Six-Banana Banana Bread — 🍌 Not sure what to do with overripe bananas you have on hand? Make this Six-Banana Banana Bread! This is the best banana bread recipe EVER — it’s so moist and flavorful!
The BEST Banana Bread Recipe
There’s no chance of wimpy or lackluster banana flavor here. I baked six bananas into one loaf. Yes, six.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my gold standard banana bread recipe for banana bread. It’s everything I want and it never lets me down. But I also cheat on it from time to time. Say, with 35+ banana recipes, and about 15 of them are recipes for various Banana Breads. You can never have too many.
I wanted to pack more pure banana essence and intensity into the bread and so I used more bananas. A whole lot more.
Rather than using 1 to 1 1/2 cups of bananas, which is what most recipes call for, I used a solid 2 1/2 cups. To compensate for the extra banana volume and moisture, I cut back on the amount of Greek yogurt (or sour cream) I usually use.
The verdict is that this super moist banana bread is everything and more. It’s soft, tender and supremely moist. The pudding mix serves to add some lightness, fluffiness, and springiness.
You’ll never have to wonder again what to do with overripe bananas thanks to this freckled overripe banana recipe in your arsenal. Kill six with one loaf.
You may even find yourself wishing for some speckly and freckly ones.
How Does Six-Banana Banana Bread Taste?
Because of the 6 bananas, don’t expect a super light and airy loaf. It’s on the heavier and denser side, but I think all good banana bread should be. I don’t want light, airy, cakey, or dry. I want moist, heavy, and dense.
The real clincher is that all those bananas really make a difference in the overall banana flavor and intensity level.
If you’ve ever felt like your banana bread is a bit underwhelming in banana intensity level, this recipe will cure that. It’s bursting with banana flavor. I mean, duh.
Ingredients in Six-Banana Banana Bread
To make this super moist banana bread recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Vanilla extract
- Bananas
- Vanilla instant pudding mix
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
How to Make Banana Bread with 6 Bananas
This vanilla pudding banana bread made with six bananas comes together quickly and easily! Here are the basic steps:
- Combine melted butter, eggs, two types of sugar, sour cream, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the six mashed bananas, followed by the dry ingredients (note that you add the pudding mix dry — you don’t need to make it into pudding first!).
- Bake the homemade banana bread in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan for roughly 60 to 75 minutes.
How to Tell When Banana Bread Is Done
Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf; if it comes out clean, or with very few crumbs, it’s done baking. Or, gently press it with your thumb and if the bread immediately springs back it’s cooked through.
And just as one final reminder, I can’t stress how important it is that you bake by your bread, not the clock.
Depending on your bananas, your altitude, etc. your loaf of banana bread may take more or less time to bake than mine did. Trust your gut!
Banana Bread FAQs
If store at room temperature in an airtight container, this six-banana banana bread will last up to 1 week.
Vanilla pudding banana bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yes, you can freeze this six-banana banana bread for up to six months — it thaws like a dream! To freeze the entire loaf of six-banana banana bread, let it first cool to room temperature. Then, wrap it in two to three layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of tinfoil.
Or, you can slice the loaf and freeze the slices on a baking tray. Once the slices are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag (freezing them on the tray first prevents the moist banana bread slices from getting squished).
When you’re ready to enjoy this banana bread, set it out on the counter to thaw. Don’t unwrap the plastic wrap, though! Leave all the wrappings on to lock in the moisture.
This easy banana bread recipe calls for six large bananas, which equals about 2 1/2 cups when mashed well. So by my calculations, three medium-sized bananas should be about 1 cup mashed.
When in doubt, buy more bananas than you think you need! You can always peel and freeze the bananas for future bakes, or throw them into your morning smoothies.
This six-banana banana bread is best with vanilla pudding mix.
I’ve tried omitting it, and have trialed various combinations of buttermilk, sour cream, Greek yogurt, butter, and oil. But the pudding mix bread wins every time.
If you can’t find pudding in your area (international readers write about this), I recommend adding one-quarter cup of additional flour, two teaspoons of cornstarch, and a dash of extra sugar.
If you thought your bananas had to be black as the night for banana bread, they don’t. Nicely freckled and speckled, but pitch black is not necessary.
Cook’s Illustrated found there’s little difference in sweetness between freckled and completely black. Ripe is fine. They don’t have to be nearly rotting.
One of the first ingredients in instant vanilla pudding mix is cornstarch, which is a workhorse for keeping cakes, cookies, and bread extremely soft, light, tender, and moist.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, I tented my 9×5-inch pan with foil because the center hadn’t quite set, but the edges and top surface were getting a smidge on the dark side. I recommend covering with foil if at any point your bread is looking a little dark.
Banana Bread Variations to Try
This extra moist banana bread made with vanilla pudding mix and six bananas is perfect as is, but you’re welcome to add mix-ins or tweak the recipe as desired!
- Add chocolate chips — 1/2 cup or so should do it.
- Add nuts — Raw, unsalted chopped nuts are best.
- Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt — Make sure to use plain, full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix — This bread doesn’t need any more banana flavor, but you could always add instant banana pudding mix instead!
- Spices — I used 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, but you can add more. Or, you can add additional spices such as nutmeg, ginger, cloves, etc.
The one mix-in I do NOT recommend adding is fresh fruit or berries. This bread is already quite dense and supremely moist, and if you add berries the batter will never bake through properly.
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Six-Banana Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, , melted
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup sour cream or thick Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or to taste
- 6 medium/large very ripe bananas, mashed (2 1/2 cups mashed bananas; if your bananas are huge you may only need 4 or 5; if they’re small, you may need more)
- one 3.4-ounce box vanilla instant pudding mix, (not Cook ‘n Serve)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside. (If necessary, you may need to use a muffin pan or mini loaf for pan a small amount of batter.)*
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power. Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the eggs.
- Add the eggs, sugars, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the bananas and stir to incorporate
- Add the pudding mix (just add it dry like a dry ingredient; don’t actually make pudding), flour, baking soda, cinnamon, optional salt, and fold in with spatula or stir gently with a spoon; don’t overmix or bread will be tougher.
- Bake 9×5 loaf for 60 to 75 minutes (I baked 68 minutes), or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Tip – In the final 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, or at any point if your bread is getting a bit dark before the center is setting, tent with foil. There are a lot of moist bananas to cook through in this loaf so if it takes longer than the estimated time to cook through, do so. Do not pull it from the oven, and decide later that it wasn't quite done!
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 20 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Serve plain, or with butter, jam, or your favorite spread. Makes excellent French toast.
- Storage – Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Video
Notes
- If you can’t find pudding in your area (international readers write about this), I recommend adding one-quarter cup of additional flour, two teaspoons of cornstarch, and a dash of extra sugar.
- *If baking a mini loaf is necessary, bake for about 35 minutes, or until done; I estimate 2 or 3 muffins will take about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Baking times for loaves will vary based on moisture content of bananas, pan sizes, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Recipes Using Ripe Bananas:
ALL OF MY BANANA BREAD RECIPES!
Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread — This is the BEST homemade banana bread recipe! This banana bread tastes like it has cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!!
Strawberry Banana Bread — This strawberry bread is packed with fresh, juicy strawberries in every bite! This is an easy, no-mixer quick bread recipe you’re going to love!
Peanut Butter Apple Banana Bread — Jazz up regular banana bread with peanut butter and apples! A perfect combo that tastes amazing together!! Fast, easy, no mixer required, and a hit with everyone!
Carrot Banana Bread — EASY, no-mixer, super soft banana carrot bread that reminds me of carrot cake but healthier!! Great Easter brunch idea or spring baked good!
Pumpkin Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Glaze — I’ll never tire of pumpkin recipes and this one pairs pumpkin bread with banana bread for a soft, tender loaf that’s subtly pumpkin and molasses flavored.
Brown Sugar Blueberry Banana Bread — Super moist blueberry banana bread made with Greek yogurt and dark brown sugar. Smear some homemade blueberry butter onto a slice of this blueberry brown sugar banana bread and prepare to fall in love!
Zucchini Banana Bread — This zucchini banana bread is so soft, tender, uber-moist, dense enough to be satisfying, but still light!
Originally published May 29, 2013 and republished January 14, 2022 with updated text.
Hello, do you have to sieve the dry ingredients before adding it wet ingredients? Thanks
No I do not bother, not necessary.
Hi Averie- thank you for this banana cake/bread recipe… I’ve tried many over the years & NONE are as delicious as this! I’m from the UK so I have to convert the cups but it’s my go to recipe for bananare, moist, tasty, light & it’s a winner with friends & family… I couldn’t find/get the vanilla pudding mix so substituted it with defecated coconut & crushed walnuts – works great 👍🏻 x
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is your favorite banana bread recipe and that the coconut/walnuts work great!
This is bread is delicious!! Banana-y, moist, fluffy perfection!
Thank you for adding the pudding substitute. We don’t do pudding in Western Australia.
Made a fig cinnamon butter to go with the bread – match made in heaven!!!
Glad this was a hit for you!
Have you made it with the flour / cornstarch instead of pudding mix? Wondering if it turns out just as good; I don’t have any pudding mix on hand.
I personally have not and being that you are putting 6 bananas into this, I would make it with the pudding mix for optimal results.
I love this recipe! So delicious!
Thanks!
I made this tonight in 2 batches, one being with walnuts, and it was amazing! It is dense, moist and light all at the same time! Haha. Excellent recipe! Great banana flavor. Probably the best banana bread I have ever made. Definitely a keeper. Thank you Averie! :)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you think it’s probably the best banana bread you’ve ever made!
It was super duper delicious! No vanilla pudding mix on hand, so I used a caramel one but did not add the syrup and added chocolate chips as per granddaughter’s request. I divided into 2 loaf pans but the whole family finished them up at tea time. Thanks for the recipe … a repeat request for next week😋
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will make it again!
Wow! This recipe was DELICIOUS!! The texture was so much lighter then expected with all that banana. You really KNOW this is banana bread. The pudding mix trick is brilliant!
This recipe made 4 perfect mini loafs. I baked them for 35 minutes & stopped baking based on the color/firmness of the top of the loaf. It’s cooked through but I think it could have used another 2-3 minutes.
The browned butter cream cheese spread is to-die-for! I’m now thinking up other things to use it on so I have an excuse to make more!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this recipe! I agree that the pudding mix trick really adds something special and that you’ll make this again it sounds like!
Delicious😁I made as written substituting applesauce for the butter. I used 1/4 cup applesauce. I also added chopped pecans!
I made one 9×5 loaf, 2 mini loafs, and one small bu st cake. I cut the sugar in half and used 6 large bananas. Sooo good! Thank-you!!
Glad you loved it and that applesauce worked well!
Just made this and it turned out excellent! I did tweak it ever so slightly. I used banana cream pie pudding mix (cause I had no vanilla mix) and I added about a cup of chocolate chips. I couldn’t find my loaf pans, so I used a bundt pan. The bake time was around 55 minutes. It was the perfect amount of batter for the bundt pan and rose nicely, browned perfectly and no burned top. It’s very dense and moist. I think some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream would be perfect with this.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it worked out great in a bundt pan!
i found this recipe about a year ago and it has become my go-to banana bread recipe. i’ve changed it up a bit by using different types of jello pudding and i’ve used flavored yogurt instead of plain sour cream or greek yogurt, but it always comes out great. thank you!
I’m glad this recipe has become your go-to! Different types of pudding and flavored yogurt sound like great twists!
I tried this banana bread recipe because I had 6 large riped bananas I didn’t know what to do with. I was pretty happy to find this recipe. I only used 4 bananas as they were large. 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, no brown sugar, 3 eggs, Greek yogurt and no pudding cuz I didn’t have any. I also added walnuts. The rest as the recipe calls for. It turned out delicious!!!! Very fluffy and moist and stayed moist for days after. I will definitely make this recipe again! Thank you!
Glad you were able to use most of your ripe bananas and that you will definitely make this recipe again!
Did you add the extra 1/4 cup of flour and 2 teaspoons corn starch in lieu of pudding as the article suggests? I don’t have pudding mix and am looking to use this recipe, but wasn’t sure if these extra amounts would dry it out. Thanks!
Let me just say WOW! We love this banana bread! It’s so hard to find good banana bread and I can say I’ll never buy it again!!! I take it on road trips with a jar of peanut butter… perfect… portable… delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this gem!
So glad you loved this bread and that you’ll never buy it again!
I made my banana bread from a banana bread is using 6 very ripe bananas..I also added 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt. Got 2 8×3 1/4 loafs.. Batter tasted awesome so I knew the loafs woul be perfect. (and they were)
I love banana bread batter so much! Even more than cookie dough :) Glad you loved this recipe!
Just pulled this out of the oven and had a question about the timing. I ended up having to cook it for the original 75 minutes, but had to go almost 20 minutes further than that and the top was incredibly brown, even though I rented at about 30 minutes in. Any adjustments I can make to shorten the time on this and avoid excessive browning?
I would say that there are a few things… Your bananas could have been slightly larger/juicier/riper than mine therefore the batter was looser and moister and the loaf needed more cooking time. I would have added another 3-4 tbsp flour to tighten it up but if you’re not a seasoned baker that’s one of those hard to know situations, but next time I would try that if your bananas are roughly the same size/ripeness as they were today. That way you won’t have to bake as long.
You could also lower the oven temp by 25 degrees and cook for a longer time at a lower temp and tent 30 mins in as well. That can sometimes help when baking something like a moist and dense loaf.
Also split the batter into two 8×4 pans and while the loaves will be shorter and squattier, they will cook more evenly and faster.
I love this bread! Trying it out in a Bundt pan this time. Anyine tried this? Wondering about timing?
I haven’t tried it in a Bundt but I think it would be great. LMK how it goes.
https://www.averiecooks.com/2012/09/spiced-apple-and-banana-bundt-cake-with-vanilla-caramel-glaze.html Is an old banana-apple Bundt recipe. That glaze is perhaps the BEST cake glaze of all time, no joke. A true personal favorite!
Making it again today in a Bundt. Love, love, love this recipe! Takes about an hour give or take. It is such a moist bread. I find it much easier to take and slice in Bundt form than loaf. The girls at work love it!
I think it’s a great that the Bundt pan is working out so well and that you make it often! You have lucky coworkers :)