This insanely tender and moist 3 ingredient banana bread is the easiest way to make banana bread and is versatile.
This easy-to-make bread is perfect for those with limited time or baking experience. The ripe bananas add natural sweetness and moisture to the bread, while the eggs help bind everything together.
The cake mix eliminates the need for additional leavening agents, making this recipe even more convenient.
With minimal effort and ingredients, you can enjoy a moist and flavorful banana bread that is sure to impress your family and friends.
For more 3 ingredient recipes, check out my 3 ingredient no bake cheesecake, 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies, and 3 ingredient chocolate cake.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- 3 Ingredient recipe- This recipe uses only 3 simple ingredients: yellow cake mix, ripe bananas, and eggs. This recipe can't be simpler.
- Flavor- This bread is filled with mashed ripe bananas which gives it a delicious sweet banana flavor.
- Texture- This banana bread has a light and fluffy texture with a soft and moist crumb that will melt in your mouth.
- No oil and no butter- This bread recipe does not use oil or butter in it! So it's perfect for you if you don't consume oil or butter.
- One bowl- This whole recipe comes together in just one bowl, and does not use any electrics. All you will need is a large mixing bowl and a whisk.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Ripe bananas- Use only ripe bananas for this recipe! Overripe bananas are more sweet, moist, and easy to mash into a pudding consistency.
If you don’t have ripe bananas, bake regular bananas in a 200c (400f) preheated oven for 10 minutes, this will soften the bananas and make them into a ripe banana texture.
Yellow cake mix- We used Betty Crocker's cake mix, but you can use your favorite yellow cake mix for this!
Eggs- You will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your egg is at room temperature. If you only have medium-sized eggs, use 3 eggs.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the ripe bananas and mash them into a pudding-like consistency with a fork or a potato masher.
Add the eggs to the mashed bananas mixture and mix it with a whisk until well combined.
Add the cake mix and mix until there are no lumps of cake mix in the batter and it looks smooth. If you want to add add ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit, this is the time!
Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined loaf pan.
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 45-55 minutes (depending on the oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the banana bread comes out clean.
Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, slice, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- For more delicious flavor, add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or cardamon. Also, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or almond extract.
- For extra crunch, add chopped nuts of your choice on top of the bread like chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist banana bread and not dense and dry banana bread.
- Use only ripe bananas for this recipe! ripe bananas are sweet, moist, and easy to mash into a pudding consistency.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat this banana bread as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the loaf cool for at least 20 minutes so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up.
Faq's
Yellow cake mix contains sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Yellow cake mix and vanilla cake mix are not the same, although they do share some similarities. Vanilla cake mix includes similar ingredients but also incorporates vanilla extract for added flavor.
Yes! Make the batter as written in the instructions and bake them in muffin tins with muffin liners for 18-20 minutes at 180c (350f).
This banana bread will last up to 3 days at room temperature or up to one week in the fridge. Cover the bread with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out.
If you want to make this banana bread, but you don't have ripe bananas on hand, don't worry!
Bake regular bananas in a 200c (400f) preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, this will soften the bananas and give them a ripe banana texture and flavor.
Or bake the bananas unpeeled in a 150c (300f) for about 10 minutes.
Storing
It’s okay to store this banana bread at room temperature. Make sure that you store the banana bread in an airtight container so it won’t dry out.
Freezing
This bread is very easy to freeze. After baking, let it cool to room temperature, transfer it into a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag, or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: place it in the refrigerator overnight or place it a room temperature for a few hours.
Substitutions
Vegan- To make this banana bread vegan, swap the eggs with ⅓ cup of applesauce.
Gluten-free- To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the cake mix with gluten free cake mix.
Variations
Cake mix- swap the cake mix with other flavored cake mix like chocolate cake mix, pumpkin cake mix, or vanilla cake mix for a delicious variation of banana bread.
Nuts- add extra crunch to this banana bread by chopping up some of your favorite nuts and adding them to the batter. You can add chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, and chopped almonds.
Fruit- add extra flavor to this bread by adding some of your favorite fruit. You can add raspberries, blueberries, chopped strawberries, chopped apples, etc.
Chocolate chips- For a delicious banana and chocolate flavor, add some of your favorite chocolate chips. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter. You can use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, etc.
Spices- For extra flavor, add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls- best glass mixing bowls.
- Whisk set- our favorite copper whisk set.
- Loaf pan
More banana desserts
Banana Pudding Cupcakes- These banana pudding cupcakes are made with a moist, tender, and light banana cupcake base, filled with a banana pudding filling, and topped with stabilized whipped cream.
Banana Coffee Cake- This banana coffee cake is made with soft cinnamon banana cake, filled with a cinnamon swirl filling, cinnamon crumble topping and a delicious glaze.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake- This chocolate chip banana cake is moist and filled with melty pockets of chocolate and is topped with our rich and silky smooth chocolate frosting.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
3 Ingredient Banana Bread (With Cake Mix)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Bananas mashed, ripe bananas
- 15.25 oz Yellow cake mix
- 2 Eggs large
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the ripe bananas and mash them into a pudding-like consistency with a fork or a potato masher.
- Add the eggs to the mashed bananas mixture and mix it with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the cake mix and mix until there are no lumps of cake mix in the batter and it looks smooth. If you want to add add ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit, this is the time!
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined loaf pan.
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 45-55 minutes (depending on the oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the banana bread comes out clean.
- Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- For more delicious flavor, add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or cardamon. Also, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or almond extract.
- For extra crunch, add chopped nuts of your choice on top of the bread like chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist banana bread and not dense and dry banana bread.
- Use only ripe bananas for this recipe! ripe bananas are sweet, moist, and easy to mash into a pudding consistency.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat this banana bread as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the loaf cool for at least 20 minutes so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up.
Kathy says
Awesome bread, I sometimes use drained pineapple in mine.