Don't let those overripe bananas go to waste! This copycat Bob Evan's banana bread recipe rivals any from a local bakery. Soft, delicious, and sticky on the top. This recipe yields 2 loaves of delicious banana bread.
If you like quick breads you'll love our pumpkin chocolate chip mini loaves, our sour cream lemon loaf, and our quick rise cinnamon rolls!
Watch our step by step video!
Bakery Style Banana Bread
I set out to figure out a banana bread recipe as good as theirs and I failed over and over. Don't get me wrong, it was edible, but I kept running into the problem of having it drier than we wanted. If I undercooked it a bit it would be doughy inside, and I always ended up putting it back in the oven to finish up which dried it out. I kept at it over the years until I figured out how to make it perfectly moist. One that we all absolutely love.
The Trick To Making the BEST Banana Bread Recipe
If you don't believe me, watch this video. I knew that wrapping it would moisten the bread, but it wasn't until I watched this video that I learned that the bananas actually need to sit for a while after being baked into the bread too. You learn something new every day!
Keep banana bread in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leaving the moist loaf out on the counter will cause it to mold quicker.
Thick, moist, dense with bananas and slightly sticky on top. I love this recipe as is, but if you'd like to add a handful of chocolate chips to the batter before baking (or sprinkle on top of the loaves before baking) that's delicious too.
Moist Banana Bread Recipe: Bob Evan's Copycat
Copycat Bob Evans Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter at room temperature (I use salted butter but you can use unsalted butter)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 8 over-ripe mashed bananas
- 1 (5.1 oz) box vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 cup all purpose flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cup chopped nuts walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl either with an electric mixer or a stand mixer. Add eggs and beat until smooth and add mashed bananas. Mix in pudding mix and milk. Add dry ingredients (salt and baking powder and flour, one cup at a time). Fold in nuts.
- Grease or lightly spray two loaf pans with cooking spray. Pour batter into loaf pans and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. If it seems as though your bread is getting too brown, too fast, you can tent it slightly with a piece of foil for the last 15 minutes or so. Insert a toothpick or fork. If it comes out really doughy, bake another 8 minutes and check it again. Toothpick should come out fairly clean.
- Let bread stand for 10 minutes in the baking pan and then run a knife around the edges to loosen it up. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes then wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to rest on a cooling rack for 6-8 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
How many loaves will this recipe make?
Can you use frozen bananas to make banana bread?
What pudding flavors are best in banana bread?
How brown should bananas be for banana bread?
How do you know when the bread is done?
How can I riped bananas faster for banana bread?
Bonus! I use this recipe for my zucchini bread too. Just use 3 cups of shredded zucchini and 2 tsp. cinnamon and omit the bananas.
Don't have time to bake a loaf of bread? Here are 3 quick muffin recipes!
Mary says
I followed recipe & love all the walnuts! However, next time I will halve them and add mini chocolate chips, husband and kids aren’t crazy about all the walnuts. In the mean time I have a loaf to give away and one almost all to myself😉
Thank you
Mary
Brandy says
You’re welcome! Chocolate chips would be amazing!
Stephanie says
Do you know how many mini loafs this will make? And how long to cook mini loafs?
Thank!
Brandy says
Hi Stephanie! I haven't made an entire batch of mini loaves so I'm not sure. I bake my pumpkin mini loaves for about 30 minutes so I'd check the banana ones after 25 and go from there!
Annmarie says
I love this recipe so much!! I’ve used it a few times and it’s my fav! I was wondering how many calories are in a slice ?
Brandy says
It is my favorite too! Uh-oh, I haven't even thought about how many calories would be in a slice of it, haha!
April says
Great recipe. I've made this twice. I tweaked it a bit the second time with banana pudding and a little banana extract. Wow! Awesomeness in a loaf !
Brandy says
YUM! That sounds amazing with the extra banana flavor!
Jerri says
I just LOVE banana bread! This looks wonderful! Thanks for linking up for Friday Favorites. I'm featuring you this week!
Brandy says
Thank you so much, Jerri!
Christine @ Must Love Home says
Love it! This looks so delicious! I tweeted it out and pinned also:) I have never used pudding mix in my banana bread...I usually use orange juice and orange peel, but I might give your recipe a try for something different! It looks awesome! Thank you for sharing with us at Friday Favorites. If you get a moment, I would love for you to share this at Wonderful Wednesday at Must Love Home. Right now we have a $40 PayPal cash giveaway going on thru 4/30. Please stop by and enter! Have a great week and Hugs - Christine at Must Love Home
Gloria Phillips (@simplygloria1) says
Love your tip with wrapping them in plastic all while resisting the urge to cut a happy slice right then!
Brandy says
Thank you, Gloria! It really works! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Kim says
Pinning this to make soon!Though I will have to try hard and not eat it right away!
Leah says
This looks incredible. I need some right this minute! Banana bread is one of my favorite things ever, and I'm always looking for new recipes just in case there's something better out there! My favorite thing to use it for is making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Mmmmmm.
Brandy says
Thank you, Leah! I hadn't thought of using it for sandwiches before! Genius!
Courtney's Cookbook says
I can't resist banana bread, and yours looks gorgeous!
Sophia says
This is the only banana bread recipe I use! I first tried it last year and it was a huge hit in my household! The plastic wrap is such a brilliant idea, so hard to wait to eat it but SO worth it!
Brandy says
Definitely worth it! 🙂 I'm glad you guys like it too!
Cornelia says
Hi Brandy, I made your bread last night. And I had some questions allong the way:
1, When do you add the milk ?
2. What do you mean bij " half and half" after adding the pudding mix?
I made the bread with plantains instead of normal bananas. The bread is really moist. and tastes really good.
Brandy says
Oh, thanks for letting me know! That was a type-o. I originally made this recipe with half and half instead of milk, but over the years have switched to milk with the same results. I just didn't update that part of the recipe. You add the milk with the pudding mix! Hope that helps! I'm glad it turned out great for you! 🙂
denise says
A small printable version with just the recipe would be helpful.. I don't need all these extra pages and color pictures.. it uses up too much ink and paper and doesn't fit in my recipe book.. A simple recipe list and small photo on the printable version is good!
Brandy says
Hi Denise!
You can click "print & pdf" at the bottom of the post. It will open a new window with the post in printable format. Then click "remove images". That will reduce the post to just the text and you can print out the recipe that way without images or extra pages. Hope that helps!
Chelsea says
That makes SO much sense since bakeries don't just dive right into eating them they wrap them up and save them for the shelves!!
Since it makes two loaves, have you tried freezing one? I wonder how well it would do? I may have to do that otherwise it'll go to waste in this house!
Brandy says
Hi Chelsea, the extra loaf freezes very well! We've done that a couple of times! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Darlena Mixson says
My Mother made the best banana bread, but I never got her recipe. The recipes I tried never tasted like hers. Hoping this one does.
Brandy says
I hope so too! This one really is delicious!
Jackie P says
People always make comments about how good mine is and how is it moist..but not sticky as you mentioned. HAHA I am rather impatient..so I generally tend to wrap it up while it's still warm!!!! Hmmm should I tell them what the secret is now that I know it??? Even the lady that gave me the recipe said it was far better than hers ever turned out and I swore and promised I had not changed the recipe!
thanks bunches!!
Jackie P
Brandy says
The warm wrapped bread really is the secret! I'll leave that decision whether or not to tell up to you 😉 haha. Have a great week!
Laura@Baking In Pyjamas says
I love banana bread and yours looks lovely. Great tip. Visiting from Link Party Palooza.
Nicole says
Best banana bread ever!!! I made a bundt & a full loaf from one batch.
Brandy says
Wonderful! So glad you liked the recipe! It is my kid's favorite quick bread. Sometimes I add zucchini in it too and they have no idea! So moist and delicious! Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know how it turned out!
Tammy says
I just made this and substituted the nuts for chocolate chips! It looks great hopefully it’s yummy!!
Brandy says
Chocolate chips would be DELICIOUS! I hope you enjoy it!
Angi Barrs says
Yummy! Must make some for my teacher friends.
Jaclyn Larisa Youngquist says
Looks delicious...I'm about to bake myself some zucchini bread today, but now you're making me want this!
xxx
Jaclyn
http://www.loveandbellinis.com