Copycat Bob Evans Banana Bread

If you love the moist and absolutely delicious banana bread from Bob Evans then you’ll love this amazing copycat recipe. This recipe even has a secret ingredient for a restaurant quality loaf at home!

The banana bread at Bob Evans is so good. Seriously, once I had some I was on a mission to recreate it at home. I was hooked. Plus, last week I had a curbside grocery fiasco. I accidentally ordered two giant bunches of bananas instead of just two bananas. I’ve had friends and family lament over this happening to them and now I’ve joined the bananas for days club.

My two toddlers seem to love bananas one week and then want nothing to do with them the next. Needless to say, sometimes I have a lot of spotty bananas hanging out in my fruit bowl. With the extra bananas from my curbside order, banana bread seemed like a good idea, but when is banana bread ever a bad idea?

Tips for this recipe

• One of the reasons Bob Evans banana bread is so good is because it is very moist. More bananas or oil can make banana bread moist but they can also cause banana bread to have mushy spots. A box of instant French vanilla pudding mix will help create a moist banana bread without the mushy spots. Be sure to grab instant pudding mix.
• Don’t be tempted to use banana flavored pudding mix, it doesn’t have the right flavor. French vanilla really is the best for banana bread.
• Your bananas don’t have to be totally brown but the riper they are, the sweeter your banana bread will be.
• Combine the dry ingredients first and then the wet. No one wants to take a big bite and then taste baking soda that wasn’t mixed in enough.

Can I use frozen bananas?

I love using frozen bananas in this copycat banana bread recipe. Whenever I don’t have time to make banana bread right away, I love storing ripe bananas in my freezer.

Can I freeze this bread?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze this banana bread for later. I recommend wrapping in a double layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It will be good for 2 to 3 months in your freezer.

How to make this recipe

To make this recipe, first gather and then measure out your ingredients. You will need:

• 3 ripe bananas mashed with a fork
• 1 package Instant French vanilla pudding mix (unprepared)
• 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs beaten
• ⅔ cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a loaf pan (9 x 5 inch).
3. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar.
4. Add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, pudding mix (unprepared), and mashed bananas.
5. Mix well with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth.
6. Stir in one cup the nuts with a large wooden spoon or spatula (optional).
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle.

If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

• Copycat Starbucks Banana Bread
• Chocolate Pudding Banana Bread
• Copycat Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies