You’ll go bananas for this quick Bisquick banana bread.
It’s dense and cakey with a wonderful crunch from chopped nuts. It’s nothing short of amazing.
While the flavors are amazing, this recipe is also super simple thanks to a handy dandy box of Bisquick.
If bread recipes intimidate you, this is a great place to start!
I’m telling you, this simple Bisquick banana bread recipe is tough to beat.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need for this mouth-watering banana bread. If you have bananas and Bisquick, the rest are pantry staples!
- Bananas. For this recipe, you’ll need ultra-ripe bananas. As they ripen, they get sweeter. If you use slightly ripe bananas, your bread won’t be very sweet.
- Sugar. The sweetness from bananas only takes you halfway there. A little granulated sugar takes you the rest of the way.
- Milk. Adding milk to the mix creates a dense, tender bread dough. The type of milk doesn’t matter, so you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Vegetable oil. Vegetable oil has less moisture than butter, which yields a moister bread.
- Vanilla. A dash of vanilla takes the flavors over the top.
- Eggs. Eggs help the bread dough bind and give it a slight rise in the oven.
- Original Bisquick mix. Here’s your secret ingredient to this recipe. All the flour and leveling agents are right in the mix!
- Nuts. Nuts are always optional, but I feel they add a lovely nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
How Ripe Should Bananas Be for Banana Bread?
The best banana state for the best banana bread is exceedingly over-ripe.
They should be so incredibly ripe that their skin should be all black! That’s the true secret to super moist and super sweet banana bread.
Trust me, those black bananas are so sweet and gooey, with the maximum banana flavor.
I have a few tips to speed up the process if your bananas aren’t quite ripe, but more on that later.
How to Make Bisquick Banana Bread
This banana bread recipe is perfect for baking newbies. Check out how quickly it all comes together. Get ready, because your kitchen is about to smell amazing.
1. Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
2. Make the dough. Combine bananas, milk, sugar, vanilla, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Stir until combined, then slowly incorporate the Bisquick mix and nuts. Once combined, pour into the prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake. Pop it in the oven, and bake for 50-60 minutes. Pierce the highest point with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it’s ready to take out.
4. Cool. Place the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then, remove it from the pan, and allow it to come to room temperature for 2 hours.
5. Serve. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Here are some quick tips for the perfect banana bread.
- Mash those bananas well! To avoid lumpy banana bread, be sure to mash the bananas thoroughly. An electric mixer should do the trick.
- Do not overmix. Fold the wet and dry ingredients carefully with a spatula. Do not over-mix your batter, because this will result in a flat and dry bread.
- Get nutty. For the chopped nuts, I love using either pecans or walnuts. Aside from the crunch, they also complement the banana flavor well.
- Avoid soggy bottoms. Do not leave your banana bread in the pan for longer than 10 minutes. If you do, will get soggy-bottomed bread. And a mean side-eye from Paul Hollywood.
- Try adding sour cream. For an incredibly moist banana bread, add a spoonful of yogurt or sour cream. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.
- Be patient. Banana bread takes a while to cook! Let it sit in the oven for at least 50 minutes. Do not be tempted to open the oven door when you see the surface of the bread turning brown – that’s what’s supposed to happen!
- Avoid mushy bread. After baking, leave it in the oven with the door open. This will allow your bread to settle and firm up.
How Can I Quickly Ripen Bananas for Baking?
If you’re itching to make banana bread, but your bananas haven’t reached the over-ripe level yet, here are a few things you can do to speed things up.
- Find a good ripening spot. Place the bananas in the hottest area of your home, like on top of your fridge or by the window. Keep the bananas together in the bunch to help them ripen faster.
- The paper bag method. Place them in a paper bag, and throw an apple in the mix. Bananas and apples release ethylene, the gas responsible for ripening fruits. So, the more exposure they have to this gas, the faster they will ripen.
- Nuke them. For more tender bananas, microwave them! Peel and microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until you hear them sizzle. Keep in mind though that this technique will soften the bananas, but won’t make them sweeter.
- Pop them in the oven. If you want them to sweeten up real quick, pop them in the oven! Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Store
Leftover banana bread is a good problem to have! As long as you store it properly, it will stay fresh and tasty. Here are some quick tips for storing leftover bread.
- To Store. Allow the bread to come to room temperature, and wrap it tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Then, pop it in the fridge where it will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze. Double (or triple) wrap cooled bread, and pop it into the freezer where it will stay fresh for up to 4 months. You can wrap the whole loaf, but I prefer freezing individual slices.
- To Reheat. Place frozen bread on the countertop to come to room temperature for about 4 hours. You can eat it a room temperature, or nuke it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
More Sweet Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Chrissy Teigen Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Cranberry Orange Bread
Dairy-Free Banana Bread
Delicious! Followed recipe exactly. Was done at 50 minutes. Will add the yogurt or sour cream next time just to see how much it differs in taste or texture. Highly recommend.
Mix all wet ingredients together & fold in the dry ingredients…..bake as directed….fantastic Banana bread
Simple to make. Added 1/4 Greek yogurt to recipe. Delicious!