Gluesticks Blog

menu icon
subscribe
search icon
×

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

Modified: · Published: by · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

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
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 18 slices
Calories: 400kcal
Author: Brandy Nelson

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
Tried this Recipe? Like it Today!Mention @Gluesticksblog or tag #gluesticksblog!

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

Share
Pin

More Bread Recipes

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!

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

      You’re welcome! Chocolate chips would be amazing!

      Reply

  2. Stephanie says

    Do you know how many mini loafs this will make? And how long to cook mini loafs?
    Thank!

    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

    • 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!

      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

    • Brandy says

      YUM! That sounds amazing with the extra banana flavor!

      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

    • Brandy says

      Thank you so much, Jerri!

      Reply
4.25 from 40 votes (36 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.