Cake Mix Banana Bread comes together with just five ingredients and less than five minutes of prep time! Sweet and chocolatey, this easy banana-packed bread is perfect for breakfast or dessert.
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Pin RecipeMy kids absolutely adore banana bread. However, sometimes I don’t have all the ingredients (or time) to make recipes like Pumpkin Banana Bread, Double Chocolate Banana Bread, or Banana Nut Bread. Cake Mix Banana Bread to the rescue! This simple recipe is the easiest way to make a delicious treat your whole family will adore.
This quick banana bread recipe makes it so easy to make the perfect loaf. I whip up a batch in the morning while I sip my coffee. By the time my kids wake up, the fresh, homemade cake mix banana bread is just coming out of the oven. Waking up to a warm slice of banana bread is the best way to start the day!
Grab a box of your favorite cake mix, preheat that oven, and get ready to bake the best quick bread of your life!
Easy Cake Mix Banana Bread Recipe
Have you heard of the banana bread cake mix hack? It’s a baking trend that I absolutely love. Using yellow cake mix as the base of the recipe is such a smart way to make banana bread without a lot of ingredients. All you really need is a yellow cake mix, eggs, and ripe bananas! No need to measure flour or dig out your baking powder when you use this recipe!
I add some cinnamon and vanilla to add a little more flavor and really make the taste of the bananas pop. If you want especially decadent cake mix banana bread, add some mini chocolate chips to the batter, too. It will be hard to tell if the banana bread is a dessert or a breakfast! I say, just eat it all day long.
(Be sure to try my One-Bowl Banana Bread, too!)
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Ingredients for Cake Mix Banana Bread
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Yellow cake mix – I like Duncan Hines classic yellow cake mix, as it’s very moist and flavorful. However, any brand of yellow cake mix will work!
- Eggs
- Ripe bananas – The more brown spots on your banana, the better. When bananas turn brown, it means they have a higher sugar content. The browner the banana, the sweeter it is. Brown bananas are also softer and mash better, blending into the banana bread batter perfectly. You want as much banana flavor in your homemade banana bread as possible! (Here’s how to ripen bananas!)
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon – Cinnamon and banana are a great match. However, you can skip the cinnamon if you’d like. The cake mix banana bread will still be delicious.
- Mini chocolate chips – I love banana bread with chocolate chips. Mini chocolate chips are nice and small, giving you lots of chocolate in every bite.
Variations
- Use white cake mix in place of yellow cake mix. If using white cake mix, increase the vanilla extract to 1 tablespoon to help boost the flavor.
- Try using butter pecan cake mix, chocolate cake mix, spice cake mix, or even peanut butter cake mix to make this perfect banana bread even more interesting.
- Four mashed bananas will be about 3 cups of mashed bananas. You can choose to measure the mash if you’d like!
- Replace the mini chocolate chips with 1 cup of chopped walnuts to make cake mix banana nut bread.
- Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the batter to make a really moist banana bread with cake mix.
- Bake this tasty yellow cake mix banana bread in a bundt pan rather than a large loaf pan. Be sure to use nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil to grease the bundt cake pan well. This helps the banana cake pop right out!
How to Make Cake Mix Banana Bread
- Prep your equipment: Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and grease a 9” bread loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Make the batter: Whisk the box of cake mix, eggs, banana mash, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a large bowl. The batter will be thick. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer. Then, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Bake the bread: Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake the bread for 50 minutes or until set. The top of the bread will be a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the bread will come out clean.
- Cool and slice: Let the banana bread cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving. Such an easy banana bread recipe!
Quick Tip
This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled. It freezes well. So, bake a few loaves at once. Then, freeze leftovers for another day. You will be really glad when you have a ready-to-eat homemade banana bread loaf the next time a craving hits!
How to Store Cake Mix Banana Bread
Store cooled banana bread wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Or, transfer it to an airtight container.
It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to four days. You can also refrigerate it for up to one week. Just keep in mind that it’s likely to become a little more dry and firm.
Freeze leftover banana bread with cake mix for up to three months. To do so, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap, and transfer it to an airtight container or sealable bag.
Thaw the bread at room temperature for two to three hours. Then, enjoy it right away. Or, warm slices in the microwave in 15-second intervals.
FAQs
Too much flour is often the reason why banana bread is not moist. Using cake mix to make banana bread is a great way to solve this problem. Banana bread will also be more moist when you use overripe bananas. Be sure to use bananas that are almost completely brown, and your bread will be soft and moist.
Too much banana will make the bread dense and chewy. It may even look undercooked. Use four regular-sized, ripe bananas for this cake mix banana bread recipe. Or, incorporate three cups of mashed banana.
A heavy banana bread may indicate that the batter was over-mixed. This can happen very easily when making classic banana bread. However, using cake mix should help prevent this issue. Banana bread may also be heavy when it is undercooked. Be sure to use a toothpick to check the center of the bread. The toothpick should come out cleanly and not be wet.
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Cake Mix Banana Bread
Equipment
- 1 9-inch loaf pan
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) box yellow cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 inch bread loaf pan and set aside.
- Add the cake mix, eggs, mashed banana, cinnamon, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and stir into a smooth batter.1 (15-ounce) box yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, 4 ripe bananas, mashed, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
- Pour the batter into the prepared bread loaf pan then bake for 50 minutes. The center of the banana bread should spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of the banana bread should come out cleanly, with no sticky batter.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Then, flip the bread out of the pan to slice and enjoy while warm.
Notes
- Mash the bananas in a small bowl with a fork. You can also use a food processor to blend them into a smooth puree.
- Be sure to use very ripe bananas; the more brown on the banana peel, the better!
