A warm loaf of banana bread is one of life's greatest pleasures, but it only stays fresh for a day at room temperature, or five days in the refrigerator. But you can easily preserve that goodness for up to four months by freezing it. Here's how to do it right so that banana bread tastes as fresh as the day it was baked.
Whole or Partial Loaves
Allow fresh-baked banana bread to cool completely before freezing so it doesn't create condensation that leads to soggy bread. Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap several times tightly to lock in freshness and hold the shape. Slip the wrapped banana bread into a large freezer storage bag for an added layer of moisture-vapor protection.
The bread stays fresh for 2 to 4 months in the freezer.
Thaw frozen banana bread in its packaging at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
Sliced Banana Bread
Freeze individual slices of banana bread if you don't think your family can eat the frozen portion within five days. To reduce crumbs when slicing, freeze the loaf partially and then slice with a serrated knife. Wrap each slice tightly with several layers of plastic wrap. Group the individually wrapped slices together in a large freezer storage bag.
Remove banana bread slices individually as needed, leaving the remaining slices in the freezer bag. This works well for packed lunches because you can remove a single serving in the morning, and it should thaw in the lunchbox by lunchtime.