Banana Bread with Shortening {easy one bowl recipe} (2024)

FAQs

Can you substitute butter for shortening in banana bread recipe? ›

The short answer is yes, butter and shortening can be used interchangeably in baked goods as one-to-one swap. However, results may differ depending on fat used because butter and shortening are two very different ingredients.

If you use too much flour, you'll end up with really dry banana bread, and If you don't use enough flour, your banana bread will be way too wet. The secret lies in how you measure the flour. The scoop out of the bag method could be packing way too much flour.

The CORRECT Pan to use for Banana Bread

The pan I recommend: A light-colored METAL 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Anything too dark in color will risk scorching the edges. Glass and ceramic loaf pans: Take MUCH longer to bake – upwards of 15 to 20 minutes.

An overmixed banana bread batter will result in a dense, rubbery loaf. As you're prepping your batter, heed the advice of "stir until just moistened" and "no more than 10 seconds."

Basically, it is a cheaper and more shelf stable butter substitution. Shortening is 100% fat, containing no water. That means no steam is created during baking which effectively reduces gluten production, so shortening cookies tend to be softer and more tender.

In other words, it should be a one-to-one swap. If your recipe calls for one cup of butter, you can use one cup of shortening and vice versa.

Adding more eggs makes for a spongy, less flavorful banana bread. Doubling the number of eggs I was using resulted in a spongy cake with a moist texture.

Using a lot of bananas adds excess moisture, and there are two ways to get rid of it. You could either add more flour or increase the baking time. Add a tablespoon of extra flour at a time into the batter and give it a good whisk until its consistency starts to look right: thick but runny enough to fall off a spoon.

Bitter Taste: Excessive baking soda can leave a bitter taste in the bread. Baking soda is alkaline, and an excessive amount of it can result in an unpleasant flavor. Unpleasant Texture: Too much baking soda can lead to a coarse and crumbly texture in the bread.

Metal pans are better heat conductors than glass pans, meaning the food inside cooks more evenly. Most baking recipes for cakes, muffins, cupcakes, coffee cake, banana bread, and brownies call for metal bakeware.

Is glass or tin better for banana bread? ›

If you've ever baked brownies or banana bread that turn out raw, underbaked, gummy, or sunken in the center, it may be due to a glass pan. Oppositely, if you've ever baked cookies that burnt on the bottom or a lemon loaf that got too crispy on the edges, it could be due to using a dark nonstick aluminum pan.

The MVP in action. Aluminum is good for cakes, bars, and pies—but also for breads: focaccia, sandwich loaves, and rolls. Because metal heats up faster than glass, it contributes to a better rise and crisper, browner edges.

Banana bread recipes typically ask you to use overripe bananas so that they're easier to mush. This means it's tempting to toss all your bananas into the mix when you're ready to bake, to avoid food waste. But if you add too much of the fruit into your batter, your bread could turn out mushy, heavy, and wet.

As it sits at room temperature, starches convert to sugars, making the fruit sweeter and softer. These brown spots, often seen as a sign of spoilage, are actually a dead giveaway of peak banana bread potential. But, there is a limit. Black bananas or rotten bananas are a no-go.

Margarine and butter can both be used as a substitute for shortening, though their moisture contents should be taken into consideration before making the swap. While shortening is 100% fat, margarine and butter contain a small percentage of water (so, shortening adds more fat, thus more richness and tenderness).

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oils like canola and olive oil may be a healthier alternative to shortening because they're lower in saturated fats. Because they are liquid, they can't be substituted in every recipe.

In many cases, substituting butter for shortening can work well and result in delicious baked goods. However, be prepared to make slight adjustments to your technique and possibly your recipe to account for the differences in fat content, texture, and flavor.

Vegetable oil or coconut oil or butter. Most banana bread recipes don't use shortening as it is too much hard fat.