Can You Eat Slightly Undercooked Banana Bread?

No, you cannot eat slightly undercooked banana bread. You can get sick if you eat raw dough made with flour or eggs. Undercooked banana bread can contain harmful bacteria that can make you sick. Bread, cookies, cakes, biscuits, and any other baked food should be completely cooked before eating.

Cook banana bread until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bread. You may also want to cook it for a few minutes longer than recommended to ensure that the bread is fully cooked.

If you are not sure if your banana bread is cooked through, you can follow a few steps and tips to utilize the raw banana bread or cook a new batch.

Reasons to Not Eat an Undercooked Banana Bread

When you completely mix the batter, the gluten proteins form lengthy and tidy bundles, resulting in a solid batter that does not rise well. The core of your banana bread may not cook properly if it does not rise as much as it should.

Germs that cause food poisoning, such as Escherichia coli, can be found in raw dough. These harmful germs remain in the flour if it is not properly cooked or baked.

If you eat unbaked dough or batter made with germ-infested flour, you may become ill. Only when flour-based foods are baked or cooked do germs die.

Another ingredient in dough and batter that might make you or your family sick is raw eggs. Salmonella, a bacteria that causes food illness, can be found in raw or lightly cooked eggs.

LEARN MORE: Can I Leave Banana Bread Out Overnight to Cool? (& How To…)

What Happens if You Eat Undercooked Banana Bread and Some Preventions?

When you bake banana bread at the correct temperature, the bread will rise and be a golden brown color. The center of the bread should be cooked through so that it is not raw. If the banana bread is not cooked properly, you may become ill from eating it. 

Bacteria that can cause food poisoning is found in raw dough and batter of banana bread. If you eat undercooked banana bread, you may become sick from the harmful bacteria that it contains.

Depending on the germ you consumed, food poisoning symptoms might range from minor to severe.

Symptoms of food poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In more severe cases, you may experience a high fever, dehydration, and even seizures. E. coli infection symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (frequently bloody), and vomiting.

Diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps are all symptoms of Salmonella infection. Symptoms appear 6 hours to 6 days after the germ is swallowed and last 4 to 7 days.

If you have already eaten undercooked banana bread and are feeling sick, try to drink plenty of fluids and eat light, bland foods and if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your doctor right away.

Cooking banana bread at the correct temperature will help to prevent you from becoming ill. Make sure that you cook it for the recommended time, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bread.

You can also try using a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your banana bread.

Tips on Utilizing Slightly Undercooked Banana Bread

• Cut the bread into slices and toast them in a pan with some butter.
• After heating in the oven to kill any bacteria, use the undercooked banana bread in smoothies to add texture.
• Can also be microwaved for a short amount of time (be sure to check the temperature).
• After baking, don’t cut into slices immediately, rather check with a toothpick, knife, or cake tester for any rawness and let it bake a little more or let it stay in the oven for a while.
• Raw banana bread can also be used in recipes such as banana bread pudding or banana bread French toast.

LEARN MORE: Does Banana Cake Need Butter? (& 4 Tips…)

Conclusion

It is better to avoid eating undercooked banana bread and make sure that your banana bread is cooked properly to avoid any food poisoning symptoms. 

However, if you have already eaten undercooked banana bread and are feeling sick, there are some things that you can do to make yourself feel better. Try drinking plenty of fluids and eating light.

And if it hurts to throw away that banana bread you worked so hard on, you can use it in a variety of ways, but only after heating it to kill any potential germs and bacteria.