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Bakery Style Banana Bread Recipe: Bob Evan’s Copycat (Video)

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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!
bakery style banana bread

Watch our step by step video!

Don’t you love when those overripe bananas go on sale at the grocery store? I grabbed a bag for $1.99 the other day, brimming with brown speckled bananas. Lots of them. And I had big plans for those nasty looking bananas and it was this banana bread recipe. I have always loved banana bread, but not homemade banana bread. Maybe it was because it was usually dry and dense. If it wasn’t dry then it was a bit doughy in the center.

Bakery Style Banana Bread

Nothing homemade seemed to compare with our favorite bakery style banana bread from Bob Evans. It is always perfectly cooked through, sticky on the top, but not doughy, and seemed much more of a dessert than a bread. My husband would order two slices every time we visited the restaurant.
loaf of bob evan's copy cat banana bread cooling

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

I’ve learned that it isn’t so much the ingredients in a banana bread recipe or determining how dark and nasty the bananas need to be that makes the difference. Good ingredients are good (and I have a great list below), but it is what you do to your banana bread after it comes out of the oven that makes it sticky on top and moist all over.
sliced banana bread on cutting board
The key to perfectly moist banana bread is wrapping it while it is still warm.
.
warm banana bread wrapped in plastic wrap
Fight the urge to slice into it fresh out of the oven. It would taste awesome, but your patience will pay off if you wait until morning. I know that is not what you wanted to hear. When your banana bread recipe comes out of the oven, let it stand for in the pan 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges, flip it over on a flat surface, cool for 15 minutes then wrap it in plastic wrap. Let the loaves stand on a rack for a few hours (overnight is best) before removing the plastic wrap.

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.

Letting it stand also allows the banana flavor to really come through. If I haven’t scared you off yet, here is my tried and true banana bread recipe.
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

Don't let those overripe bananas go to waste! This copy cat 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.
4.25 from 40 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 18 slices
Calories: 400kcal

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

To reheat, place slices on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 5-7 seconds.
Keep banana bread in the refrigerator for up to 3 days either wrapped in plastic or stored in an airtight container. Leaving the moist loaf out on the counter will cause it to mold quicker. You can also wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it for 3-6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal

How many loaves will this recipe make?

2 large loaves. You can also divide between a 9 inch loaf pan and a muffin tin to create one loaf and a batch of muffins. Bake the muffins for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork comes out dry. Baking times may vary.

Can you use frozen bananas to make banana bread?

Yes! Remover from the freezer and let them thaw on the counter until only partially frozen. I’ve never made a batch with all frozen bananas, usually half frozen and half overripe when I was running short.

What pudding flavors are best in banana bread?

Vanilla or banana cream pudding mix is ideal for this recipe.

How brown should bananas be for banana bread?

Brown or yellow and heavily coated with brown spots. If it’s too brown for you to eat, it’s just right for banana bread.

How do you know when the bread is done?

Check 10-15 minutes before the timer goes off. Insert a toothpick or skewer. If it comes out clean the bread is done.

How can I riped bananas faster for banana bread?

You can microwave peeled bananas for 30 seconds or bake unpeeled bananas for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until the peels are dark brown. Mash, then use in banana bread.
finished banana bread sliced on cutting board

 

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!

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Almond Poppyseed Muffins

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Brandy
Website | + posts

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com without any additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary says

    5 stars
    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

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  3. Annmarie says

    5 stars
    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 ?

    Reply

  4. April says

    5 stars
    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 !

    Reply

  5. Jerri says

    I just LOVE banana bread! This looks wonderful! Thanks for linking up for Friday Favorites. I’m featuring you this week!

    Reply

  6. 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

    Reply

  7. Gloria Phillips (@simplygloria1) says

    Love your tip with wrapping them in plastic all while resisting the urge to cut a happy slice right then!

    Reply

  9. 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.

    Reply

  11. 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!

    Reply

  12. 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.

    Reply

    • 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! 🙂

      Reply

  13. 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!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  14. 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!

    Reply

  15. 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.

    Reply

  16. 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

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

    • 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!

      Reply
4.25 from 40 votes (36 ratings without comment)

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