If you’re someone who hates showing up to a holiday festivity empty handed but are out of ideas and time to prepare something exquisite, I’ve found the dish for you.
The Trader Joe’s banana bread mix offers the perfect sweetness and fluffiness to satisfy friends and family and only requires three ingredients: eggs, vegetable oil and water.
The best part about it is that it takes less than two hours to prepare enough to serve a large crowd, and family members would never expect it to be anything but homemade. The first time I presented it to my family, I was worried they’d think it was straight from a box mix. Instead, I had distant family members begging me for the recipe.
Its flavor offers the perfect balance between a strong banana flavor and a hint of vanilla, and I love to top the loaves off with some chopped almonds or walnuts to tailor to the older crowd.
For the past three years, it has been my signature Thanksgiving dessert to bring to my friends and family, and that isn’t going to change any time soon.
While it’s intended to serve nine, my strategy is to buy three or four boxes for everyone at the gathering to be able to enjoy. I make two boxes together at a time and present them as two platters.
Making several boxes allows for so much variety as well– I’ve gotten to add chocolate chips, M&Ms, walnuts, almonds and other flavorful toppings that make it a bit more personalized.
In my family’s eyes, I spend hours preparing in the kitchen to make the fan-favorite banana bread, but in reality my preparations start three hours before our Thanksgiving dinner.
What I love about it is that it tastes exactly like homemade banana bread– the rich flavor makes it taste like ripe bananas were added to the mixture and as if it were naturally sweetened.
I’ve discovered that it’s the perfect Thanksgiving dessert that everyone seems to enjoy.
My younger cousins and relatives look at it as a sweeter, more fall-like vanilla cake, and older family members consider it the perfect balance between sweet and salty, which is what they look for in their fall desserts.
Throughout the years, the irresistible aroma of this freshly-baked treat emerging from the oven has become my true signal that Thanksgiving has arrived. My relatives now eagerly expect to find it featured on our holiday spread, and as the season draws near, I am constantly greeted by eager inquiries about when I will be whipping up another batch. It has transformed into one of those beloved family customs that I simply cannot imagine celebrating without.
Banana bread is versatile enough to be enjoyed as a post-dinner treat, the perfect breakfast snack accompanied by a cup of coffee, or a quick midday pick-me-up. Most importantly, it’s something I discovered does not have to be difficult to make in order to enjoy.
What I love about this effortless dish is that it brings everyone around the dessert table, establishes a cherished family routine, and leaves my relatives constantly begging for seconds.