We Tried Chrissy Teigen’s Famous Banana Bread Recipe
Updated: Oct. 10, 2018
Chrissy Teigen spent a year perfecting her banana bread recipe—but it will take you just one hour. I tested the bread in my kitchen to see if it's really B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
Celebs: They’re just like us! Except that when we ask our neighbors to borrow a cup of sugar to make chocolate chip cookies, we don’t break the internet. That’s exactly what happened when, last September, Chrissy Teigen tweeted a desperate request for six brown bananas. You know what that means: she was whipping up a loaf of her famous banana bread.
Thanks to the recent release of her new cookbook, Cravings: Hungry for More, we can all try Chrissy Teigen’s delicious dessert. Turn to p. 236 and grease up a Bundt pan, or live vicariously through me as I test the recipe for myself.
How to Make Chrissy Teigen’s Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed very ripe bananas
- 4 eggs
- 2⁄3 cups canola oil, plus a little more to grease the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more for dusting the pan
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 (3.5-ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 (3.5-ounce) bar dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
- Salted butter, for serving
About the Ingredients
I picked up the cookbook and a few ripe bananas and headed home, assuming I had all the necessary ingredients for classic banana bread in my pantry. Until I looked at the recipe. Instant pudding mix? Coconut? A bar of chocolate instead of chocolate chips? I was a little skeptical about the coconut—banana bread is one of those things I don’t think you should mess with too much. But I was determined to make the recipe just like Chrissy Teigen intended it, so back to the store I went.
Ready, set, bake
One thing I love about making banana bread is how simple it is. And this recipe is no different. I mashed the wet ingredients together, then folded in the dry ones, including the coconut and chopped chocolate.
Pro Tip: Your bananas need to be very brown and very ripe. Otherwise, they won’t mash well and you’ll end up with chunks.
Then I poured the batter in the Bundt pan—yes, a Bundt pan!—set that baby in the oven and waited… and waited. Chrissy recommends baking it for an hour at 325°, but mine took an extra 15 minutes to really firm up.
The final result
Before we even talk about the gorgeous golden creation that came out of the oven, be aware that your entire kitchen will smell like the inside of a bakery. (Definitely not complaining.) And if you’re wondering if the bread tastes as good as it looks, the answer is a resounding yes.
The unsweetened coconut and dark chocolate balance out the sugar and the bananas, for a bite that’s deliciously moist and just the right amount of sweet. All in all, I’d say the title of Chrissy Teigen’s new cookbook is very accurate: This banana bread definitely left me “hungry for more.”
Want to see another celeb’s most famous recipe? Whip up the biscuits that took Joanna Gaines a year to perfect.
Best Ever Banana Bread
Whenever I pass a display of bananas in the grocery store, I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of my best banana bread recipe. It really is amazingly good! It's also a greater starter recipe for banana bread variations. (Psst! Follow our step-by-step guide on how to make this banana bread recipe.) —Gert Kaiser, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Cast-Iron Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
I love this cast-iron banana bread because it cooks evenly every time. The end result is so moist and delicious! —Ashley Hudd, Holton, Michigan
3-Ingredient Banana Bread
It won't be long before you're able to make this easy banana bread without looking at the recipe! You need only three simple ingredients: a box of cake mix, mashed ripe bananas and eggs. —Kristina Vanni, Chicago, Illinois Wondering if you have enough bananas to bake with? Read more about how many bananas are in a cup.
Banana Nut Bread
This quick bread is a family favorite, so I always try to have ripe bananas on hand for this recipe. I'm sure your family will love this tasty, nutty bread as much as mine does. —Susan Jones, La Grange Park, Illinois
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
This gluten-free banana bread recipe isn't dry and crumbly—it tastes like the real thing. I hope you try it! —Gladys Arnold, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Banana-Zucchini Bread
My grandmother made this zucchini banana bread for as long as I can remember, and I've been making it ever since I learned how to bake. Children love it for a snack, and it's good to serve at any meal. It's another delicious way to use zucchini, which is so abundant in late summer. —Eva Mae Hebert, Lafayette, LA
Makeover Banana Nut Bread
This slimmed-down banana bread with applesauce is one of our favorite ways to make banana bread. On top of swapping out the butter, the amount of sugar is also decreased, too, by adding a little honey and using more banana. No one will ever guess this bread is low in fat! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Special Banana Nut Bread
This extra-special banana bread makes a wonderful gift for friends and neighbors. The recipe makes two loaves, so I can serve one and keep the other one in the freezer to use as a last-minute gift. —Beverly Sprague, Catonsville, Maryland
Upside-Down Banana Monkey Bread
Everyone digs in to monkey bread thanks to its pull-apart shape. We add banana slices and pecans to top this already scrumptious showpiece for a brunch or family gathering. —Donna Marie Ryan, Topsfield, Massachusetts
Orange Banana Nut Bread
I like this recipe because the orange juice gives the nut bread such a bright flavor and also makes it moist. —Barbara Roethlisberger, Shepherd, Michigan
Judy's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
I received this chocolate chip banana bread recipe from my co-worker and dear friend Judy years ago. When she gave it to me she said I'd never need another banana bread recipe. She was almost right. I added more chocolate chips for the chocolate lovers in my family. — Debra Keiser, St. Cloud, Minnesota
Double Cranberry Banana Bread
We love quick breads, and I've found that they freeze nicely if properly wrapped. This is a scrumptious recipe to make before the holidays and freeze for last-minute guests or gifts. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas
Pumpkin Banana Bread
I came across these loaves in a local newspaper about 10 years ago, and I still make this pumpkin banana bread recipe on a regular basis. It conveniently yields a number of mini loaves, making gift-giving easy. —Linda Wood, Roanoke, Virginia
Moist Banana Nut Bread
I made up this recipe when I was vegetarian and didn’t eat eggs. It’s packed with fiber, omega-3s and soy protein, but tastes delicious! Silken tofu is a wonderful egg substitute. It's one of the best ways to make banana bread. —Brittany Carrington, Tehachapi, California
Chocolate Banana Bread
Nothing tops old-fashioned banana bread, except maybe this chocolate version! Each slice is studded with nuts. —Connie Deke, DeWitt, Nebraska
I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas Bread
My children love to bake (and eat) all kinds of banana bread. They make this all by themselves, with just a little help from me to put it in the oven. —Kristin Metcalf, Charlton, Massachusetts
Banana Wheat Bread
A subtle banana flavor comes through in this moist whole wheat loaf. Flecked with poppy seeds, the sweet slices are wonderful warm or toasted and spread with butter. —Louise Myers, Pomeroy, Ohio
Moist Pineapple Banana Bread
Our four kids like slices of this moist tropical-tasting banana bread for breakfast. I sometimes bake it in mini loaf pans, then freeze the loaves so we can enjoy a small portion at a time. —Mary Watkins, Chaska, Minnesota
Banana Eggnog Bread
One of my favorite holiday snacks is warm banana bread with a glass of nog. I decided to combine the two, and was so happy with the resulting eggnog bread. —Kristin Stone, Litte Elm, Texas
Banana Pecan Loaf
We slice this banana bread so thick it is almost embarrassing—but we need fat slices to deliver ample portions of the Pineapple Spread. When beating the cream cheese for the spread, beat the cheese until it is as light and fluffy as whipped cream. —Lee Ann Miller, Millersburg, Ohio
Elvis Banana Bread
As a toddler, my son loved bananas, so we always had them in the house. We didn't always eat them all before they were too ripe, so we experimented beyond basic banana bread. That’s how we came up with Elvis bread! —Liz Somppi, Greenfield, Wisconsin
