How to Freeze Homemade Banana Bread

Banana bread retains much of its texture after freezing.

Banana bread can be served as a breakfast, for a snack, or as a desert. This quick bread uses no yeast and is ready to bake as soon as it's mixed. Make up a few extra loaves each time you bake and freeze them for later use when you don't have time to bake. The dense texture of banana breads holds up well to freezing as long as the bread is properly packaged beforehand.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic wrap
• Freezer bag
• Permanent marker

Instructions

1. Cool the banana bread in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Turn the pan upside down and thumb the sides until the loaf slides out. Cool until the bread is room temperature.

2. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped loaf inside a freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, then seal closed.

3. Label the bag with the type of bread and date frozen. Place the bag inside the freezer.

4. Remove the bread from the freezer 24 hours before you plan to use it. Thaw at room temperature overnight.

Tips & Warnings

• Slice the bread while it's still partially frozen to prevent it from crumbling.

• Store frozen banana bread for up to three months in the freezer before using it.

• Loss of moisture ruins the quality of the the banana bread. If you don't have a plastic bag to place the wrapped bread in, wrap it with at least two layers of plastic film to prevent air from touching the bread in the freezer.

References

• North Dakota State University: Freezing Baked Goods
• Oregon State University Extension: Freezing Convenience Foods