I have been hunting for the perfect whole wheat banana bread recipe lately. The first was too sweet to stick with me from breakfast to lunch; the second was dry and lacking in flavor.
This banana bread recipe is just right: 100% whole wheat, naturally sweetened with honey, with a light, decadent crumb. Plus it is a cinch to mix together and only requires one bowl. My search is over!
Since I live by myself, I like to bake a big loaf of banana bread and freeze it for later. Once the bread has cooled, I slice it and store the slices in a freezer bag. When I’m ready to eat it, I just throw a frozen slice in the toaster. My homemade breakfast or snack is ready in minutes!
How do you like your banana bread? For some extra protein, I like to top it with pecan butter or peanut butter. If I’m feeling indulgent, I’ll add honey, butter, Nutella or maple cream cheese. Huzzah!
Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Quick bread
Your search for the perfect healthy banana bread recipe is over! Made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey, this banana bread is decadently fluffy and sweet. You don’t even have to tell anyone it’s healthy! ;) Recipe yields one loaf.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda*
- ¼ cup hot water*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs and beat well.
- Stir in bananas and vanilla, then stir in the salt and cinnamon. Lastly, stir in the flour, just until combined.
- Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and swirl with a toothpick or the tip of a butter knife for a pretty marbled effect.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Pedgi at Allrecipes.
Loaf pan recommendations: I love baking bread in my Le Creuset stoneware loaf pan so much that it deserves a mention. I also adore my new turquoise Fiesta stoneware loaf pan. Both are non-toxic, heat evenly and clean easily. Highly recommended!
*Baking soda/water update 10/13/14: After several years of being baffled by the hot water/baking soda trick, I can now definitively report that it’s an unnecessary step. If you prefer, you can just stir in ¼ cup water or milk (any kind) into the oil/honey/eggs and whisk the baking soda in with the spices. I’m leaving the recipe as is because I know so many of you love it as written!
Need to omit the eggs? I’ve heard from other commenters that flax eggs/chia eggs work well as replacements for the eggs. One commenter even said the bread turned out well when she forgot the eggs!
Want to make muffins? Check out my healthy banana muffins, which are a riff on this banana bread!
Margaret
hi kate, this recipe looks wonderful but i live in the uk and we have plain or self-raising flour (also strong but that’s for bread making). can you tell me which would be closest to pastry flour? i’ve just discovered your site and want to make all the delicious things. thanks in advance.
margaret
Kate
Hi Margaret, I think plain flour or any variety of whole wheat flour would be a good replacement for the pastry flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is very finely milled whole wheat flour that I like to use in cookies and quick breads. Bread flour might be too glutenous for this bread.
Christopher Heath
Hi Margaret, I am not sure whether you will read this post, but just in case you do I thought I would tell you that Waitrose sell Whole Wheat pastry flour. Hope this helps.
Lidiya Rebrik
This banana bread was so delicious and sooo moist! :) Love it!
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed the bread, Lidiya! Thank you for commenting!
Matt
I made this, and used whole wheat bread flour. Turned out great!
Also, I adapted a method from Cooks Illustrated and microwaved the bananas for 5 minutes to extract the juice! I used that instead of hot water to mix the baking soda. 4-5 bananas worked, and the bananas can be frozen when you start microwaving them.
Brilliant recipe, and the honey is sweet enough to counteract any bitterness from the whole wheat flour. It was a hit!
Leah
It was delicious but didn’t rise and I followed instructions exactly
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that, Leah. Has your baking soda expired? I don’t know why else it wouldn’t rise.
Elouise
This is the fourth time I’ve made this now, it’s great and the yummiest treat ever! Thank you for this post!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Elouise!
Christopher Heath
Wow wow wow.
Ok I think it best to start this comment off by saying that I absolutely abhor banana cake, Its a textural thing, and usually they are too mushy, which is a no no for me Its a real shame, because i adore bananas and use them daily in an effort to be super healthy. Well today Aja, my Swedish fiance, decided to have a go with your recipe instead of the ones she has been using, and wow what a difference. She followed your recipe to the letter and as we speak i am sitting in front of my new favourite weekly treat. It is moist but the texture of the crumb is perfect, crumbly without a mushy bit in sight. I absolutely love this cake and i will sneak another slice while she is on the phone.
Gorgeous recipe thanks Kate.
Kate
Christopher, so happy to hear that you have found a banana bread that you love! Thank you for telling me. :)
Kate
oh my goodness, this recipe is amazing! I was waiting for my bananas to go brown and this morning, they were perfectly spotted.
I made a few changes – I used spelt flour instead of whole wheat, and added pecans and coconut, all which worked out perfectly!
I always love your recipes Kate, and this one is definitely going to be another favourite.
Kate
Thank you for commenting, Kate! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Pecans and coconut sound like wonderful additions.
Erica
Banana Bread was delicious! Thanks for sharing! Love your recipes!
Kate
Thanks, Erica! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. :)
kara
I’m a little late to the recipe, but wanted to say thank you!! I didn’t actually make banana bread this time, but I wanted a whole wheat/honey recipe base to use up some zucchini hanging out in the fridge. It was wonderful!!! I’m a chronic quick bread recipe hopper, but I will be sticking with this base in the future! It even beat out standard “non-healthy” recipes!!!
For anybody that wants to make it zucchini bread, I used two small zucchinis (about 1 1/4 cup shredded) in place of the bananas. I also added some slivered almonds that were hanging out in the pantry.
I did tweak the recipe a little based on what I had available- 1/3 cup of honey instead of 1/2 (that was all I had left!!). I just have regular whole wheat flour, not pastry, and that worked out just fine, just in case any of you out there were wondering. I also subbed 1/4 cup of the flour with ground flaxseed, which I do with most things I bake. I also doubled the cinnamon, but only because I’m a cinnamon freak and could basically eat it plain…
It’s a brilliant recipe, and I’ll be using it as a base for the rest of my quickbreads! :) I may even have to go invest in some whole wheat pastry flour…
Thank you thank you thank you! (And if you at home were wondering if you should try this- DO IT!)
Kate
Kara, thank you for commenting! I really appreciate you sharing your substitutions. I’m excited to try this bread with zucchini soon. Your version sounds so great!
Kimberly
I’ve made this bread about 5-6 times before and loved it. The flavor and the texture are just great. However, the last two times I’ve made it its been very dense and undercooked (despite cooking it 1.5 times the recommended time). I’ve followed the recipe exactly as I had before, and I’m not sure why it’s not coming out as awesome as I know it can be! I saw a previous comment about a similar problem, was it ever solved? I don’t think it’s my oven, I’m not sure if it has to do with a specific ingredient or something…
Kate
Kimberley, I wish I had an answer for you! Sometimes baked goods can be finicky. I would check to make sure you’re using fresh baking soda as it can lose its potency over time. Otherwise, I’m not sure what the problem could be. :(
Shalena
Thanks for this awesome recipe! Being Vegan, I substituted the eggs with flaxseed and still great results! Yumm!
Kate
That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing your substitutions, Shalena. It’s about time I learn how to bake with flax eggs.
Ashley
I was looking for a whole foods banana bread recipe today and stumbled upon this. I love that in addition to using unprocessed ingredients it also uses coconut oil instead of butter. My toddler really enjoyed helping make and eat it. I was so pleased I ended up finding another recipe on your site to make for dinner. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Kate
Ashley, thank you for commenting! I’m so glad your family is enjoying my recipes. I bet making quick bread with a toddler would be really fun. :)
Agathe
Thanks for the recipe Kate, I was looking for a recipe to use up my giant honey jar and it was a big hit! The texture is perfect and I love the cinnamon-marbled top. Next time I might use a bit less sweetener…
I was intrigued at the baking soda in water debate. I followed the steps but I used baking powder instead (this is what I had in my pantry), which is basically baking soda + other rising agents. Mixed with hot water, bubbles started to form. I mixed it instantly with the dough, and popped in the oven. The result is a light crumb with noticeable holes formed by baking powder bubbles.
Thanks for this recipe!
Kate
Agathe, thank you for commenting! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Your baking powder results are interesting!
Kathleen
I’ve made this several times now- usually as muffins, which takes me about 20 minutes in my gas oven. I have substituted roasted sweet potato and squash for the banana, maple syrup for the honey, and whatever odds and ends of dried fruit and nut happen to be around (I work at a bulk food store, so I end up with a lot of random things). I’ve tried it with spelt flour, and a mixture of spelt and oat flower, and that works, too. Basically in my experience this recipe is pretty hard to break, and I’ve had such fun using it as a template. A few weeks ao I made some for my brother and my coworkers ate all but three before I could go see him after work! So, thanks. It may sound like a small thing but I am a happier person knowing I can whip these up in a flash.
Kate
Kathleen, so glad you’re loving the banana bread recipe! I want to try your spelt and oat version next. Yum.
Kathleen
And by flower of course I mean flour. Summer is getting to me!
Rebecca
Kate, I love this blog SO MUCH!! Such delicious, healthy recipes! I made this bread today because I had some mushy bananas lying around and I love it! The best whole wheat banana bread I’ve tried. I threw some flax seed and sunflower seeds on top for a little crunch, and used Isis Biodynamic whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour. If you haven’t heard of Isis, you should look it up. Especially since you are such a fan of using whole foods :) Thanks for the amazing bread, I check weekly for new recipes!!
Kate
Thank you, Rebecca! I’m so glad you’re loving my blog. :D Your version sounds great. I’m off to research Isis flour now!
Kelly
I am not a baker, but I do love baked goods. Naturally, I’m always trying to find a way to make them a little healthier so that I can have more of them. Just made this bread and I LOVE it. Just the right amount of sweetness that you don’t feel like you’re eating a piece of cake. Will definitely make this again. I added walnuts, cranberries, a little bit of applesauce and used almond extract instead of vanilla because I was out of it. Excellent! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Kate
Kelly, I’m happy to hear that you loved the banana bread! Your version sounds delicious.
Victoria
This was absolutely phenomenal! It was a huge hit with my family. It tastes so moist and unhealthy! :) Thank you for the simple recipe. Very happy I came across your website.
Kate
Victoria, thank you! I’m so glad you loved the banana bread!
Lis
I’m late to the party but I made these this past weekend and they were so delicious! We’ve always loved banana bread in my house (my husband could live off it) so I wanted to find a healthier recipe with less sugar added. I googled “wheat banana bread” and when your page came up in the results I ran with it! I’ve loved following your blog the past year – and this recipe is a new favorite! The only thing I changed is the cinnamon – I have an allergy so I swapped it for some nutmeg and cloves instead, and it’s delicious. Almost a banana spice muffin. I only used 2 frozen bananas and I think next time I’ll use 3 – other than that this recipe was delicious! Thanks for sharing it with the world :)
Lis
(and I say “these” because I made them as muffins, which turned out wonderfully)
Kate
Thanks, Lis! I’m glad you enjoyed the bread!
Michele
No one will ever get this far down in the comments to read this but Kate, I made this bread with honey from my own hives. It is a great recipe! and a great way to use your honey!!!!! I also threw in some blueberries I just picked so I changed it up a little. Awesome. That’s all I can say.
Tina
I scrolled all the way down to add my own comment in hopes to get a reply from Kate. Lol. Or anyone who took the time to calculate the calorie count!
But Michele, I wish I could purchase honey from you! I live in northern Canada and the Hutterites have not came to town yet with theirs!! I’m in need!! Lol.
Good on ya!!
Kate
Hi Tina! Thanks for commenting. I hope you enjoyed the banana bread!
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Michele! Your local honey blueberry version sounds incredible!
Mohini
Best banana bread I’ve tasted so far! Always on the look out for cake recipes that don’t contain processed sugar and this just went down a treat with my 2 hungry boys…and me :-) We added a few chocolate chips for good measure but don
Think I will next time, it’s perfect as it is.
Kate
Thank you, Mohini! Glad you all enjoyed the banana bread!
Adina
I LOVE this recipe. This is the only way I make my banana bread, and I think I’ve made it about 10 times already. I’ve made it with regular and pastry whole wheat flour and both work, but have found the pastry flour does make a difference. Great with walnuts and chocolate chips too!
Kate
Thanks, Adina! So glad you enjoy this recipe!
Gayatri
Hi Kate! Thank you a million times over for sharing this recipe. I’m in LOVE! Banana bread is always amazing but this healthy version completely blew my mind, it turned out sooo great! I threw in a few chocolate chips and topped the bread with some oats and it was just perfect. I’ll be blogging about it soon!
Kate
That’s great to hear! Thanks, Gayatri!
Jennie
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and finally made one of your recipes. This banana bread didn’t disappoint…so good!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Jennie!
Vas
might this recipe work eggless ( replaced with yoghurt or the likes?)
Shabs
Hi Katie
I stumbled upon this while searching for “healthy” recipes for a friend, and I am so glad to have found it.
Made it last night with buttermilk instead of water, and even though I mistakenly used 1/2 a cup of buttermilk instead of 1/4th, it still came out lovely. Admittedly, I added 1/2 a cup of dried cranberries and a handful of walnuts to counter the extra liquid, and baked it for an extra 10 minutes!
I think I will be repeating the mistake in future too :-)
Kate
Thanks, Shabs! I’m glad you found my blog and enjoyed the banana bread! Your version sounds delicious.
Jess
This is an awesome and delicious banana bread recipe. My All time favorite.
Kate
Hooray, thanks Jess!
Jason
could i replace some of the whole wheat flour with Oat flour? maybe 3/4 cup?
Kate
Yes, I think so! Another commenter reported success with some oat flour.
Rebecca
HI! This recipe looks amazing, and I really want to bake it tonight. I am just wondering if there was a way to sub for the honey? We are completely out, and we just got a huge snow storm, so I’d rather not go out if I don’t have to. Thanks!!
Kate
Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you last night. Real maple syrup works! I think agave nectar would, too.
Jason
Yep, it worked..
Rohini
Dear Kate,
I’m from India. I just baked this bread for my husband as a birthday surprise…it has risen beautifully and looks gorgeous. I topped it with walnuts as well… Now can’t wait to taste it… Once it cools off…
Thanks for such an awesome recipie!
Had a question… If I need to substitute the eggs… What do you suggest swap it with?
Cheers!
Kate
Hi Rohini, glad it turned out well! I’ve heard flax eggs or chia eggs work in place of the ggs. Actually one commenter said the bread turned out well when she forgot the eggs!
Luzia
This is my fifth time baking this banana bread and I’m still in love with it!
I always cut and freeze it, so whenever I oversleep and I’m late for Uni (student party life, yay) I just pop one or two slices in my toaster and I’m good to go. Also this is great as a low budget breakfast, just like lots of other recipes on your blog.
Vegetarian greetings from Berlin!
Kate
Thanks, Luzia! Glad you enjoy it! :)
Mandy
This is a great banana bread recipe! I’ve made a few different healthy banana bread recipe’s & they usually turn out fairly dense. My husband & I both love this recipe because it is so light & fluffy, not dense at all. I use maple syrup instead of honey & only a quarter cup. Also, I only have a glass loaf pan so I cut the oven temperature back to 300 & bake for around 70 minute’s. Thanks so much for posting & I’m looking forward to trying your other recipe’s. :) :)
Kate
Thanks, Mandy! You might enjoy my pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins as well.
Connie Xu
Hi Kate! I just made this for Galentine’s Day, and I have to say that I did not expect so many comments on how moist and tender the bread tasted! Thanks for helping make today so special for my friends and me! :)
Kate
Yay, thanks Connie!
Gregor
Just finished off the first bite of this banana bread, and IT IS WONDERFUL! I did have to cook it an hour and 15 minutes, and I added 1 tsp vanilla, a bit of mace, and some cinnamon. Just Perfect!
Kate
Happy to hear it, Gregor! Thanks for commenting!
Maria
This was a super easy recipe. Prep time was a cinch, as was clean-up. I added some vanilla extract per one of the reviews. I normally add walnuts to my bread, but b/c of a tree nut allergy in the house, I had to come up with something else to add. I added about a cup of fresh blueberries and some dried cranberries to the batter. What a wonderful addition. Next time I’ll add more blueberries as I loved the flavor it added. I used 5 very ripe banana’s and the bread was super moist. I had enough batter left over to make 6 muffins in addition to the loaf. I’d like to reduce the butter next time also and replace it wtih applesauce and add some chopped up apples to the batter as well. This is a keeper. Thanks!
Kate
Thanks, Maria! Glad you enjoyed the bread. Thank you for sharing your substitutions!
Ashley
the reason why u have to mix the hot water with the baking soda is to be sure that it dissolves. u can also use warm water.
Alina
Haven’t made banana bread too many times before but this is definitely one I will try again! I used white whole wheat flour, a healthy cup of mashed banana, and filled half the 1/3 cup of oil with vanilla greek yogurt. Baked a couple minutes over 65min at 320 degrees (due to the dark loaf pan), and finally added 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips. Turned out great! Moist but not sticky, with a soft crumb, and ooey gooey chocolate chips! My two toddlers love it! Thanks for sharing!
Kate
Thanks, Alina! Glad you enjoyed it!
Cecile
I just made this recipe for the first time. I don’t bake… Ever really. But I decided to try this. I used maple syrup instead of honey and made it as muffins instead of a bread (my little boy loves muffins) It is delicious!! Just warm out of the oven. Will be making this over and over!!
Kate
Thank you, Cecile! Happy to hear that you are both enjoying the bread (I mean, muffins!).
Lotte
I loved this recipe, and so did my family! I’ve made this recipe multipe times already. I use about 1/4 a cup of agave nectar combined with 1/4 a cup of honey to sweeten this bread. It makes for the perfect sweetness without a high GI! (Agave is lower on the GI)
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
joanna
hello kate!
how do u think would the bread turn out if I omitted the banana or the pumpkin puree? Would it be too dry? Although I loved both cakes I would like to have a simple honey whole wheat bread . What do u suggest?
Kate
Hi Joanna! Good question. I haven’t tried, but I’m not sure how well that would work. I think you would need to add some milk in place of the bananas, but I’m not sure if it would be a 1 to 1 substitution. I do, however, have a naturally sweetened quick bread recipe here. You can use honey in it. It’s more dense than this one.
Rita
Yummy! I loved the banana bread and so did my husband!
Thanks for the recipe
Kate
Glad to hear it! Thank you, Rita!
June
I’ve tried this recipe which tasted good, but I find that the coconut oil overpowered the taste of the bananas. although I added 2.1/2 banana. Next time I will reduce the coconut oil or add more bananas, because I prefer to taste bananas instead of the coconut oil.
June
“I’ve tried this recipe which tasted good, but I find that the coconut oil overpowered the taste of the bananas. although I added 2.1/2 banana. Next time I will reduce the coconut oil or add more bananas, because I prefer to taste bananas instead of the coconut oil.”
After having read the recipe over, I realized that I had made a mistake with the ingredients. I put in to much coconut oil. I apologise.
Kate
Hi June, thank you for letting me know! I have never noticed a strong coconut oil taste (some are more sensitive to the flavor than others), so I am glad you found your mistake. I hope you love your second batch.
Jodi
Hi Kate and Cookie too. I made your recipe using sprouted wheat flour and half and half. It turned out well. We spread ours with more honey and/or butter. Great recipe Kate!
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Jodi!
Jess
Tried this tonight, no substitutions/changes. This will definitely be replacing my usual banana bread- it’s delicious, moist and light and I love using whole wheat flour and coconut oil and honey instead of white flour and sugar. Great job!
Kate
Yay, thanks Jess!
Sarah
Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s amazing! I ended up making some changes though. In other recipes I saw, they substituted apple sauce for the oil so I did that. I also reduced the amount of honey to a 1/3 cup because the apple sauce is a natural sweetener. I accidentally ran out of honey while I was making this so I ended up using 1/6 honey and 1/6 maple syrup. I also decided to use 3 and a half bananas for this bread even though it was over one cup. As for the water and baking soda, I used your note at the bottom and used 2% milk instead. Overall, I am super happy with this recipe! It was delicious and also moist. Can’t wait to make this again!
Kate
Thank you, Sarah! Your version sounds awesome. Thank you for sharing!
Esther
This recipe is delicious. My two year old loved it, and I’m so glad it is made with whole wheat flour. I added walnuts for a bit of extra oomf. I can’t wait to try your tip of slicing, freezing, then toasting.
Kate
Thank you, Esther!
Molly
Hi Kate, I’m super excited to make this recipe, especially since I have a bunch of overripe bananas that need using up!
Quick question, I only have self raising whole wheat flour, and can’t be bothered to go buy plain whole wheat flour, so should that be okay? or shall I omit the baking soda?
Kate
Hey Molly, I’m sorry I didn’t answer your question sooner. I’m not sure, since I’ve never baked with self-raising! From what I understand, each cup of self-raising flour contains 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, so I think you’d end up with way more baking powder than the recipe calls for.
Molly
Oops sorry, forgot that self-raising flour is a UK thing. I’ve just taken it out of the oven & loaf tin and can’t help but sneakily munch on the crumbs that have fallen off (and chunks of it that haven’t! ) and it’s so so yummy!
I got confused trying to figure out the ratio of baking powder/soda I needed, and decided on 1/2 a tsp of baking soda, and it was perfect! It’s the first time I’ve baked something that actually looks like the picture!
I’ve been obsessed with your blog for ages now, and making a decision of what to bake first has been sooo difficult! Glad I chose the banana bread recipe because it’s definitely a keeper!
I love how your blog is all about healthy eating and sugar substitutes, it’s really inspired me to start cooking and baking more, and eating healthy!
Thank you Kate!
Kate
Thank you, Molly! I really appreciate your sweet comment! :)
Ekta
Hi Kate,
I have seen people substituting applesauce for oil. How do I make applesauce if I want to do the same?
I used to bake the apples and then grind them to a puree when making applesauce for my baby and freeze ’em in batches. Wanna know if there is another ( read better and quicker) way of doing this :)
Kate
I have a recipe for that! Since you’d want smooth apple sauce for oil substitution, you’d probably want to chop the apples into smaller pieces. You might not even need the full amount of maple syrup listed there, either.
Molly Rodriguez
Great recipe! Kids love it, we love it, win! I used a combo of whole wheat pastry and white whole wheat flour because I didn’t have quite enough of the pastry. I also baked in a shallow glass dish and liked it better than the loaf (my loaf pan is cheap and terrible). Thanks! I blogged about it here. http://healthykitchenhealthybudget.com/2015/06/29/honey-banana-bread/
Kate
Thank you, Molly! So glad you all enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your results on your blog!
Ekta
Wow, floored that you still respond instantly. Thanks a ton.
I tried this today bread with oil today morning but a couple of things went wrong. First – Added baking powder instead of the baking soda to hot water. It fizzled up ferociously and I thought it was good and will rise the bread to great heights.
Well, the bread was done in 40 minutes instead of 65 when I inserted a knife – it came out clean. But it did not rise at all.
And it did not look as brown as yours.
I know the baking powder might be the culprit and I am thinking of omitting the mixing of soda in hot water all together as you commented.
The bread was dense, not fluffy at all. Also it was a tad bit too dry and cracked on the top and sides.
Please suggest what else could be the reason.
Also my pan is 9.5X 5X 2 aluminium loaf pan. Planning to do mini muffins tonight.
So questions:
1. Why was it not as dark brown as yours – mine was a light beigy shade
2. It was cracked and too dry outside
3. It was too dense and moist and did not rise at all
4. Initially want to try it with sugar instead of Honey. Can I use powdered sugar?
Please help my toddler loves banana bread and while I am good with the apf version, the wholewheat is something I have failed at – yours is the fourth recipe I tried :(
Kate
Hi Etka, sorry to hear about your troubles. This recipe is designed to be made with honey and baking soda, so that could explain it. The honey turns a darker color while baking and the baking soda helps the bread rise.
Benjy
Erika What coconut oil is to fats, Honey is to sweets. Most honey has it’s own distinct flavor that sometimes comes through in cooking and baking and usually takes a little getting used to but I get Orange blossom honey out of Flagstaff Ariz and Mesquite or Desert wildflower which has a really mild and delicious flavor. The raw and unfiltered costs a little more (don’t know why, as it seems it would take less work) but the health benefits are unreal. I use it in all my breads and make sure I have a few tablespoonsful daily for better digestion and energy. I”m 85 next month and have no aches or pains except a little discomfort the other day from the extended position I had to be in while assembling a parabolic solar cooker for our back yard. And Kate. I love your site here. I’m trying some yeast-Honey-Banana-Blueberry coconut oil bread, but having a bit of trouble getting it to rise to the volume my other breads rise to, making it a little heavy. Tasty, but a little heavy. Any suggestions?
Kate
Hi Benjy! I’m sorry I didn’t answer you sooner. So great to hear that honey is helping you stay in good working order! I don’t bake with yeast very often, so I’m not quite sure what to suggest. Maybe a little more leavener would help, or a lighter flour?
Ekta
Thanks for your response Kate. It encouraged me to try it one more time and I thot, if it fails this time, I wont try again :)
Voila, it came out perfectly browned and rose beautifully. Love Love Love the texture.
Just that I can have it a little more sweetenend. What do you suggest?
I dont want to add more honey as honey is a humectant and might yield a wetter/gooey loaf.
Can I mix a wee bit of powdered sugar into my dry ingredients before mixing with wet? Do you think will need to add a bit more milk to counter the addition of sugar so that the batter stays to be of the same consistency.
Made mini muffins and a small loaf. My 4 year old came and said” Thanks Mom, it was yummy”. Made it with “Indian Aata flour”. Mini muffins done in 15 min and Loaf in around 45min. Both at 170 degree Celclius
Kate
Hi Ekta, so glad it turned out well this time! I think you could just mix in some sugar (plain or powdered) with the dry ingredients. I don’t think you would need to add any more milk.
Danie
any suggestions on how to make this into a healthy chocolate banana bread?
Kate
Hmmm, I think you could add some cocoa powder with the dry ingredients and fold in some chocolate chips at the end, too!
Heidi
Amazingly delish!! Rivals my moms 4H recipe which has been hard to do with low fat, low sugar recipes
Kate
Thanks, Heidi!
Alison
Thank you so much for this recipe! I first came across it about two years ago when I was doing Baby Led Weaning with my daughter and want some fun recipes that didn’t contain added sugar. Your banana bread recipe remains by far my absolute favorite! It’s rather rare to have any ripe bananas to be able to cook with (my daughter is a banana-fiend and eats any and all bananas in sight!), but when I do I am so excited to be able to bake this!
Kate
Thank you, Alison! Delighted to hear it!
Kari
I just made this and loved it. So moist and delicious. My new go to recipe. I am pregnant and really watching my sugar intake so I halved the honey and bumped up the banana by a bit. Perfect outcome!
Kate
Thank you, Kari! Glad you enjoyed it!
Theresa
I wanted to try a whole wheat banana bread recipe so I tried yours and one from King Arthur. We all agreed yours was better, more moist for sure, and had less sugar and used coconut oil. Thanks for the recipe! Yours is the first blog I’ve signed up to follow since I liked so many of your recipes.
Kate
Hooray! Delighted to hear that. Thank you very much, Theresa!
Esther
I made this banana bread a while back and put it in the freezer in individually wrapped slices. I just took one out for the first time, put it in the toaster, then spread slightly salted Irish butter on it. Wow – deeeeelicious. Maybe the best banana bread experience I’ve had so far. Thank you!!
Rachel Amanda
I’ve made a double batch of this twice in 2 days! Yesterday I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was amazing. I couldn’t believe how high it rose, especially for a banana bread. Great texture and great flavor.
Today I made it with half the maple syrup because I prefer my banana bread less on the sweet side. And added a cup of toasted chopped walnuts for a bit of crunch and extra flavor. It’s in the oven as I type, and the house smells amazing.
Thanks for sharing.
Kate
Thank you, Amanda! Happy to hear it!
Jessica
Hello,
I loved your pumpkin bread recipe and I want to try this one now !! Can you substitute whole wheat flour with oat flour ?
Thank you :)
Kate
Hi Jessica, I’m not sure! If you give it a try, please let me know.
Marie
Another great recipe from you! I have made this banana bead many times now and I absolutely love it. I usually add about 50g of chopped walnuts for a bit if extra texture.. I love having slices of this in the freezer and just pop them in the toaster whenever I need a treat :) One last tip: making French toast with this bread is ridiculously delicious ;)
Kate
Thanks, Marie! Glad you like this one! French toast with banana bread… woah yum.
Seren
Have made this recipe about a zillion times and every time anyone one has tried it they have loved it and asked for the recipe !
Kate
Yay! Thanks, Seren!
Emma
Hello! I’m new here :) ive baked 2 loafs using your recipe and both have turned out wonderfully! I used half buckwheat flour for the second one and it worked great so next I’m going to try all buckwheat – wish me luck!
I was wondering what your opinion on coconut oil is? Of course you use it here so you must like it (and so do I actually) but ive been doing some research and it’s incredibly high in saturated fat. I know the type of saturated fat matters, and it’s not the worst kind, but no long term tests have been conducted on how it affects heart health. Do you use it liberally or sparingly?
Much love,
Emma x
Kate
Hi Emma! So glad you’re enjoying the banana bread. Do let me know how the all-buckwheat version turns out! I use (unrefined!) coconut oil pretty liberally. I know it is a different kind of fat that the body burns off immediately instead of storing for later. I generally operate under the assumption that minimally refined, natural fats are pretty healthy. I avoid margarine and trans fats like the plague. I’m hearing more and more research that saturated fats aren’t nearly as dangerous as we once thought. Here’s an interesting article on coconut oil (she’s clearly a fan!).
Megan Rich
I made this yesterday and it’s practically gone! So delicious and healthy too! I love being able to feed it to my toddler knowing that it has no added sugar. Thank you for the recipe.
By the way, I’ve tried many of your recipes lately and they are all delicious! I’m so happy I found your blog.
Kate
Thank you, Megan! Delighted to hear that. :)
Alexandra
Kate! I tried to make this recipe today for a small dinner with the friends. As I got an idea of baking something too late I had to hurry up but your recipe was crazy good for my case and I was ready with mixing in 15 minutes. And then I left it for an 1 and a half because couldn’t put in the oven right away. And it turned out to be great. Especially when i was cutting it when it was still warm! It looked amazing! And tasted amazing as well. Everyone liked it a lot. My boyfriend told that’s a perfect bread, although he is not a fan of things with banana. The only thing I changed was that I added 1/2 of cup of brown sugar instead of honey/maple syrup and I especially like that I use whole wheat flour because it’s the thing about me that I like to bake not only tasty but healthy stuff ( although sugar is not very healthy :) but I had no time and no honey).
And the whole website of yours is just super great and I already tried your falafel and pumpkin pancakes. Very happy that foung your page!
Keep on experimenting and share it!
Kate
Hey Alexandra! So glad this bread turned out great for you in a pinch. Yay!
Rebecca
Kate, this was fabulous :) Used chia in place of eggs, 1/4 cup silan instead of honey and we found it to be perfect :) This is going to be a regular in our house…Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Kate
Thank you, Rebecca! Glad to hear it.
Brook
Yum! I just made this and it has the right amount of sweetness, though I added about a half cup extra banana since I had three. Left out the water altogether and it seems fine. Next time I’ll add some walnuts or pecans :)
Kate
Thank you, Brook! Happy to hear it.
Neha
I’m new to baking and tried this as i my first banana bread recipe. It came out really well for 1st time baking :) I used Indian chapati flour.
Though the cake didn’t rise that much.
Could you please tell me how much the eggs should be beaten(i beat them with a whisk for around 15-20min).
Kate
Hi Neha! I’m glad your bread turned out well. The eggs don’t need to be beaten long at all, just until they’re thoroughly mixed up (under a minute). Your bread might rise higher next time with less beating. I hope so!
Sana
Hi Neha, when you say Indian chappati flour do you mean “atta” or whole grain flour? I’m interested in trying in that way too but haven’t heard of anyone else doing it yet
And thank you Kate for this recipe! I love your cookbook and am excited to now try things from the blog!!
Heather
My daughter and I love to bake and have been on the hunt for the best “healthy” banana bread recipe and this one is our favourite by far. Thank you. I think our hunt is over :)
Kate
Yay! So glad to hear it. Thank you, Heather.
Christa
I’ve made this bread a couple times now and it is great. I made it substituting a 1/4 tsp of almond extract in place of the vanilla, which i think compliments the mild sweetness of the bananas. Thanks for the recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Christa! :)
Dianne Pappafotopoulos
Thank you for this healthy recipe! It was delicious. I found that I only needed to cook it for 45 minutes though and it came out perfect! Delicious alternative to english muffins for breakfast!
Kate
Glad your bread turned out great, Dianne! Thank you for letting me know!
talia
Can you swap the banana for zucchini or do you have a zucchini bread recipe by chance? My son loves zucchini bread but the recipes i use use far too much sugar and i try to omit most of it.
Sarah
A dear family helped me out when my car battery died last week. Wanted a yeast free bread to make for them and stumbled onto your website. Thank you!!
Kate
I’m glad you got the help you needed! Hope he/she loved the banana bread. :)
Nex
I made this bread today and it came out really well. I went for the dry baking soda option and it is lovely and moist. Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Nex!
Rachel
This is a great recipe! Thank you!
I’ve made it a few times now. Mostly with bananas but once with pumpkin. I double the recipe and make three smaller loaves. They last about a day each in this house!
I’ve also used buttermilk instead of water as I see some others have posted about.
Love that it’s whole wheat, honey and coconut oil!
Thanks again for a great recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Rachel! Your versions sound great!
FoodiG
Light amount of sweetness. Will def save for repeated use. Baked for 65 minutes and it turned out delicious. :-)
Paula
Hi Kate!
I made your banana bread at home and it became our favourite! Definitely a keeper. Not too sweet, perfect texture and can be kept for a couple of days.
Thanks a lot for this recipe!
LOPAMUDRA RAIGURU
Hi Kate, made this banana bread this afternoon n its a hit. I used coconut milk instead of water. It came out so well, smells great n tastes awesome, not vry sweet, just perfect.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Sara
I just tried this recipe! Yum! I’d like to know the nutritional info if you have it. I don’t see it.
Kate
I’m sorry, I don’t offer nutrition information since home cooking is so variable.
Claire
banana bread turned into a disaster, center is just mush no matter how much you cook it, on the outside looks lovely but inside is horrible. Won’t be making this again I will try other banana bread recipe Do Not Recommend trying this!!
Chica Bajita
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s the best thing I’ve made in my kitchen, since I started to have stomach problems and have been on a strict no spice no acidic stuff diet!
Bananas + whole meal + sweetness without sugar = made my day!! Thank you :)
Kirsty
I had a go at this, but ended up with a burnt crust and underbaked middle. My oven hasn’t failed me on other bakes, has anyone else come up against this problem?
I will add that the end result was very yummy, which makes the imperfect finish more frustrating
Lily
This was my first attempt at banana bread and it turned out great! Made it for a casual gathering with friends and it was demolished! Love that something so tasty is also extremely healthy!
I used honey instead of maple syrup and also substituded 1 cup of whole wheat flour for oat flour.
Nikola
Great consistency even though I had to replace the whole wheat flour with gluten free version. The only thing is that my bread turned out to be very salty and I’m sure I used the right amount of salt. I’ll make this bread again with little bit less salt :)
Namrata Fernandez
Hi Kate!
Can you help me with the ingredients in “grams” format please?
Kate
I just made this, and it’s my new favorite banana bread recipe. Several of my friends have asked that I make it again.
Bailey
I am 15, and I am going to make this for my friend (she is coeliac and lactose) and I only need to sub the wholewheat to wholemeal and this bread is as good as hers (she couldnt eat the brownies i made) so thank you for this recipe! :), P.S everything i also check if the ingredients were gluten free and dairy free
Rofina
Hi Kate,
Can you substitute some of the honey for applesauce?
Laura
I’ve made this several times, and even though it tastes great it never seems to be the right texture – more like a bread pudding in the middle (even after an hour and a half) and it never seems to rise properly :-( I’ve tried whole meal flour and strong whole meal flour — I wonder if I should try self-raising whole meal flour? I’ve also tried cooking in my main over (fan assisted) and the smaller top oven (not fan assisted) — so I wondered if the temp you gave was fan or non-fan? I’d really like to get it right the next time coz it tastes so yummy, but it’s so goey (even though skewer is clean when I fetch them out..). Thanks for any help in advance :-)
Kate
Hey Laura, I’m sorry that is happening. You might want to get an oven thermometer to see if your ovens are running at the right temperature. Mine doesn’t have a fan. You might also check that your baking soda hasn’t expired.
camila
Hi Kate, made this banana bread this afternoon n its a hit. I used coconut milk instead of water. It came out so well, smells great n tastes awesome, not vry sweet, just perfect.
Kate
Thank you, Camila! I’m glad.
Amy Anderson
This was soooo amazing! I doubled it, but I only had 2 eggs, so I used an extra banana instead. I used the maple syrup and added a few carob chips. My kids were raving about how yummy this is. This will be my new go-to banana bread recipe.
Amy Anderson
Missed the rating before, so doing it now.
Sandra
Do you think this Would this work ok with a gluten free or coconut flour? Im trying to cut carbs as much as possible!
Kate
Hi Sandra, a gluten-free all-purpose blend should work fine, although I’m not sure it will significantly reduce carbs. You really can’t substitute coconut flour for any other flour; it soaks up all the moisture in the recipe and will have profoundly negative effects on the outcome if the recipe wasn’t designed for it.
Rachel
Made it today with leftover pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice. Can’t wait for it to come out of the oven! Little person licking the bowl as we speak :-)
I used butter and buttermilk. Thanks again for this recipe!
Kate
Hope it turned out great! Thanks, Rachel!
Rick
Found this whille looking for something interesting to make with a small batch of stone ground Red Fife flour which I had just acquired. I opted for the honey this time, mixed the baking soda into the flour, and used warm whole milk instead of water. At 55 minutes the temperture was 192°F. The only problem is that it’s disappearing very quickly.
Nic
Amazing. My family finished 3/4 of it 10 minutes after it came out of the oven. I will have to make another one tomorrow! I used the flax egg suggestion and it was great.
Kate
YES so glad to hear they gobbled it up! I hope you got to try some, too :)
Yvonne T
This recipe is amazing!! I’ve never baked banana bread before though I love it but was finding it challenging to adapt other recipe for my diet. First attempt was yummy but dry the following day. Tried adding pitted dates and an extra banana (needed extra time in the oven). I also substituted half the flour with almond flour and result. Very yummy! Still moist a day after baking. The dates does make it sweeter but it’s okay, all healthy. I also used coconut oil and coconut milk instead. All in all a great recipe, easy to make and adapt to dietary requirements. Had some with my breakfast this morning instead of my normal bread. Great as a dessert with coconut cream too!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Kate
You’re welcome, Yvonne! I’m so glad you persisted and found a variation that works with your needs & tastes.
Laura
Wonderful recipe!! Made this with chocolate chips and walnuts. The coconut oil, honey and whole wheat made me feel better about indulging in this lovely baked good. Looking forward to checking out some of the other recipes on this site. (Also, traditionally I use over-ripe bananas, which worked well)
Linda Bonner
Best ever recipe, Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Linda!
Stella
This is such an amazing banana loaf! I tweaked it slightly and added some dried ginger, cloves and chopped almonds, as well as used aquafaba instead of the eggs. So good!
Kate
Yum! Sounds well-spiced and delicious, Stella.