BANANA BREAD IN A JAR
Hello Made From Pinterest fans! I’m Jen and I blog at Bakerette.com where I share daily recipes, gardening tidbits, and a smattering of DIY projects. I’m excited to be guest posting this month for the three sisters!
I met Debbie several years ago at a bloggers’ lunch and we connected instantly. She’s very down-to-earth, so easy to talk to, and a delight to be around. And since then, I’ve become acquainted with Sherri and Tracy. They are ALL amazing women.
Well here’s a twist on banana bread for you…
Banana bread made in a jar. Wuh??? Pretty darn crazy, huh? Why would anyone want to make banana bread in a mason jar?
Well, for a couple of reasons: I love making these beauties as gifts. I can make a bunch at a time and send them over to neighbors as a nice gesture, pass them out as party favors, give them as gifts at Christmas, as teacher gifts, or store in my pantry.
If sealed properly, they can keep for a few months in the freezer! Think food storage people!
You can decorate the jars with a circle of batting and fun fabric under the jar ring and add a pretty label. So darn cute!
And guess what? They slide out so easily! Just give them a slight shake and out they come.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started…
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Yields: 1 dozen half-pint jars
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups mashed bananas (approx. 4 medium-sized bananas)
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2/3 cup pecans, crushed
- 12 half pint (8 ounce jars) mason jars
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare the mason jars by greasing the insides of the jars with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar with an electric mixer until well incorporated. Beat in the eggs, bananas, and water until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and pour into the banana mixture a little at a time mixing well with each addition. Fold in pecans.
- Spoon batter into mason jars filling 1/2 way full. Wipe off any spills on the jars before baking. Do not add the lids. Tip: You can also pour the batter in a gallon-size bag with a hole cut in the corner and pipe the batter into the jars.
- Line the jars on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes of until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: You can also line the jars up in the oven without the baking sheet. Some people have mentioned they cook more evenly that way. You might want to experiment. I’ve never had a problem.) Meanwhile, sterilize the lids and rings in boiling water.
- Remove the jars from the oven and screw on the lids and rings to the jars while the bread is cooling. The jars will seal as the bread cools down. You will hear a light “ping” when the jar seals itself. If you don’t, press down on the lid to see if it is firm. If it doesn’t “give”, it is sealed. Also, if the bread bakes above the rim of the jar, no worries. Just gently press the top of the bread down with the lid and seal.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or eat when cooled! Can also be stored in the freezer for a few months.
Note: You can forgo making this bread in the jars and bake it in two 9 x 5-inch bread pans for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
Recipe adapted from Linda Jean at Allrecipes.com
Thank you, Debbie, Sherri and Tracy, for allowing me to guest post today! And I would love it if you stopped by Bakerette.com for a bite to eat! You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Stumble Upon. I hope to see you around!
If you liked this recipe, you might also like these other recipes at Bakerette:
Thanks Jeni for a great recipe and a super cute idea!
Thank you so much for allowing me to guest post today! You guys rock! And I love the new design of your blog! A huge thumbs up! So cute!
Can this really be saved for a year? Not that it would last that long around my house but I find that interesting.
Hi Ann! I know that cake can be frozen for a year so I would think that bread could also. Our house is like yours….these things don’t last long!! Deb – The Oldest sister
In your description, it says that “if properly sealed, it can last up to a year” and I assumed that would be on a pantry shelf. Again, not that it would last that long in my house but it would be helpful to know in case I wanted to be able to make a bunch of it way ahead of when I need it.
Ann,
We contacted our wonderful monthly contributor Jen at Bakerette.com. She informed us the banana bread can last up to a year when properly sealed and placed in your freezer. When I have a really great goodie I don’t want my family to eat too quickly…….I hide it in an emptied bag of vegetables! Good luck! Deb – The Oldest
Hi, Deb. That makes more sense to put it in the freezer and not on a pantry shelf. I love your idea of hiding in a vegetable bag! Too funny! I’ve been wrapping extra loves of bread in foil and then a zip-loc bag for freezing and that usually works. The canning jars sound better as they would be smaller so I wouldn’t have to have a big loaf for just two of us.
Ann
Thank you for sharing, I would just like to know if they have to be mason jars?
Although I am not the original recipe author, I would think that any glass that is oven safe would be okay. Deb – The Oldest Sister
Love this idea of bread in a jar! Hi Sherri, I also just subscribed to this wonderful blog via email, facebook and more! What a great idea to make recipes from Pinterest and share your results! thanks for stopping by my blog this week and commenting on my Strawberry Layer Cake with Strawberry Filling & Mascarpone Frosting. Happy Memorial Day to ALL of you! Thanks for the tip on banana bread in a jar! So clever!
I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow thanks for sharing! Quick question: I only have 6 pint and a half mason jars on hand…how do i alter cooking time etc? Thanks!
Hi Cate! I am not the original recipe author, but if it were me, I would watch them until they got golden brown. Hope that helps! Deb – The Oldest Sister
Even though these won’t keep for a year on your pantry shelf, this is an ideal way to send home-baked goods to our deployed soldiers. Keeps well til they receive it and it’s not crumbled to pieces or dry as a bone. It’s not super duper cheap, so I send jars to those close to me… my husband, for one, is gone now on a 9 mo. tour. He loves this bread in a jar!
Andrea…what a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing. Deb – The Oldest Sister
Please don’t seal this! Its got flour & dairy, both of which can cause botulism….its not made for long-term shelf life. Especially, after you seal the lids, it’ll over-cook the bread, and won’t taste very good. Make this for immediate use, or to put in the fridge, or as gifts to be used right away!
Monica, I read how it is not safe to store these breads on the shelf. in your description you say, “on your pantry shelf” It doesn’t look like you state that in the recipe itself, but the wording is important in your review of this recipe. https://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/faq/canning-breads
We also do not recommend that this recipe be stored on a pantry shelf. If long term storage is needed, freezing is recommended.
I have people in my family with peanut allergies, are the pecans optional?
Absolutely Natasha, feel free to leave them out.
Do need to boil the mason jars first?
We think it would be a good idea, Audrey. That way you can be sure they are sterile.
Can you bake other breads in the jars as well? Or just banana bread?
I have seen recipes for pumpkin bread as well. Great to have these on hand in the freezer!
the jars won’t break in the oven?
The jars won’t break and they are half-pint sized jars. They make great neighbor Christmas gifts!
what size jar?
Do you have a gluten-free version of this recipe? I’d love to try it!
Hi Karen! Unfortunately I don’t. So sorry!
Just wondering…i never heard of cloves in banana bread…….if anyone has made this recipe…does it taste good?
Have done this for many years, picked this idea up from My Grandmother…Only I use Old Soup cans {lg ones} for
baking all types of breads,,,,Zucchini, Pumpkin, Banana, Friendship Amish Bread…ETC. Just spray the aluminum
can with Baker’s Joy and the Bread slides right out, wrap in foil and freeze…The Bread is way so much moister:)))
Savie, what a great tip! And a fun gift too!
Someone commented that you have to eat these right away but if they are sealed (as when canning) does that not make it safe,,,,you can vegetables and do the same basic things so why would it nit be safe to eat……..if you store in freezer, do the jars not break?
Hi Sheila! These can be kept in the fridge for about a week or you can freeze for around 2 months. But they absolutely cannot be left on the shelf because of the bananas in them. Freezing should not break the jars. I have a TON of jars in the freezer. Hope that helps!
I looked at my Ball jars and Mason jars and they both said not to use in the oven. I asked if that was true and was told the jars could explode if used in the oven and slivers of glass could slough off into the food. So what jars are you using that are actually safe in the oven?
Where can I find nutrition fats? I made these today! I used brown sugar instead of white, nutmeg instead of cloves and added tsp vanilla they are awesome! Baked very nice
sorry nutrition FACTS not fats lol
Linda, that’s pretty funny! I am going to contact the original author to see if she has the nutrition “fats” for you!
I just happened to run across your website! OMG! I just signed up to get your newsletter. I have one question about the Banana Bread in a Jar. The recipe calls for shortening. Is that Solid Crisco? Can I use butter instead?
Hi Linda! Yes, the shortening is for the solid Crisco. I’m not sure about using butter, but it’s worth a try! I’d love to hear if that works for you!
I just finished the banana bread in mason jars. Wonderful. Only one comment., the 10 minute prep was fine but wow did I have a messy clean up. I will know better next time.
Thank You
Thanks for sharing.
Your recipe for banana bread in a jar is fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing it! I have included it in my most recent blog post “Christmas Gifts You Can Make”! I appreciate your wonderful recipe!
Come visit to see: https://talesfromwalnutstreet.wordpress.com/2016/11/14/christmas-gifts-you-can-make/
Banana bread in a jar?? That’s fantastic!!!!! ?????????? I never figured one could bake using mason jars
Aren’t they darling?
Can you switch out the banana for zucchini?
We have never tried that but it’s the same process so I would think it would be okay. We would love to know how it turned out!