Cake Mix Banana Bread (4 Ingredients)

Cake mix banana bread made with just 4 ingredients and one bowl. No fuss, no measuring dry ingredients, and done in about an hour. The easiest thing to do with overripe bananas.

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Whenever I have bananas sitting on the counter that have gone a little too far, this is the first thing I think of. It is so simple that the first time I made it I honestly wasn’t sure it would work. Four ingredients, one bowl, and a hand mixer. It comes out tasting like you actually made banana bread from scratch.

The mix takes care of all the dry ingredients, so there is nothing to measure or sift. You just break the bananas into the bowl, add the rest, and mix everything together for about a minute.

It makes two loaves, which is part of why I love it. One to keep and one to give away. I have wrapped these in parchment and tied them with a little ribbon more times than I can count. They make a really good gift, and no one ever guesses the secret ingredient.

If you have a box of cake mix and a few bananas that need to be used up, you are about an hour away from two loaves of really good banana bread.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe comes together with only four ingredients, and the cake mix handles all the measuring for you.
• A hand mixer does the work in about a minute, so there is very little effort involved.
• The recipe makes two loaves, which means you can keep one and give one away.
• The loaves freeze well, so you can save one for later and pull it out whenever you want it.
• It is a great use for bananas that have gone past their prime on the counter.

What Makes This Recipe Work

• The cake mix already contains flour, sugar, and leavening, so there is nothing extra to measure or mix in separately.
• Bananas go in whole, broken into a few chunks. The mixer breaks them down completely, so no mashing ahead of time.
• The texture comes out soft and tender, and it slices cleanly once it has cooled.
• Two loaves from one batch means you always have one to share without any extra work

What You’ll Need to Make 4-Ingredient Banana Bread

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 3 to 4 medium ripe bananas

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

How to Make the Easiest Banana Bread Recipe Ever

Preheat the oven

Set your oven to 350°F so it’s ready when you are.

Grease your pans

Spray two 8×4 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, and bananas. No need to mash the bananas, just break them into a few pieces.

Mix

Use a hand mixer on medium speed for about one minute, until everything is well blended and the bananas are fully incorporated. If you are adding walnuts or chocolate chips, stir them in now.

Divide and pour

Split the batter evenly between the two greased pans.

Bake

Place in the oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Cool and enjoy

Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. They slice much more cleanly once they have had time to cool.

Ingredient Highlights

• Yellow cake mix handles all the dry work (flour, sugar, and leavening) in one box. Any standard yellow cake mix works well here.
• The riper the bananas, the better. Brown spots mean more sweetness and a stronger banana flavor. Very ripe bananas also break down more easily when you mix everything together.
• Eggs provide structure and help bind the batter. Three eggs gives the loaves enough lift without making them too cakey.

Make it Your Way

• Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or chocolate chips to the batter before pouring it into the pans. Either one adds a nice bit of texture.
• Try butter-flavored cake mix for a slightly richer flavor, or spice cake mix in the fall for something a little different.
• Sprinkle the tops with a little raw sugar before baking for a lightly crunchy finish.
• Wrap a cooled loaf in parchment and tie it with a ribbon for an easy homemade gift. It travels well and keeps for several days.

More Quick Breads You Might Like

• The Best Ever Bourbon Banana Bread with Icing is a great next step if you want something a little more dressed up.
• Easiest Ever Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is bright, simple, and just as easy to pull together.
• The Best Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread is one to bookmark for zucchini season.
• Easy Lemon Zucchini Bread is another simple loaf that always comes out well.

Simple Tips

• Use bananas that are soft with plenty of brown spots. They blend more easily and give the bread more flavor.
• Start checking for doneness at the 40-minute mark. The loaves can go from done to dry quickly, so pull them as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the loaves cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes before moving them. They are fragile while hot and will hold together much better once they have had a chance to set.
• Slice and freeze individual pieces for quick snacks. They thaw quickly at room temperature or can be warmed in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different flavor of cake mix?

Yes. Butter cake mix gives the bread a slightly richer taste, and spice cake mix works really well in the fall. White cake mix is a little more neutral and lets the banana flavor come through more. Yellow cake mix is what I use most of the time because it gives the best all-around result.

Is this better than making banana bread from scratch?

It is different, not better or worse. The texture is slightly more tender than a from-scratch loaf, which makes sense since you are starting with a cake mix. What it gives you is speed and simplicity. If you have overripe bananas and want banana bread on the table in about an hour with almost no effort, this recipe is hard to beat.

How do I store this banana bread?

Wrap the cooled loaves tightly and keep them at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to three months. Individual slices freeze well too, which makes it easy to grab one at a time.

Can I make muffins instead of loaves?

Yes. Divide the batter into a greased or lined muffin tin and bake at 350°F for about 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. This batch makes approximately 24 muffins.

Final Thoughts

This is one of those recipes that is almost too easy to believe until you make it the first time. Four ingredients, a hand mixer, and about an hour, and you have two really good loaves of banana bread.

Keep one for the week and wrap the other one up for someone. It is a good recipe to have on hand whenever bananas start to go.