How to Defrost Frozen Banana Bread

Half or Whole Loaf

Leave the bread wrapped as it thaws. Take the banana bread out of its plastic bag but leave it wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This will help contain the natural moisture of the bread, so it won't go stale as it's thawing out. If the bread is wrapped in plastic wrap and you're planning to heat it in the oven, unwrap it, then rewrap it in aluminum foil.

Thaw the bread on the counter for 2-4 hours. If you're not in a hurry, just take the bread out of the freezer and let it rest at room temperature. If you froze a whole loaf, it'll probably take about 3-4 hours for it to thaw completely. Then, just slice it and serve it up! If you froze half of a loaf, it should be defrosted in about 2 hours.

Bake the bread for 40-90 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) to thaw it faster. Turn your oven on and pop in the bread—no need to preheat! If you're heating half of a loaf, bake it for 40 minutes, or set the timer to 90 minutes if you have a whole loaf. When you take the bread out of the oven, let it sit in the foil for about 10 minutes to cool before you slice it. Remember, make sure the bread is wrapped in aluminum foil—not plastic wrap!

Store leftover bread in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you aren't going to eat all of the bread right away, put any that's left into a plastic bag or container and seal it tightly. That will help keep it fresh while you're enjoying the leftovers. Don't try to refreeze the bread after it's been thawed out—the texture and flavor of the bread will suffer. If there's anything left after 3 or 4 days, just discard it. Also, don't put the bread into the fridge. It will get soggy!

Sliced Bread

Thaw individual slices at room temp for 30 minutes. If you individually wrapped slices of banana bread to freeze them, the easiest way to thaw them out is on the counter. Just take out however many slices you want, leave them wrapped, and check them after about half an hour. If the slices are very thick, they could take an hour or more to thaw. Try taking them out at breakfast to enjoy with lunch!

Put the slices in the microwave if you're in a hurry. Don't want to wait for the bread to thaw out on its own? No problem! Just unwrap the bread from its aluminum foil or plastic wrap, put it on a microwave-safe plate, and heat it for about 30 seconds. You'll be good to go! Try spreading a little softened butter over the bread once it's warm. Not only will it be tasty, but it will add some moisture back into the banana bread, too!

Toast the sliced bread if you like it a little crispy. No need to thaw the bread out first for this—just pop a frozen slice in your toaster or toaster oven for a normal toasting cycle. It will thaw out and toast at the same time, giving you banana bread that's still soft in the center but nice and crisp on the edges. Top it with a little butter when it's done! You can also toast the bread in the oven, if you prefer. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C), place the sliced banana bread on a baking sheet, and pop it in for about 10-15 minutes. Just flip the bread over about halfway through the cooking time so it toasts evenly.

Proper Freezing

Cool the bread completely before you wrap it. Don't try to freeze warm banana bread. If you wrap it up before it's cooled all the way, condensation will cause the bread to get soggy. Also, you should never put warm foods in the freezer. Anything warm might affect the temperature of nearby foods, causing them to thaw out. If the bread is freshly baked, let it cool for at least 3-4 hours before you put it in the freezer.

Slice the bread if you'd like. If you know you won't eat the whole loaf at once, use a serrated knife to cut the bread into individual slices. That way, you can just thaw out a single slice whenever you want one. The banana bread will retain more of its moisture if you leave the loaf whole or cut it in half.

Wrap the bread in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Make sure you wrap the banana bread completely, especially around the corners. That will help keep the moisture trapped in the bread, so it won't be dry and stale when you thaw it out. For extra protection, you can even wrap the bread in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil. Wrap individual slices in a double layer—since more of the surface area is exposed, single slices are more likely to dry out.

Place your wrapped banana bread in a resealable bag. To help prevent freezer burn, slide the bread slices or loaves into a zip-top plastic bag after you wrap them. Then, squeeze as much of the air out of the bag as you can without squishing the bread and close the top. Use a permanent marker to write the date on the bag. That way, you'll remember how long the bread has been in the freezer.

Use the banana bread within 3-4 months. You can keep banana bread in the freezer indefinitely. However, the taste and texture will be best if you eat it within 4 months of freezing it.