Easy 4-Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe (With No Cake Mix)

Make a quick 4 ingredient banana bread in one bowl, then bake in the oven until done! This is a great way to use ripe bananas, and your family will surely enjoy moist banana bread for breakfast or as an after-school snack.

4-Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe

Banana bread is a timeless classic, loved for its moist texture, warm aroma, and irresistible flavor. It’s the best way to use up those overripe bananas on your kitchen counter, transforming them into a sweet treat perfect for enjoying any time of the day. 

My kids like a slight banana texture over a strong bread finish, so I went heavy with the banana. But, of course, you can use a little less if you prefer. Either way, this easy recipe will satisfy those banana bread cravings and have you come back for more!

I have another recipe for banana bread without baking soda that doesn’t come out so dense but is more light and fluffy by using less banana. Feel free to follow whichever recipe suits your needs and taste buds best.

And if you want to trim the recipe back even more, try these 3-ingredient bread recipes instead. No banana on that list, but nice flavorful ones all the same.

How to Make Four Ingredient Banana Bread

Many people rely on a box of cake mix as a shortcut to making easy homemade banana bread. But that’s the best thing that makes this recipe stand out – it calls for self rising flour instead! Just basic ingredients and a large mixing bowl, and this simple banana bread recipe will become your family favorite.

Ok, let’s begin! Start by gathering simple ingredients to make an easy banana bread recipe without cake mix in just a few minutes! 

Ingredients

• Bananas – You must use very ripe bananas. If they are not ripe enough, the fruit will be too firm to mash and create a very heavy batter that is hard to rise in the oven. Choose bananas with plenty of brown spots or one that’s already gone completely black. You can force the ripening process in an oven if necessary. Add one extra banana for decorating the top if you want.
• Sweetener – brown sugar sweetens the banana bread batter while adding a delicious depth of flavor. You can substitute it with regular white sugar.
• Eggs – 2 whole eggs at room temperature for best results
• Flour – Self-raising flour contains added baking powder and salt. This saves you from needing to consider two additional ingredients in the recipes. Baking powder is an important leavening agent and shouldn’t be omitted. Therefore, if you don’t have self-rising flour, you can substitute with 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 ¼ tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt.

That’s all you need to make delicious banana bread recipe, and it’s just right as it is!

But if you’re the kind of person who likes expanding on a single recipe and trying all the variations, think about these optional add-ins. Pick one, mix and match, or add all of these yummy (completely optional!) ingredients to your cake batter for a fun twist on flavor.

• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

In addition to these, Taste of Home has even more ways to upgrade your banana bread with some pretty drool-worthy ideas.

This recipe is naturally dairy-free and vegetarian.

Step-By-Step Directions

Follow the simple directions, and you can’t go wrong!

Step one: Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Watch this sixteen second tutorial by Baker Bettie if you don’t already know how.

Step two: Mash and mix

Mash the bananas with a fork in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the eggs and sugar to the mashed bananas and mix well.

Finally, mix the flour with the wet ingredients and continue stirring until the ingredients look evenly combined. Don’t over-mix because that can lead to gummy banana bread. Instead, give as many stirs as necessary to mix well and ensure no flour lumps remain.

Getting the right texture is important. It should be thick yet pourable. It should pile up but not roll into a ball. If you think it’s too thick, add a splash of water to soften it. Conversely, if you see it too runny, add a small spoonful of flour to thicken it. Bananas vary and can sometimes produce differing results.

Step three: Bake

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. 

For extra banana flavor and texture, slice a large banana crosswise into small circles and arrange them on top of the batter. 

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean when inserted into the center of the banana bread.

Step four: Cool and serve

Remove the quick bread from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let it sit for 10 minutes before pulling up the parchment paper, removing it from the pan, and placing warm banana bread on a wire rack to cool for 10 more minutes. Then, slice into approximately nine 1-inch pieces.

Serve with breakfast sausage and favorite easy egg dish for an extra boost of protein.

Store leftover banana bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, freeze for up to three months. I suggest pre-slicing the bread and adding parchment paper between the banana bread slices to avoid sticking together. Store in a freezer-safe bag or container.

Banana Bread Nutrition Facts

This easy 4 ingredient banana bread recipe yields 9 (1-inch) slices. 

Each slice of banana bread contains:

• 187 calories
• 4 g protein
• 1 g fat
• 40 g total carbs
• 2 g fiber
• 38 net carbs

Please note that the nutritional value will change if you substitute ingredients. Use a nutrition app​ to recalculate and reflect your changes.

Easy 4 Ingredient Banana Bread FAQ

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