Pillsbury™ Banana Bread Batter: Easy, Delicious, and Customizable!

With just a handful of ingredients, you can take your banana bread batter from classic to a delicious twist. Here are some easy mix-in ideas to get you started.

Mix-In Directions

Heat oven to 325°F. Squeeze the banana bread batter into a medium bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in one of these ingredients above; spread in pan. Bake 9-inch loaf 60 to 70 minutes or 8-inch loaf 65 to 75 minutes. Cool as directed on the package. More information in our How to Prep Methods article.

These simple additions are not only easy to incorporate but also make each loaf of banana bread a reflection of your creativity (or mood). Have fun and discover the mix-ins that speak to your taste buds.

Adding Texture

From the rich crunch of nuts and the sweet burst of berries to the irresistible melt of chocolate chips — this is where your banana bread batter becomes a canvas for your creativity.

Got a family divided? No problem! Split your topping strategy: nuts on one half, something else on the other. Everyone gets a slice they’ll love.

For our banana bread batter twist, we topped the batter with 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips. But you can top with other flavors like flaked sweetened coconut or dried fruit. No matter your textured topping, you will get that extra layer of delicious contrast, turning each bite into a delightful taste adventure.

Checking to see if your topped banana bread is ready is easy—just poke a toothpick in a few spots away from the toppings. You don't want to mistake melted chocolate for uncooked batter on the toothpick. If it comes out clean, without any gooey batter, it's perfect. If not, give it a bit more time.

Drizzles

Give your baked banana bread batter a bakery-fresh makeover with a simple drizzle. After letting your loaf cool, add one of our easy-to-make glazes or try your own! This effortless step transforms your homemade bread into a bakery-style delight that's bound to get everyone's attention.

Here are drizzle options we tried:

Chocolate-Hazelnut Glaze: In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons hazelnut spread with cocoa and 1 tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled loaf.

Peanut Butter Glaze: In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled loaf.

Try other drizzle options on your own. Get inspiration from these delicious recipes:

• Basic Powdered Sugar Glaze: A sweet and creamy finish that's always a hit.
• Rich Chocolate Ganache: Follow the ganache recipe from our Chocolate Ganache-Peanut Butter Pie recipe for a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
• Lemon Glaze: Borrow the lemon glaze recipe from our Lemon-Glazed Cream Cheese Cookies recipe.
• Maple Glaze: Get a cozy, comforting addition with a hint of warmth by following the glaze recipe in our Maple Walnut Bars recipe.

Streusel

Sprinkling some streusel on top of your banana bread batter is like giving it a high-five before it goes into the oven. It's that cool, easy twist that bumps up the yum factor without any fancy baking skills needed. You can keep it simple with just butter, sugar, and flour, or throw in some oats, nuts, or even a dash of cinnamon for a little something extra. So go ahead, make your banana bread a little extra special with a sprinkle of streusel on top. It's a small step with a big payoff in flavor.

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

Add a decadent cinnamon streusel swirl. Mix up a quick cinnamon streusel that forms both a delicious and beautiful ribbon in the center of the banana bread as well as a tempting, cinnamon topping. It’s a double hit of sugary streusel goodness.

Prepare the banana bread as directed on package—except Heat oven to 325°F. Spread half of the batter in the pan. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup cold butter cut into small pieces until crumbly. Spoon half of the streusel mixture (about 3/4 cup) over the batter in the pan. Squeeze remaining batter over the streusel; spread evenly. Top with remaining streusel. Bake for 65 to 72 minutes or until toothpick inserted in several places in the center comes out clean. Cool as directed on the package.

Whether it’s the holiday’s or not, the below video is a great example of how to use mix-ins and toppings to make your banana batter fun and festive!

Why settle for just one treat when your batter can do so much more? It's time to explore easy hacks that transform this ready-to-bake batter into a variety of delicious creations. Grab your batter and let’s unlock all the tasty possibilities waiting to be discovered. And don't worry, we've already created some awesome hacks of our own—take a look and get inspired to create your hack using our batter.

Banana Bread French Toast

For an out-of-this-world delicious breakfast idea, make banana bread French toast! Using half of the baked loaf, this recipe is ideal when you don’t want the banana bread to go to waste or you want to knock the socks off those at your breakfast or brunch table—it will undoubtedly do the trick!

Cut half of the baked banana bread into 8 slices; set aside. In a shallow bowl, beat 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla and a dash of salt. Heat griddle or skillet to medium high. Brush lightly with vegetable oil. Using tongs, dip one piece of banana bread into the egg mixture to coat; turn over and coat other side. Gently shake off any excess egg mixture. Immediately place on hot griddle. Continue with remaining slices of banana bread and egg mixture. Cook about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown on bottom. Serve with pancake syrup or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Top with slices of fresh banana, if desired.

Banana Bread Muffins or Mini Muffins

Looking to take your banana bread with you as you head out the door? Bake it into muffins or mini muffins, for a completely totable breakfast idea. Line either 24 regular muffin cups or 48 mini muffin cups with paper liners—trust us—this one hack alone will help you get tender, moist muffins out of the pan without any sticking and make clean up a nonissue. (If you don’t have enough pans to make them all at once, refrigerate the remaining batter until you’re ready to bake them.)

Heat oven to 350°F. Let the batter stand as directed on the package. Squeeze the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake either the regular size or mini muffins 20 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan to cooling rack.

Simple Banana Bread Snack Cake

Easy to make and irresistibly delicious, this recipe turns our ready-to-bake batter into a moist treat that's perfect for any occasion. Ideal for a quick snack or a delightful dessert, this banana cake is a versatile addition to your recipe collection.

Spray a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. Follow the package directions—except spread the batter in a square pan. Bake until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover any remaining snack cake with plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 3 days. If you like, top the cooled banana snack cake with this simple cream cheese frosting, for a decadent treat:

Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium bowl, mix 2 oz softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with spoon or spatula until smooth. Stir in 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in 1 to 3 teaspoons of milk, one teaspoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency. Frost top of snack cake with frosting; top with fresh banana slices or chopped nuts if you like. Wrap any remaining frosted snack cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Banana Bread Cookies

These treats are not only easy to whip up but also irresistibly soft, promising to be an instant hit. You're going to love them just as much as we do. Just follow the directions below to transform your batter into delectable banana bread cookies.

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper; spray with cooking spray. Onto cookie sheet, drop cold batter (right from the refrigerator) by rounded tablespoonfuls (or a #50 ice-cream scoop) about 2 inches apart (refrigerate remaining banana bread batter while baking cookies). Bake cookies for 12 to 16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the tops appear dry. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet; transfer cookies to cooling rack to cool completely. Continue as directed with remaining batter. Store cookies at room temperature in resealable food-storage plastic bag or in a tightly covered container. Makes about 24 cookies.

Banana Bread Cookies with Cream Cheese Glaze: Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting (above) except—increase milk to 4 to 5 teaspoons. Add enough milk to frosting, one teaspoon at a time, until glaze is desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle or spread over cookies. Let glaze dry before storing cookies. Store cookies as directed above for cookies except—store in refrigerator.

From the ease of mix-ins and toppings to the delightful adventure of transforming our batter into cookies, we've explored a world of delicious possibilities together. Each twist shows the versatility of our ready-to-bake batter but also invites you to put your creative spin on every bake. Now, we're excited to see what amazing twists and hacks you'll come up with! Grab some of our batter, let your taste buds lead the way and don't forget to share your twists and hacks with us.

Tag us in your posts @Pillsbury—we can't wait to see What’s Poppin’ from you!