3-Ingredient Banana Bread (Easy Recipe)

This 3-ingredient banana bread isn’t only easy, but incredibly delicious, too!

It’s insanely moist and tender. The sweet, tropical taste of bananas shines through in every bite.

It’s hard to believe how a quick bread this scrumptious can only call for 3 ingredients. But I guarantee you, this recipe is legit!

You don’t have to believe me. This 3-ingredient banana bread will speak for itself. 

Let’s get to it.

Easy 3-Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe

This banana bread is wonderfully light, fluffy, and exploding with tropical sweetness!

And it only requires 3 ingredients. It seems like a joke, but it’s for real!

It’s possible thanks to the handy-dandy boxed cake mix.

It already contains flour, baking powder, and other baking essentials, so you don’t need to measure them anymore. 

It truly is convenience in a box.

The steps couldn’t be easier to follow, to boot.

Just whisk the 3 ingredients together, and boom, your batter is ready for the oven.

Despite being a shortcut recipe, it yields phenomenal results.

So if you’re craving banana bread but don’t want to go through all the trouble, try this recipe now.

Ingredients

• Yellow Cake Mix: The not-so-secret ingredient that makes this a 3-ingredient recipe. It already contains flour, sugar, a leavening agent, and salt, so it cuts your prep time in half without sacrificing flavor!

• Bananas: The riper they are, the sweeter your bread will be. Use over-ripe bananas if you have them. They’ll give you the most delectable banana bread loaves.

• Eggs: To bind the ingredients together and help the bread rise. Use room-temperature ones for the best results. If you forget to set them out early, submerge them in warm water for 1 to 2 minutes.

How to Make 3 Ingredient Banana Bread

1. PREP YOUR TOOLS. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease your loaf pan. (One large or two small ones.) If you have parchment paper, use it instead of greasing the pan. Line the bottom and sides, and leave overhangs around the sides so you can effortlessly lift the bread out. 

2. MASH THE BREAD. A fork should do the trick. But if you want to eliminate all chances of getting lumps in your banana bread, use an electric mixer.

3. COMBINE. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix mashed bananas, yellow cake mix, and eggs. Don’t over-mix the batter or you’ll end up with dense and dry bread. Stop when you no longer see streaks of cake mix.

4. POUR & BAKE. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes for small loaves and 1 hour for large. Test for doneness 3 to 5 minutes early to be safe.

Pro-tip: if you notice that the bread is over-browning, cover the pan loosely with foil.

5. COOL & ENJOY. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice it, serve, and devour.

Ingredient and Flavor Variations

This recipe makes for a great banana bread canvas. Feel free to customize it to your heart’s desire! Here are some suggestions:

• Switch up the cake mix. Changing the cake mix will instantly give this bread a whole new flavor! For instance, to make chocolate banana bread, use a chocolate cake mix and add chocolate chips to the batter.

• Add sweet mix-ins. It can be in the form of chocolate, butterscotch, caramel, or even cinnamon chips.

• Add texture. Chopped nuts and dried fruit work wonderfully here. Whenever I have them on hand, I throw in walnuts and dried cranberries to my banana bread.

• Add fresh berries. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, whatever your favorite is. 

• Make banana muffins. No need to change the recipe, just the pan and baking time (muffin tin + 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit). 

• Make it vegan. Swap the eggs for flax seeds. Mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water & let it rest for 5 minutes. This is equivalent to one egg.

Storing and Freezing Banana Bread

Have leftovers? That’s okay!

To Store: Allow the bread to cool completely to room temperature before storing it. Then, place it in an air-tight container or wrap it in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the fridge for a week.

To Freeze: Double wrap the bread in plastic wrap and foil (whole or in slices). Place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Thaw: Unwrap the bread and let it sit at room temperature for 3 hours, or until completely thawed. 

More Easy Bread Recipes You’ll Love

• Joy of Cooking Banana Bread
• Dairy-Free Banana Bread
• Honey Beer Bread
• Monkey Bread Muffins
• Dollywood Cinnamon Bread