Copycat Starbucks Banana Bread Recipe

Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to enjoy Starbucks bakery treats without ever having to leave your home? Well, thanks to professional chef Maren Epstein, who blogs at Eating Works, you can! Because along with Mashed, she created a copycat Starbucks banana bread recipe that, as she told us, "tastes almost exactly like the real thing." Of course, it's important to note that, as Epstein said, "This is homemade instead of factory-made, so there will be some differences." 

We're willing to bet those differences make this comforting loaf even more delicious and indulgent. Epstein shared with Mashed about her process in creating the copycat recipe: "I went to Starbucks and stared at the banana bread. I used my own tried-and-true recipe as a base and then added in the walnuts."

Meanwhile, if you feel a tad intimidated to try making a banana bread you have long admired at your local Starbucks, don't be! Epstein assured us, "This recipe is very easy to make, and it's always impressive."

There is a decent chance that baking up copycat Starbucks banana bread will not even require an Instacart order. For Epstein's recipe, you simply need two to three bananas, flour, baking powder, salt, maple syrup — cool, right? — an egg, vegetable oil, almond milk, vanilla extract, and chopped walnuts. A nice, hot cup of your favorite home-brewed Starbucks coffee to sip on while you bake will make the experience smell and taste even more authentic! 

Meanwhile, if you are thinking, um, I'm not a walnuts fan, then no worries. As Epstein told Mashed, "I think the bread would be great without walnuts." But wait — she also shared a tip for how to pump up the indulgence factor on the copycat bread if walnuts are not on your list of favorite foods, noting, "I personally would swap the walnuts out for chocolate chips." We are adding chocolate chips regardless! 

To get started on your sweet and delicious copycat Starbucks banana bread recipe, the first step is to preheat your oven to just 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This bread will bake for an hour at a low temperature. 

Then, you will need three bowls. In the first one, simply add your bananas, which work best for making this bread if they are slightly soft — so not super ripe. You will mash the bananas into a paste with a fork. Are we the only ones who think this step is really satisfying? In any case, now you can set the mashed-up fruit aside. 

And as an aside, did you know that mashing up your bananas really well is really, truly a key to making a delicious banana bread? This way, the banana flavor will be evenly dispersed throughout your loaf, and every bite of your bakery treat will be bursting with authentic, fresh banana flavor. 

To your second bowl, you will combine your dry ingredients for your copycat Starbucks banana bread. So the flour, baking soda, and salt get mixed together and set aside. To the third bowl, combine your wet ingredients. Yup, the sweet maple syrup, your egg, and the vegetable oil and vanilla extract get whisked together. 

At this stage, your wet and dry ingredients are going to get well-combined before you add in the almond milk and your mashed banana. Half of the walnuts go in the batter, and the other half go on top of your loaf. But hold up — be sure to grease your loaf pan before you pour the batter into it. 

The last thing you would want is to bake up a beautiful bread, only to have it stick to the pan and come out looking all funky. If that happens, you certainly won't feel like you are at Starbucks.

Your final step — pour some more coffee first — is to pour your batter into that greased loaf pan. You will need to bake your copycat Starbucks banana bread for an entire hour to get it right, or until you can stick a knife into the loaf and have it come out nice and clean. We asked Epstein for a few tips on how to make sure home cooks don't overcook their copycat recipe, and as she told Mashed, watching the bread is essential. "As soon as you can pierce it with a knife and slide the knife out cleanly, it's done," she emphasized, adding, "Don't leave it in the oven for too long." 

The good news is you can always put the bread back in the oven if you take it out too soon. 

Serve your creation with a little butter, and more coffee, of course, and enjoy!