Easy 4-Ingredient Cake Mix Banana Bread

This easy banana bread starts with a box of yellow cake mix, so all you add is ripe bananas, eggs, and oil. One bowl makes two soft, tender loaves, one to keep and one to give away.

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A box of yellow cake mix, a few ripe bananas, eggs, and a little oil are all you need for this easy banana bread. The mix takes care of the dry ingredients, and a hand mixer brings the batter together in about a minute.

One batch makes two loaves. Keep one for the week, share one, or freeze a loaf for later. If you have spotty bananas and about an hour, you have everything you need to get started.

At a Glance

Detail	Answer
Total time	55 minutes (10 minutes hands-on)
Servings	16 (2 loaves, 8 slices each)
Pan	Two 8×4-inch loaf pans
Make ahead	Bake up to 3 days ahead
Leftovers	Up to 3 days, wrapped, at room temperature
Freezer	Yes, wrapped, up to 3 months

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You probably have everything already. Cake mix, eggs, and oil are pantry regulars, and this is a simple way to use ripe bananas.
• It uses one bowl and one hand mixer, so cleanup is quick.
• One batch makes two loaves, so there is always one to share.
• It freezes well, whole or in slices, for snacks later.

What Makes This Recipe Work

The cake mix does the measuring for you. The flour, sugar, leavening, and salt are already in the box, so there is nothing to level off or sift. It is the same shortcut behind my easy lemon poppy seed bread.

Really ripe bananas carry the flavor. Brown-spotted bananas are sweeter and softer, so they blend into the batter easily. Oil keeps the crumb soft, and a one-minute mix pulls everything together.

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 3 to 4 medium ripe bananas
• Nonstick cooking spray, for the pans
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

I usually use Betty Crocker yellow cake mix for this recipe.

How to Make It

Heat the oven and grease the pans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Give two 8×4-inch loaf pans a good coat of nonstick spray, including the corners and sides. A well-greased pan helps the loaves release in one piece.

Break up the bananas (no mashing required)

Peel the bananas and break them into chunks straight into a large mixing bowl. There is no need to mash them first; the mixer takes care of that. Use soft, ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the best banana flavor.

Add everything else to the bowl

Add the cake mix, eggs, and oil right on top of the bananas. There is no separate bowl for wet and dry ingredients. Everything goes in together, except any walnuts or chocolate chips.

Mix for one minute

Beat everything with a hand mixer on medium speed for about one minute, until the bananas are broken down and the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so no dry cake mix is left behind.

Fold in any add-ins

If you are using walnuts or chocolate chips, fold them in with a spatula now. Half a cup adds a little texture without crowding out the banana. Leave them out for a plain banana loaf.

Divide and bake

Split the batter evenly between the two pans so they bake at the same rate. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Start checking at 40 minutes and remove the loaves when they are done to avoid drying them out.

Let them cool before slicing

Cool the loaves in their pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. The bread is tender while warm, so cooling it completely makes it easier to cut neat slices.

Make It Your Way

• Add walnuts or chocolate chips. Half a cup of either folds right in. You can also try my walnut and chocolate chip zucchini bread.
• Give it a crunchy top. Sprinkle a little raw sugar over the batter right before the pans go in the oven.
• Use three bananas or four. Both work, so use what you have on hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it taste more like cake or like banana bread?

The banana flavor is front and center, with a soft, tender crumb. For a from-scratch loaf with a little more going on, try my bourbon banana bread with icing.

How ripe should the bananas be?

Riper than you would want to eat. Lots of brown spots on the peel is ideal. Very ripe bananas blend into the batter easily and give the bread its flavor, while bananas that are still mostly yellow make a milder loaf.

How do I store it?

Once the loaves are completely cool, wrap them tightly and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap them well and freeze for up to 3 months. Individual slices freeze well, so you can pull out one at a time.

Can I bake it as muffins or in a Bundt pan?

I have only made this recipe as two loaves, so I do not have tested times for muffins or a Bundt pan. The bake time will change with the pan, and the loaf timing should not be used as a tested guide for either option.

How do you wrap it for gifting?

Let the loaves cool completely first so the wrapping stays dry. Wrap each loaf in parchment paper and tie it with ribbon.

Final Thoughts

Four ingredients, one bowl, and two soft loaves make this a handy recipe for ripe bananas. Keep a box of yellow cake mix in the pantry and you will be ready for the next batch.