Rice Cooker Banana Bread

This is my recipe for making banana bread in a rice cooker. Why? Because it's so easy! We’re going to make a super moist, sugar-free banana bread that comes together in one bowl with no mixer, no oven and barely any cleanup. The bananas add the sweetness so you do need to add anything else, the oats add body, and one cycle on the normal rice function does the cooking for you. Set it before you head out and slice it with butter and honey when you get home.

Your Rice Cooker

Any standard 5 to 10-cup rice cooker will work for this recipe. Grease the bowl well with oil before the batter goes in, otherwise the bread will stick to the bottom. Use the normal rice cooking function, not quick cook or porridge, and let the cycle run all the way through. Then leave the lid on for another 10 minutes once it’s done so the bread can finish setting in the residual heat.

Ingredient Notes

Bananas: You want overripe. Plenty of brown spots and a slight wrinkle to the skin means the starches have broken down to sugar and you’ll get the deep banana flavour and natural sweetness this bread relies on. Underripe bananas won’t give you enough sweetness since we’re not adding any sugar.

Olive oil: I use a light, mild olive oil here, not a peppery extra virgin. The oil keeps the loaf soft and moist for days longer than butter would, and the flavour stays neutral so the bananas come through.

Wholemeal flour: Mixing half plain and half wholemeal gives the bread a bit more body and a slight nutty flavour without making it heavy. If you only have plain flour, swap the wholemeal one-for-one. The texture will be a touch lighter but still good.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl

• Fork (for mashing the bananas)

• Whisk

• Rice cooker (5 to 10 cup)

• Pastry brush (for greasing)

• Wire rack

• Chopping board

• Bread knife