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Our recipe for Cake Mix Banana Bread is super easy with our time-saving hack of using a cake mix. Plus, it is so versatile you can make it in two bread pans, four mini pans, or even a bundt pan.
This recipe serves sixteen and costs around $4.98 to make. That’s just about $0.31 per serving!
Our recipe uses a yellow cake mix as a time-saving step in making banana bread. This recipe hack gives you that “made from scratch” taste without all the work of actually making it from scratch.
Everyone who tries this 5-star recipe loves it. It has been shared thousands of times on social media. One review of our recipe, from Rebecca Johnson, says:
“I made your recipe last week in a Bundt pan with a small amount of doubt. Needless to say, it was a welcomed recipe. I stood back and watched my co-workers devour it. I made one today and mixed the sugar with crushed walnuts and sprinkled that on top. Oh my goodness, you talk about a welcomed recipe. I will never make banana bread the same. It’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing.”
This Banana Bread with Yellow Cake Mix tastes like it was made from scratch
Everyone will think you spent hours making this when it is just a few minutes of prep work. Let the cake mix do all the hard work for you. This bread is excellent for gifting during the holiday season for precisely this reason.
This recipe is perfect for baking for your family, wrapping up and delivering to a friend in need, or as a neighbor gift during the holidays. Check out the picture before the recipe card for wrapping inspiration.
This is the easiest cooking hack to save you time. You can serve it with breakfast, brunch, or as a snack.
Why you’ll love this Cake Mix Banana Bread Recipe
- Simple Recipe: Our recipe is made using a cake mix and only five additional ingredients. It only takes five minutes to prepare!
- Flexibility: You can make this bread in two bread pans, four mini bread pans, or even a bundt pan.
- Freezer Friendly: This bread freezes well for up to six months. Make the bread ahead of time before the busy holiday season, freeze it, and then wrap it up and give it to friends and neighbors during the holidays.
Cake Mix Banana Bread Ingredients + Cost Breakdown
- (1) 15.25 oz yellow cake mix – $2.19
- ¼ cup vegetable oil – $0.16
- 3 large eggs – $1.29
- 1 ½ cup mashed bananas – $0.84
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – $0.46
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar – $0.04
The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in November 2023.
Cake Mix Banana Bread Recipe Variations
You can easily make some adjustments to this recipe to change up the flavor just a bit. For instance, try adding some fresh fruit on top, such as blueberries, banana slices, or strawberries. You can also add different nuts or chocolate chips to the batter.
Another idea is to substitute the cake mix flavor. A chocolate cake mix would be super tasty. Or oooh, what about a butter pecan cake mix?!
It also works to add some frosting on top. We recommend the Peanut Butter Frosting from our Chocolate Wacky Cake.
How to make Banana Bread from Cake Mix
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then grease the pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Secondly, make the batter and pour it into the pan. In addition to pouring it into the pan, be sure to smooth the batter into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the batter. After that, you are ready to bake it until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Finally, allow the bread to cool for a bit before removing it from the pans to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Storing Banana Bread with Cake Mix
Serve: You can keep the bread out for about 4 hours before you need to cover it in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
Store: Store the bread at room temperature in plastic wrap, Ziploc bags, or in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Freeze: Wrap the bread in 2 layers of plastic wrap or one layer of foil and then in a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze the bread for up to 6 months this way.
Banana Bread Using Cake Mix FAQs
No need to worry! We’ve got you covered. We are sharing three different ways to make this recipe. You can use mini loaf pans or even a bundt pan! Just follow the instructions in the recipe below.
Once your banana is pale, soft, and brown, it is too ripe to eat. No one likes a mushy banana!
The only time a mushy banana is acceptable is when it is in bread. Banana bread loves soft bananas. They are perfect. However, if your banana is black, then that is no Bueno.
A black banana is way too ripe for even banana bread and should be put in the trash. Freeze those ripe bananas to use later if you do not have time to make banana bread once they turn brown. This way, you will never waste a banana again.
When preparing to make the banana bread use overly ripe bananas; this gives the bread plenty of banana flavor and helps make the bread moist. A way to keep your banana bread fresh and moist after baking it is by storing it in an airtight container, in foil, or plastic wrap. Banana bread is best when stored at room temperature.
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: Let them help you pour the ingredients into the bowl. They will love being able to mash up the bananas.
Ages 4-5: Have your kiddo help mix the batter. There are not many ingredients, so this will be pretty easy.
Ages 6-8: Let your kiddo help measure out the ingredients and mix them. This is a great recipe for them to attempt on their own with you close by for assistance.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner! Also, let them help you package the banana bread for gifting to neighbors or teachers! See the pictures below for how to easily wrap the loaves for gifting!
Banana Bread With Cake Mix Budget Tips
Make Homemade Vanilla Extract to use in this recipe. It is a surprising cost-saving tip to make it yourself instead of buying it at the store.
All you need to wrap these loaves for gifting is plastic wrap, parchment paper, and festive ribbon.
More $5 Recipes:
- Banana Blueberry Muffin Recipe
- Banana Pancakes
- 1 Hour French Bread
- Buttermilk Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Chick-fil-A Copycat Frosted Lemonade
- Chocolate Wacky Cake
- Corn Muffins
- Crock Pot Greek Yogurt
- Quick Monkey Bread from Scratch
- Red Velvet Buttermilk Waffles
More from Easy Budget Recipes
Banana Bread Using Cake Mix
Recipe Cost 4.98 Serving Cost 0.31Equipment
- cooling rack
- mixing bowl
- wire whisk
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- 8×4-inch loaf pans OR bundt pan OR mini bread pans
- spatula
- bread knife
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup mashed bananas about 3-4 bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
MIX INS: (both optional)
- 2 cups chocolate chips mini or regular
- 1 cup nuts toasted and chopped (walnuts or pecans)
Instructions
PREPARE OVEN AND PANS:
- Move oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease (2) 8×4-inch bread pans with nonstick cooking spray. (Alternatively, grease a bundt pan or four mini bread pans, about 5 ½ x 3 ½-inch, if using).
MAKE BATTER:
- In a large bowl add cake mix, oil, eggs, bananas, and vanilla. Fold in any optional mix-ins at this time.
- Whisk until just combined and no flour pockets remain.
POUR INTO PANS:
- Split the batter evenly between the two loaf pans (Or the 4 mini bread pans or the bundt pan if using).
- Smooth batter into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the loaf pans (or bunt pan if using).
BAKE:
- Bake the two 8×4-inch loaves for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Bake the 4 mini loaves for 20-25 minutes. Bake the bundt pan for 50-60 minutes.
COOL:
- Move bread pans to a wire rack and let them cool for 20 minutes.
- Then, remove the bread from the pans and cool completely, about 1 ½ – 2 hours.
- The four mini loaves will need to cool 10 minutes in the pans, and then 45-60 minutes outside of the pans before slicing and serving.
- The bundt cake loaf will need to cool for 30 minutes in the pan, and then two hours outside of the pan before slicing and serving.
SERVE:
- Slice and serve! Or wrap in plastic wrap and ribbon for gifting.
Video
Nutrition
Cindy says
I was looking for recipes to make for a picnic this weekend and I can’t wait to try this. tysm!
Jess Jankowski says
Cindy, this Cake Mix Banana Bread is perfect for a picnic! Enjoy!
Lisalia says
Yum! A delicious new way to make banana bread. It was so easy and turned out perfectly moist.
Jess Jankowski says
Lisalia, we love that you now have a new way to make banana bread!
Calvin says
Seems like an easy to make recipe, I love banana bread.
Jess Jankowski says
It is so easy my kids can make it on their own!
NANCY says
Sounds delicious! Like that it’s low cost & easy to make.
Jess Jankowski says
It is so easy! Give it a try!
Ron Weinberg says
There’s nothing like banana bread cake!
Jess Jankowski says
It really hits the spot!
Donna says
I love making banana bread, but I’ve never tried it with cake mix. Such a great idea! This recipe looks so easy to make too!
Janice Rose says
This recipe is delicious! I used pecans and about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips that I had left in a bag. Perfect recipe!
Jess Jankowski says
Love those add-ins! Thanks for your review Janice!
Donna says
I have frozen bananas, could I use them in this bread??
Jess Jankowski says
Absolutely! Just let them thaw before using them.
Sandy Gotter says
Can I make this banana bread into muffins ?
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Sandy, we have not tested that specifically with this recipe but imagine it would work just fine.
Sandy Gotter says
How long can you go past the best by date? I. A cake mix
Jess Jankowski says
Articles we have read online state that a cake mix can be used from 4-6 months after the best by date has passed. However, we recommend using your best judgment as we do not promote using expired food ingredients in recipes.
Rebecca Johnson says
I made your recipe last week in a Bundt pan, with a small amount of doubt. Needless to say it was a welcomed recipe. I stood back and watched my co workers devour it. I made one today and mixed the sugar with crushed walnuts and sprinkled that on top. Oh my goodness, you talk about a welcomed recipe. I will never make banana bread the same. It’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Jess Jankowski says
We love everything about this! Thank you so much for letting us know and for making it your own recipe!
Judy L Holen says
I love this recipe. I also used other leftover fruit instead of bananas and it turned out great. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Jess Jankowski says
Love that you added other leftover fruit!
Josie says
YUM O !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome late night snack!
Done Right!
Jess Jankowski says
Woo hoo! Thanks for the review.
Phoenix says
can you veganize this recipe?
Jess Jankowski says
Hello, we have not tested this recipe with making it vegan.