally, the ratio of whole wheat and all-purpose flours will affect the final result but you can play around with the ratio of these two to figure out what you like best. Adding more all-purpose will result in a lighter and airy crumb vs. adding a higher ratio of whole wheat will make a denser loaf. If you decide to experiment, swap ½ cup at a time during the experimentation process. You may find as you add more whole wheat flour, you need to adjust other ingredients, like increasing the eggs or chemical leavener.

Fresh Blueberries vs. Frozen Blueberries?

While fresh blueberries work really well here in peak season, frozen berries are a great alternative for year-round baking. The key is to baking with frozen fruit is to make sure you are not adding extra moisture to the batter. To handle the excess moisture, we suggest thawing the blueberries on paper towels overnight before adding them to your batter. The excess moisture may thin out the batter creating pockets in your loaf or cause the berries to sink to the bottom of the loaf.

Mix-Ins & Variations

Use other mix-ins if you have something on hand or prefer to make it your own. Part of the fun of baking and cooking is to experiment and have fun. Here are some ideas:

• Toast ¼ cup chopped nuts (such as pecans or walnuts)
• Swap blueberries for diced fresh strawberries, tart fresh raspberries or blackberries
• Fold in mini dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chunks
• Spices can boost the complexity by adding ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or ⅛ teaspoon allspice

Step by Step: How to Make Blueberry Banana Bread

Gather your ingredients

Measure out all of your ingredients.

Combine Dry Ingredients

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Be sure to use aluminum-free baking powder, if possible, to avoid the possibility of any metallic taste in your bread.

We’re using half whole-wheat and half all-purpose flour but feel free to use all whole-wheat, white whole-wheat, or all-purpose flour depending on your preference. You can also add more spices, like ¼ teaspoon cardamom or nutmeg for some extra flavor.

Combine Wet Ingredients

Whisk sugar, oil (butter), eggs, bananas, and vanilla together, until combined, in a large bowl.

Whisk Dry Ingredients Into the Wet Ingredients

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Fold In Blueberries

Add fresh blueberries or frozen and thawed blueberries. Fold until completely combined.

Fill Batter into Souper Cubes Trays and Bake

This recipe is written to fit two, 1-cup Souper Cubes trays perfectly (8 mini loaves). Or if you prefer, you can choose two, 2-cup Souper Cubes trays for a larger loaf. Or even use one, 2-cup tray and one, 1-cup tray. Just make sure to check the 1-cup tray at 35 minutes of baking time but it may need to continue baking another 5 minutes. The 2-cup tray will take longer. Start checking this tray at 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Sprinkle some coarse turbinado sugar on top for some crunch.

Baking Tips for Mini Whole Wheat Banana Bread Loaves

How Long to Bake Mini Loaves

Since these loaves are significantly smaller than the typical 9x5 inch loaves, they will cook faster. In the 1-cup trays the loaves will take about 40 minutes at 350°F. With the 2-cup trays, plan for an increased time closer to 55 minutes. They will be close to done when the tops and edges are golden brown and done when the toothpick come out clean. Another way to tell if they are done is if the center springs back when gently pressed.

How to Get Mini Loaves Out Cleanly

If you take the loaves out too early from the wells of the trays, they will be very hot and tender and you may break them as your remove from the tray. We recommend waiting about 15 minutes before removing the loaves from the Souper Cubes trays. Since the trays are made from silicone, there is no need to grease the wells or run a knife around the edges. They will release on their own after cooling slightly. To pop them out, gently flex the tray from underneath each well, and the mini loaf will pop right out. You can also invert the tray onto a cooling rack and let gravity do the work.

The “Toothpick Test”

To check for doneness without deflating your bread, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf when you think it is done. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it's done. If the toothpick comes out wet, leave the tray in the oven for a few more minutes.

Baking Hacks for The Best Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe

Baking in Souper Cubes Trays vs. Baking From Frozen

We suggest baking in Souper Cubes trays right after mixing to get the best loaf with the best lift. Over time if you freeze your batter raw, the chemical leavener could deteriorate which could result in a denser loaf. If you freeze raw, just plan on baking sooner than later and consider that it will take a bit longer of a bake time in the oven. You can also take the frozen raw dough and add it to Souper Cubes rectangle baking dish or scoop directly in the dish and bake.

Avoid Over-mixing

Overworking the dough through mixing will develop gluten. Gluten is the elastic protein network that develops. This is great for a pizza dough crust or bread that you need strong gluten development, but in a quick bread, excessive gluten development creates a tough, gummy, and rubbery loaf filled with air tunnels. The key is to just stir enough to where the flour is just incorporated.

Room Temperature Ingredients

The temperature of your ingredients does matter. Ensure your eggs and butter are at room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients added to fats could curdle or re-solidify, leading to uneven mixing, poor emulsion, and a greasy finished texture.

No Cooking Spray Needed 

Because Souper Cubes trays are crafted from premium, non-stick food-grade silicone, you can skip the cooking spray. The mini loaves will pop right out once slightly cooled.

Use a Kitchen Scale for Accuracy

Measuring flour by volume (using a cup to scoop directly from the bag or container) packs down the flour and could add 25% more weight, resulting in a dry, heavy bread. The key is to always spoon and level your flour, never scoop. For the most consistent, light results, use a digital scale - or use the "spoon & level" method by spooning flour into your measuring cup and sweeping off the excess with a straight edge.

How to Freeze & Store Freezer-Friendly Blueberry Banana Bread

How to Freeze Freezer-Friendly Blueberry Banana Bread in Souper Cubes Trays

After baking, allow loaves to cool in the trays on a wire cooling rack for about 15 minutes. Either remove from trays now (carefully) to freeze, or leave in the trays to freeze. If leaving in the trays, pop the lid on top of the tray. Label with kitchen-tape or water-based marker. Place the entire tray into the freezer for about 8 hours to overnight. Pop out the banana bread from the wells of the tray, placing on the inverted lid. Alternatively, if you don't have time to bake the batter right after you mix it, you can make batter ahead of time and store in the refrigerator, until you are ready to bake. Just cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

How to Store Freezer-Friendly Blueberry Banana Bread

In the Freezer - Transfer your frozen baked banana bread into freezer-bags, press out any air and freeze for up to 3 months. The banana bread can be stored at room temperature, once baked, for up to 3 days for the best quality experience.

In the Refrigerator - Store freshly baked or baked & thawed mini loaves in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once banana bread is baked, it does not need to be refrigerated. But if you decide to wait to bake the batter right after mixing, you must put it in the refrigerator or freezer to ensure its safe to bake and eat later.

How to Reheat Freezer-Friendly Blueberry Banana Bread

How to Reheat Freezer-Friendly Blueberry Banana Bread in the Oven, Toaster Oven or Air Fryer

We suggest this method if you are looking to get that 'Just Baked' experience. Thaw the loaves first. Preheat oven or toaster oven 325°F and place in the oven on a baking sheet, until crispy, about 8 minutes. If using an air fryer, set to 350°F for about 4 minutes until warm and crisp on the edges.

How to Reheat Freezer-Friendly Blueberry Banana Bread in the Microwave

We suggest this method if you want to thaw quickly. Place loaf on a microwave-safe plate. Heat for 1 minute on 50% power. Heat on High heat for about 1 minute 30 seconds, or until thawed. To retain the moisture, you can place a damp paper towel around the loaf during heating.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can you freeze banana bread?

Yes! Mini blueberry banana bread loaves freeze exceptionally well. The best part is that once you bake in Souper Cubes trays you can then cool, freeze, and store in the same tray. When you want one you can just pop out a single mini loaf and thaw just that portion, instead of thawing an entire large loaf.

How long does banana bread last?

For the best texture and flavor, room temperature storage is ideal if you will finish the loaves in a few days. Freezing the individual mini portions means you are never thawing more than you actually need.

How do you freeze banana bread?

Let the mini loaves cool completely. Then snap the lid on and freeze directly in the tray or pop out and freeze in freezer bags with a label.

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

The riper the better. Heavily speckled to mostly black ideal for banana bread. As the bananas ripen, their starches convert to simple sugars. This means more natural sweetness. More moisture. Less ripe bananas will work, but you will notice the bread being less moist, sweet and less caramelized.

Can you use frozen blueberries in banana bread?

Yes! For best results, thaw them first so ice crystals don’t water down the batter. Check out our Fresh vs. Frozen section in this blog. The key is managing the moisture in the frozen blueberries.

How long do you bake mini banana bread loaves?

This answer depends on which Souper Cubes tray you are baking in. In the Souper Cubes 1-cup tray, mini loaves bake in about 35 minutes at 350°F. But in the Souper Cubes 2-cup trays they take a bit longer, about 45 minutes. Either way check the doneness through a toothpick check, visual, or touch test.

Why is my banana bread gummy?

The most common cause of gummy banana bread is over mixing the batter once the flour has been added. If you stir too much it develops gluten which can result in a rubbery texture with air tunnels. This is the opposite of what you are looking for in a quick bread. Try mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Add the blueberries and mix as little as possible. An additional cause is underbaking the loaf or excess moisture from frozen blueberries.

Can you make banana bread batter ahead of time?

Yes. Mix the batter, portion it into the trays, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You can bake directly from the fridge to the oven. Just be sure to remove the lid before. Be aware, it might take a few more minutes than the recipe says since you are baking from a chilled state. Hold off on putting the turbinado sugar on top until you are ready to bake, otherwise it will dissolve.

Can I substitute the oil?

Yes! Swap avocado oil for 1:1 with melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil depending on what you have on hand or prefer. If you like a lighter loaf, you can experiment with swapping up to half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce. If you prefer, you can also use all melted butter in the loaf instead of oil. The milk solids in the butter will give the loaf a richer and nuttier flavor.

How to keep the freezer-friendly blueberry banana bread from getting dry?

The biggest factor is to avoid over baking the loaves by checking with a toothpick at the 35 minute mark. Remove the loaves as soon as you test them and they are done. Leaving them in for the "just in case", usually ends up having the loaves over baked. Additionally storing your loaves in an air-tight freezer safe bag once fully cooled keeps them moist.