This is the best Bisquick banana bread recipe! It’s so sweet, moist, and flavorful that you’ll want a slice for breakfast every morning and a quick snack later. The recipe is easy to make and can even be converted into muffins.
What is Bisquick banana bread?
Made with Bisquick mix and overripe bananas, Bisquick banana bread is a cake-like quick bread that is super moist and delicious. All you need to prepare this tasty treat is a bowl, a loaf pan, and a few simple ingredients.
Other than my 3-ingredient banana bread, this banana bread with Bisquick is seriously the easiest quick bread ever. I make it all the time, and it always turns out perfect. It’s so moist and aromatic! We like it for morning breakfast, a quick snack, and in our lunchboxes. And I’m sure you’ll love it too!
If you enjoy all things banana, try our Bisquick banana muffins, banana pudding brownies, and this yummy strawberry banana cheesecake salad next!
Ingredients
If you have ripe bananas and Bisquick mix, this recipe will be a cinch! Using ingredients that are probably in your kitchen, this Bisquick banana bread comes together in just a few minutes. Check the recipe card below for exact ingredient measurements.
- Mashed bananas: As with any banana bread, very ripe bananas are key. The riper the bananas are, the better and more delicious your banana bread will be. You want bananas with lots of brown/black spots. They should be fragrant and mushy on the inside. I’ll show you a trick to ripen bananas fast in case you have yellow bananas later.
- Original Bisquick mix: This is the dry goods in this bread recipe. Bisquick is a premade baking mix consisting of flour, cornstarch, shortening, and leavening agents. It gives the bread an incredibly fluffy texture, and the shortening makes it super moist.
- Sugar: I love using a mix of white and brown sugar. Brown sugar brings a little richness and adds a light toffee note, while granulated sugar helps with the moisture. You can substitute with regular white sugar if you don’t have brown sugar.
- Eggs: 3 eggsbind all ingredients together and make the bread light and tender. Ensure the eggs are at room temperature, which helps your banana bread to bake evenly.
- Butter: Melted butter keeps it moist and delicious. A light-tasting vegetable oil or canola oil would also work well.
- Milk is needed to make the bread soft and fluffy. I prefer whole milk, but any kind is fine.
- Vanilla extract adds depth of flavor and enhances the banana aroma.
- Walnuts: Roughly chop the walnuts before adding them to the batter. You want to see the nut pieces in the finished bread. Feel free to leave them out if you don’t like nuts for any reason.
How to make Bisquick banana bread
Once you gathered your ingredients, just mix the batter up and pop the bread in the oven. It’s super easy, and you’ll be smelling and tasting this amazing Bisquick banana nut bread before you know it. Let’s bake!
#1 Step: Prepare the oven and loaf pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4.
- Line a 9 in x 5 in / 23 cm x 12 cm baking pan with a piece of parchment (baking) paper, creating an overhang on 2 sides. The parchment (baking) paper ensures the bread doesn’t stick and allows to lift the loaf out of the pan after baking.
#2 Step: Mix wet ingredients
- Add the mashed bananas, sugars, eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk everything together until the sugar is well combined.
#3 Step: Incorporate Bisquick
- Add the Bisquick mix and stir using a wooden spoon.
- Don’t over mix, just enough until you no longer see streaks of Bisquick.
#4 Step: Fold in walnuts
- Add the chopped walnuts and fold until well combined.
#5 Step: Bake
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth evenly. Optionally, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of the loaf.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the loaf comes out clean.
#6 Step: Cool + serve
- Cool the Bisquick banana bread for 15 minutes in the pan. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Tips for the best banana bread
I have a few tips and tricks to make your Bisquick banana bread recipe turn out perfectly.
- Super ripe bananas: My biggest tip is to make sure your bananas are so ripe they look almost black. Bananas that you’re ready to throw because no one wants to eat them – that’s what you’re looking for.
- Mashing bananas: You can either mash bananas with a fork or place them in a mixing bowl and puree with a hand mixer. Start beating on low and increase to medium-high speed when the bananas are mashed down enough.
- Don’t overmix the batter: The more you stir, the more gluten will develop, making the banana bread tough and rubbery.
- Don’t underbake: To check doneness, insert a skewer or toothpick into the middle of your banana bread. The loaf is done if it comes out clean and the bread is lightly browned. But if you still see wet batter on the skewer/toothpick, put the pan back into the oven and continue baking.
- Let it cool: To ensure the bread slices up nicely, allow it to cool completely before cutting it. Hot bread will crumble and fall apart.
Banana bread variations
Mixing in nuts, dried fruit, or even spreading with a layer of frosting – the options to customize your Bisquick banana bread are endless. Here are some ideas how you can change up the flavor of the bread:
- Different nuts + seeds: I love walnuts, but pecans, hazelnuts, or sunflower seeds give a great crunch too.
- Chocolate chips: Who could resist chocolate? Add 1 cup chocolate chips to the batter and sprinkle some more on top.
- Spices: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg create the perfect amount of warm spiciness.
- Dried fruit: Raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or apricots add a sweet and fruity note. I’d go with 1/2 to 1 cup.
- Topping: A smear of butter or a drizzle of maple syrup makes this banana bread a delicious snack. Or go all in and ice the bread with cream cheese frosting.
Serving suggestions
- Breakfast: Enjoy this Bisquick bread for breakfast with a delicious cup of hot tea or coffee.
- Lunchboxes: Pack slices in their lunch boxes along with their favorite sandwiches, fruits, and veggies.
- Dessert: Top a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- French toast: Banana bread makes fantastic French toast. Dip slices in egg mixture and fry in a skillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Storage instructions
How to store Bisquick banana bread
Place the cooled bread into an airtight container or a large zip-lock bag. Store the banana bread on the counter or in the pantry at room temperature. To lock in the moisture and flavor, always keep the bread stored airtight, so it doesn’t dry out.
How long does banana bread last?
Bisquick banana bread will be good for a couple of days at room temperature, but tends to go stale after 4 days. For the freshest taste, I recommend enjoying your bread within 2 to 3 days of making it.
Can you freeze Bisquick banana bread?
Yes! You guessed it, banana bread freezes so well. It’s meant to be a freezer bread for sure. I always double the recipe just to have an extra loaf that I can freeze for later. You have a few options to freeze it:
- Entire loaf: Let the loaf cool completely. Then wrap the whole bread tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap (cling film) and 1 layer of aluminum foil. Put the wrapped bread in a large freezer bag and place it in the freezer. It will keep for 3 to 4 months. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Slices: After the bread has cooled, cut the loaf and individually wrap each slice in plastic (cling film). Stack the pieces in a zip-lock bag and lay in the freezer. When it’s time to eat, take out one slice at a time or the whole bag. Allow to defrost on the counter or in the fridge and enjoy once it’s thawed.
Bisquick Banana Bread Recipe
This is the best Bisquick banana bread recipe! It’s so sweet, moist, and flavorful that you’ll want a slice for breakfast every morning and a quick snack later. The recipe is easy to make and can even be converted into muffins.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup / 400 g / 14 oz cups mashed overripe bananas
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz milk
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp / 40 g / 1.4 oz melted butter (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup / 67 g / 2.3 oz brown sugar
- 1/3 cup / 67 g / 2.3 oz white granulated sugar
- 2 2/3 cups / 320 g / 11.8 oz Original Bisquick mix
- 1/2 cup / 60 g / 2 oz chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Line a 9 in x 5 in / 23 cm x 12 cm baking pan with a piece of parchment (baking) paper, creating an overhang on 2 sides. The parchment (baking) paper ensures the bread doesn’t stick and allows to lift the loaf out of the pan after baking.
- Mix wet ingredients. Add the mashed bananas, sugars, eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Whisk everything together until the sugar is well combined.
- Incorporate Bisquick. Add the Bisquick mix and stir using a wooden spoon. Don’t over mix, just enough until you no longer see streaks of Bisquick.
- Fold in walnuts. Add the chopped walnuts and fold until well combined.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth evenly. Optionally, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of the loaf. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool. Cool the Bisquick banana bread for 15 minutes in the pan. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Serve. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 147Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 43mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
FAQ
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
Fresh bananas have a beautiful yellow color and are pretty firm. Once they start browning with small and large spots, they start softening.
And after that, the bananas turn dark brown and black, which is perfect for Bisquick banana bread. At this point, most of the starches in the fruit have converted to sugar, and the bananas taste sweeter, softer, and more aromatic.
How do you ripen yellow bananas fast?
To get your bananas ripe fast, bake unpeeled bananas for 20 to 30 minutes at 300°F / 150°C / gas mark 2. Allow to cool, then peel, and use them.
Can I bake this in a muffin pan?
Yes, this Bisquick banana bread recipe makes tasty muffins or mini loaves. Prepare the batter as directed in the recipe, then fill lined muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. Adjust the baking time to 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Reasons to love Bisquick banana bread
- Seriously delicious: Bisquick banana bread is good, especially with walnuts or pecans. It’s perfect for breakfast with a cup of tea or coffee, or to satisfy a sweet craving. It doesn’t crumble apart and travels well in lunch boxes. You have to try it!
- Great for overripe bananas: Do you have a bunch of soft, spotted bananas on your counter that no one wants to eat? Those will be perfect for baking banana bread with pancake mix today.
- Simple ingredients: I always have a box of Bisquick in my cupboard. The other ingredients are everyday baking staples that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Super easy: When it comes to homemade banana bread recipes, this Bisquick loaf bread is one of the easiest and quickest things to bake.
- No mixer needed: That’s right! You’ll only need a mixing bowl and a whisk to whip this one up.
More banana bread recipes
We always have bananas sitting on the counter, so banana bread recipes are a staple at our house. There are so many different versions that I can bake with bananas all the time. Try them all out, and tell me which one is your favorite!
Debi redmond
Tuesday 9th of January 2024
I love baking