Banana Bread Waffles are Easy with a Boxed Mix

Banana bread is delicious.  Breakfast is the best meal of the day.  Combine these two and you’ve got yourself Banana Bread Waffles!  This recipe is so quick and easy because you’re just jazzing up boxed waffle mix with an extra ingredient or two.  Don’t have a waffle maker? This batter can easily be adapted for pancakes.

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Anyone Remember Banana Bread Waffles?

 

I don’t, but my husband saw a box of Eggo Banana Bread Waffles when he was a kid and has been searching for them ever since.  This poor guy has checked every new grocery store for this elusive breakfast item with no luck. After a quick Google search, it turns out they haven’t made them in many, many years.

Since my husband’s boxed waffle dreams have been dashed, I had to step in with some homemade banana bread waffles.  He’s not into most of my baked goods, but he happily wolfed down these waffles. They probably aren’t like the Eggo ones, but we may never know.  If you tried those back in the day, tell me all about it in the comments below!

 

 

Making the Waffles

 

Okay, I actually made banana bread waffles for the first time several years ago, and of course, I didn’t write down what I did.  Curses! But it was pretty basic, so I was able to recreate it, more or less. I’ve made a lot of pancakes (like these birthday ones!) and waffles (like these green velvet ones!) from scratch.  For this recipe, I decided to make it crazy easy and use a boxed mix.

Normally, I use Heart Smart Bisquick, but this time I used Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk Waffle Mix.  This is not a sponsored post, but I want to tell you why I made this swap.  The Kodiak Cakes mix is high protein, so I felt like it would pack a bit of nutrition while also being filling.  But also, it was a rebate in Ibotta (that link will give both you and me a bonus for signing up!).  

 

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Ibotta App

 

I’m a sucker for Ibotta because it pays for my Starbucks.  Seriously, I haven’t paid for Starbucks in nearly 2 years. I earn money in Ibotta by purchasing items I actually want and redeem that cash for Starbucks gift cards.  Now, I don’t have a daily Starbucks habit, so it pays for my irregular visits. I’ve also used it for Amazon, Old Navy, Whole Foods, and more.

 

Now back to the important topic at hand, banana bread waffles…

 

Creating the Banana Bread Flavor

 

If you just add mashed banana to waffle mix, you’re going to have banana waffles, not quite the same as banana bread waffles.  Banana bread, unlike my recipe, doesn’t typically have spices in it. But I added a tiny pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg because it just felt right.  I can’t explain it.

To really capture that banana bread flavor, I added a splash of vanilla and a bit of brown sugar.  Now, brown sugar is not a super common banana bread ingredient, but I took some liberties again.  I figured brown sugar would add a little depth to the flavor that would compliment the banana bread flavor I was shooting for.

 

 

Ripen Bananas in the Oven

 

Normally I have a bunch of bananas on the counter turning a bit speckled, or a freezer full of super ripe bananas.  But, of course, I’ve been making a ton of smoothies this week, so my supply was a bit low. So I decided to use that little hack y’all might have seen floating around Pinterest and I ripened bananas in the oven.

It’s soooo easy.  Plop your bananas on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment.  Bake at 300℉ for 25- 30 minutes. Boom! Done. Let them cool before you use them because they could cook your egg in the waffle mix.  In my opinion, this was great when you’re in a pinch, but the naturally ripened bananas taste better.

 

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Pancake Adaptation

 

Not everyone has a waffle maker, or likes waffles (Leslie Knope is judging you), so try these as pancakes.  All you need to do is nix the oil. I’m going to assume you know how to cook pancakes, but if you need help, check out these Pumpkin Pie Pancakes or Birthday Cake Pancakes.

 

 

Brinner is Life

 

These banana bread waffles ended up being brinner for us because I keep forgetting to throw dinner into the crock pot in the morning.  (Don’t worry, it’s in there right now, so we’ll be eating real dinner food tonight.)  Can I just take a moment to express my love for brinner?

Breakfast is the best food ever, and I’m thrilled when I get to eat it for all three meals in one day.  Plus, it’s great for those times when you forget to start dinner early enough or you haven’t gone grocery shopping.  You probably have enough ingredients to whip up french toast, pancakes, waffles, eggs, or what have you.  It’s a perfect lazy meal.

 

Enjoy!

 

I hope you love digging into a plate of thick, fluffy banana bread waffles!  This recipe is so quick and easy thanks to boxed waffle mix and you can easily turn them into pancakes.  Enjoy them at breakfast, brunch, and brinner for the perfect day.

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