Want to make someone’s day? Bake them some banana bread! Just yesterday, I said, “I’m going to bake some banana bread,” and watched a full-grown man’s eyes light up like a kid’s on Christmas morning.
Banana bread is one of those classic, all-American comfort food recipes that fills the whole house with warmth and makes everything better. Banana bread is magic.
I perfected this banana bread recipe for my cookbook and wanted to share with you here. This recipe has all the hallmarks of classic banana bread—it’s fluffy, moist, infused with sweet banana flavor, and beloved by toddlers and adults alike.
Bonus? This recipe requires just one bowl, a few measuring cups and some basic ingredients.
What makes this banana bread healthy?
- This banana bread recipe is made with 100 percent whole wheat flour, unlike traditional banana bread recipes that call for refined flour and lots of processed sugar.
- This banana bread is naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup, which offer some trace nutrients that white sugar does not.
- Lastly, this recipe calls for a reasonable amount of unrefined oil rather than whole sticks of butter (choose from virgin coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil).
As you can see, my homemade banana bread has plenty of redeeming qualities, chief being that it won’t send your blood sugar levels for a loop. You can keep them all to yourself, though. No one will be able to tell that this is healthy banana bread!
Banana Bread Flour Options
This recipe is flexible! Any of the following flours will work well. I love to use white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour—they offer all the whole wheat nutrients, without the characteristically nutty flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- Oat flour*
- Spelt flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- White whole wheat flour
*To substitute oat flour, you’ll need to use 2 1/2 cups, for reasons elaborated in my guide to oat flour.
Want to make your banana bread with almond flour? You sure can, but it’s not a simple substitute, so follow my almond flour-based banana bread recipe instead.
Tip: How to Measure Flour
For best results, it’s important to measure your flour properly. Here’s how to measure flour in cups using the “spoon and swoop” method:
- Gently stir your flour with a large spoon to loosen it up.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup (don’t scoop it in!).
- Level off the excess with a butter knife.
Banana Bread Variations
Now that I’ve finally perfected this basic banana bread, feel free to change up this recipe and make it your own. Toss some chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter! Same goes for chocolate chips. You could also add raisins, chopped dried fruit or slices of bananas.
Craving muffins instead? Follow my recipe for healthy banana muffins.
Following a special diet? With a couple of minor tweaks, you can make this bread vegan (so dairy free and egg free, too) or gluten free. Check the recipe notes for details.
Watch How to Make Healthy Banana Bread
Healthy Banana Bread
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
With this healthy banana bread recipe, you’re only a few simple ingredients away from the best banana bread ever! It’s made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. You can easily make this banana bread vegan or gluten free—check the recipe notes for details. Recipe yields 1 loaf (about 10 slices).
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil*
- ½ cup honey (168 grams) or maple syrup (155 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (225 grams) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
- ¼ cup (56 grams) milk of choice or water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; they aren’t the same!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
- 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour**
- Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
- Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes). Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes. You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread from the pan. Carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey whole wheat banana bread, originally based on All Recipes.
Storage suggestions: This bread is moist, so it will keep for just two or three days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for five to seven days, or in the freezer for up to three months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by letting them rest at room temperature or lightly toasting them.
*Oil options: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that (I tested with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” variety and couldn’t even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
**Flour alternatives: In place of the whole wheat flour, you can use an equal amount of all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Or, substitute 2 ½ cups oat flour.
Make muffins: Here’s my banana muffin recipe.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it dairy free: Choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it egg free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
Make it gluten free: Use an equal amount of Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free blend or 2 ½ cups certified gluten-free oat flour. Do NOT substitute coconut flour.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
If you love this recipe: You will also love my banana muffins, banana cake with cream cheese frosting, healthy pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. Here are all of my baked goods and banana recipes.
Recommended equipment: I am totally in love with my Fiesta Loaf Pan in Turquoise (affiliate link).
Your dad
I haven’t tasted yet cause its in the oven but the batter was delish
★★★★★
Amber
This was my dad’s favorite recipe! Haven’t made it for a year, and came back to confirm ingredient list. But your username made me smile.
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, Amber!
Lydia Smith
Please can you tell me how many calories are in a slice?
Kind Regards,
Lydia
Kate
Hi Lydia! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the blog.
Julie
This was delicious and the best wm no sugar banana bread I have tried over the years. I made it and offered some to my grandchildren who loved and brought it out to be added to the table .
Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Julie!
Sarah Hibbing
★★★★★
Natalie Blajwajs
I have been making this recipe for a few years. I use half regular/half whole wheat flour. Add-ins are always chocolate chips and Skor bits (similar to Heath bar in the USA). The best recipe, always moist and delicious. Thank you Kate!
★★★★★
Traci Schaunaman
You are a miracle worker! I was a little nervous about this, expecting a poor substitute for banana bread, and imagining that I would regret not making it the old fashioned (high in fat, sugar, and calories) way. I decided I’d try it once, and to my shock, it’s amazing!! I didn’t have whole wheat flour, so I used white, but everything else was as the recipe called for. It was delicious! Moist, flavorful, with a tender crust, and wonderful taste. I could hardly believe that it was made a lot healthier! A true winner!
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, Traci! Thank you for your review.
Elizabeth Rensch
I used coffee instead of coffee/milk and it added some depth. :) thanks for the great recipe.
jim hewitt
as usual, I can always count on her recipes being the best on the web
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Jim!
Jill
Taste is really good, but for some reason mine turned out a little dry. I only baked for 55 mins, so I’m not sure what happened…
★★★★
Beth Warfield
I love this recipe. I actually use four bananas as I like a really moist crumb. I also use 1 cup of all purpose flour and 3/4 whole wheat flour. Finally, I add 1 cup of add-ins. It is delicious.
★★★★★
Kaydee
Mine doesn’t seem to cook properly and the it’s like the bottom is still uncooked or the honey drops to the bottom ☹️ what am I doing wrong?
Kate
Oh no! How long did you bake it? Where did you place it in your oven?
Susan Allard
This is a delicious banana bread recipe! It’s the only one I use now.
Kate
I love to hear that! Thank you for your review, Susan.
Lena
Just made it with the addition of dark chocolate chips. It turned out really good!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Lena!
Ellie
SO good! Tastes just like normal banana bread, but without tons of sugar so I feel comfortable feeding it to my toddlers.
Nicola
This is an amazing recipe and so easy, even my children who do not like bananas loved it.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Nicola! I appreciate your review.
Julie
I mastered banana bread with this recipe. I do it now at least once or twice per month and each time I try another combination. (I put less honey, one spoon only, since I have a small child). Everybody love it, Thank you!
★★★★★
Emma
This was incredible, thank you for the recipe! I now want to try and substitute the oil with homemade apple sauce, do you know if it tastes much different?
Kate
I don’t know without to try it. Sorry!
Kelly Smith
This bread was fantastic! Followed the recipe and it turned out moist and delicious! Cooked for 60 minutes perfect….not dry, not mushy at the bottom like some recipes. This my new best recipe for Banana bread!
Oh and the fact it was made with whole wheat flour and honey, so good for you…
Kelly Raymond Smith
★★★★★
Dominique
Nice banana bread taste, but a little dry. I baked for ~58 minutes. I might add applesauce next time!
★★★
Charlotte
The best banan bread recipe I have ever tried!! Its so good I am flabbergasted
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderufl to ehar, Charlotte!
Sara
Oh my! I was so surprised that this turned out as good as it did. I loved my old “unhealthy” banana bread recipe and I was afraid this one would taste like bland health food, but it was absolutely delicious. It was moist with just the right amount of sweetness. I made it according to instructions using coconut oil and honey. It will be my new go to banana bread recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Sara!
Pam
5 stars. This recipe is a moist tasty banana bread. Mine had chocolate chips in it though so maybe not as healthy but the family gave it a 5 star.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Pam!
Raina Mitchell
I make this almost every week, changing up the additional ingredients but usually is walnuts and Whittakers dark chocolate. Super simple recipe but so delicious and moist!
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, Raina! I appreciate your review.
Val
This has been my go-to recipe for years now and I have received nothing but compliments when making this for friends/family..so a solid thank you is in order, haha! If I wanted to make a chocolate version of this bread, would I just add 1/2 cup of quality cacao powder to the batter?
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Val! I appreciate your review.
Sally
I make this all the time with gluten free flour, dark chocolate and walnuts and it’s my favourite banana bread recipe! I find it definitely takes 1 hour at least, maybe that’s down to me substituting the flour for GF.
★★★★★
Anna
This recipe was perfection! I used AP flour, 3 bananas and added 1/2 cup chocolate chips. I’ll be making the next batch soon. So good!!
★★★★★
Kate
Happy to hear you loved it, Anna! I appreciate your review.
Rosina Antenucci
I have been making this recipe every week for a while now and it always tastes great. I use almond meal with add in of a large handful of walnuts and sometimes dried fruit. Two months ago I accidentally added cardamon. Now I always add I TSP cardamon and 1 TSP cinnamon. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for your recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Rosina!
Rianna Robles
could i use almond flour??
Kate
I would suggest my Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Made with Almond Flour)