4-Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe - Easy and Delicious

This easy 4 Ingredient Banana Bread without cake mix is the best healthy, easy banana bread recipe! This moist banana bread recipe comes together so quickly and can be customized with whatever you have on hand!

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And if you like this easy banana bread recipe, you'll love my Banana Carrot Muffins, my Pumpkin Banana Muffins, and my Bananas Foster Pancakes!

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

If you're short on ingredients, never fear! This 3 ingredient banana bread recipe is just what you need! With just a few base ingredients and lots of options for add-ins, it's a simple banana bread recipe that's perfect for your sweet tooth!

4 Ingredient Banana Bread Without Cake Mix

With only 4 ingredients, you might expect to see a cake mix or some other pre-mixed baking shortcut in this recipe. But you won't -- it's actually made fron scratch, without any cake mix at all! The secret is that we're using self-rising flour, which contains both salt and baking powder, and makes this loaf of banana bread so easy!

This recipe is adapted from my Pineapple Banana Bread recipe, with an extra banana added in in place of the sour cream and butter.

Is 4 Ingredient Banana Bread Healthy?

While only a nutrition expert or medical professional can say if any recipe is appropriate for your health needs, I can say that this recipe is free of butter (or dairy of any kind) and has no added oil. It could be considered "healthier" than most banana breads that contain more ingredients.

Ingredients

You'll see the full ingredient list with measurements below in the recipe card, but here are the four basic ingredients you'll need for this easy recipe:

overripe bananas - your bananas should be very far into the ripening process -- the darker the better, because they'll provide even more sweetness and banana flavor to your banana bread batter.
brown sugar - I like to use dark brown sugar but you can also use light brown sugar or white sugar if you prefer.
eggs - your large eggs should be room temperature to help them mix in with the batter easily.
self-rising flour - THIS is the secret! The great thing about self-rising flour is that it contains a leavening agent, so it helps to add lift to our banana bread without requiring any additional baking soda. If you don't have any self-rising flour, you can add a teaspoon of baking soda.
add-ins - Expand upon this base recipe to make it your own! You can add nuts, peanut butter, dark chocolate chips -- the possibilities are endless! See below for more ideas!

See recipe card for quantities.

4 ingredient banana bread without cake mix

Equipment

You'll need an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan for this moist banana bread recipe, as well as standard mixing bowls and measuring spoons. I always recommend using a kitchen scale to measure out your flour for best results, and you'll also want a wire rack to set your banana bread on to cool.

You may also want a potato masher to puree your bananas, or you can use a food processor if you prefer, or even a fork.

Triple Chocolate Brownie Instructions

This is such an easy triple chocolate brownies recipe! Check the recipe card below for the full recipe instructions and details, but here are the basic steps:

Brown butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a bowl with a whisk, preparing to mix to make triple chocolate brownies.

Mash bananas in a large bowl.

Add eggs and brown sugar and mix well.

Gradually add flour into wet ingredients and mix just until combined.

Pour into parchment paper lined prepared loaf pan and bake!

Hint: Be sure not to over-fill your loaf pan. Your loaf should reach no higher than ¾ of the way to the top of the loaf pan.

5 Ingredient Banana Bread

If you do happen to have an extra ingredient on hand, you can turn this recipe into a 5 ingredient banana bread recipe! Just replace one of the bananas with ½ cup of melted butter. It'll add that moist, buttery flavor we all love about banana bread!

4 Ingredient Banana Bread - All Purpose Flour

If you want to try this recipe, but don't have any self-rising flour, you can use all-purpose flour if you like! Just add in 1 teaspoon of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of salt!

Add-ins

You can add whatever you like to this healthy 4-ingredient banana bread to make it your own! Here are some of my favorites:

Chocolate Chips - you can never go wrong with chocolate! Half a cup of any kind of chocolate chips you like go perfectly in this banana bread.
Nuts - add in ½ cup of walnuts or pecans for a delightful buttery crunch!
Peanut butter- replace one of the bananas with ⅓ cup of peanut butter for a delicious flavor combination!

And try my Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake or my Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake for more yummy loaf pan ideas!

Storage

Store your banana bread, once it has cooled completely, at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap for up to four days.

This 4 ingredient banana bread also freezes so well! Just let it cool completely, and wrap the loaf or slices in foil and place in a zipper freezer bag. Then freeze for up to 2 months!

Top Tip

Wait for your bananas to be overripe! They should be mostly brown -- that's where the sweetness and banana flavor will come from!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is baking soda or powder better for banana bread?

In this recipe, you don't need either! This 4 ingredient banana bread uses self-rising flour, which contains a leavening agent already!

Can you put too much banana in banana bread?

Yes! Be sure that if you use large bananas in this recipe that you only use 3 and a half bananas total. Too many bananas may leave you with a dense, undercooked texture in your banana bread.

Why is my banana bread not fluffy?

Because this recipe doesn't contain eggs, it won't have as fluffy a texture as you might expect. But it's still so delicious! You can add up to ½ teaspoon of baking powder for added lift if you like.

Are frozen bananas better than fresh for banana bread?

They're both fine! But thawed frozen bananas are definitely easier to mash up and mix in!

And for another way to use up your bananas, try my Spiced Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting!

What other brunch recipes can I try?

My favorite breakfast side dish is my Fried Potatoes and Onions! And my White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins and my Bananas Foster Pancakes are perfect for your sweet tooth! And around Thanksgiving time, be sure to check out my 24 Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas to Start Your Day Right or my list of Smoothie Recipes Without Yogurt!

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!

📖 Recipe