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Cake Mix Banana Bread

Cake mix banana bread that bakes up golden, tall, and surprisingly fluffy with a soft, cakey crumb. This quick banana loaf uses yellow cake mix plus mashed bananas, then bakes until domed and toothpick-clean.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bananas
  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until smooth for a cakier crumb.
Batter
  • 1 can (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix Use a standard box of yellow cake mix.
  • 2 large eggs Crack and add as directed.
  • 0.3333333333 cup vegetable oil or melted butter Choose one; it keeps the loaf moist.
  • 0.5 cup water or milk Use water for easier pantry baking, or milk for a richer crumb.
Optional mix-ins
  • 0.5 cup chocolate chips Optional; fold in with the other mix-ins.
  • 0.5 cup walnuts Optional; fold in gently.
  • 0.5 cup cinnamon chips Optional; add for cinnamon flavor and bursts.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Aim for even coating so the domed loaf releases cleanly.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the yellow cake mix, mashed ripe bananas, eggs, vegetable oil (or melted butter), and water (or milk) until smooth and combined. Scrape the bowl as needed for no dry pockets.
  3. Fold in any mix-ins you choose, such as chocolate chips, walnuts, or cinnamon chips. Stop mixing once they’re evenly distributed.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan lightly once to settle the batter.
  5. Bake for 55–65 minutes at 350°F, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil at 40 minutes.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out. Let it finish setting so the cakey crumb stays soft.

Notes

Pro tip: use very ripe bananas (lots of brown spots) and mash them until mostly smooth for the best fluffy, cakey texture. Store wrapped at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. If you want a lighter option, swap vegetable oil for melted butter or use a reduced-fat milk in place of milk without changing the bake time.