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: Cookie and Kate
- 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).
Lisa
This is my go-to banana bread recipe. The base recipe is perfect! Never fails – and not too sweet like many other recipes.
This time I was feeling creative and added 1/4 cup ground chickpeas and topped it with a sesame seed-honey glaze…SO good! Gave it a nice warm nutty flavor.
Thank you!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Lisa!
Kasumi
This banana bread was amazing! My husband and I enjoyed it so much. Do you think if I can substitute oil with unsalted butter? I’ve always wondered about it when I bake bread/muffins/cookies…
Kate
Hi! I haven’t tried it with this one and I do know butter amount can vary so I can’t say for sure how much. Sorry, Kasumi.
Craig
This is the only banana bread recipe I use. However, it doesn’t rise as much as i like. I fix this by raising the oven temperature to 330-340 and adding baking powder. I also add some corn starch to make it a bit more cakey. Unfortunately I eyeball it, so I don’t have an exact measurement to give. Absolutely WONDERFUL if you add rum and instant coffee to the batter, I use about 3-4 tsp of rum and 1-2 tsp of instant coffee. It is not alcoholic after baking, the rum just enhances the banana flavor. I like to top it with salted dark chocolate or almond chocolate. My man and I always double the batch! It works great for muffins too.
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that, Craig. Are you cooking at a different elevation? I’m happy you found something that works for you!
Norah
I loved this recipe.
i added 1/4 tsp nutmeg.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Norah! I appreciate your review.
Anna
I love this recipe… it was delicious. I decided to cut back on the honey and add some dark choc chips which worked really well. It didn’t rise very much so I was thinking it might need some more baking soda, but would definitely make again.
Tanisha Levy
Thanks for sharing, I made this recipe on Wednesday and it came out perfect! However today am trying it with the flax eggs and left baking for 1 1/2 hour and my toothpick still came out a little wet. But I’m in love with this recipe.
Nathalie
I made it with oat flour and doubled the recipe. It came out really fluffy! And almost hazelnutty. Really good!
Dinithi
Can I make muffins using this recipe instead of the loaf?
Kate
Hi! I would suggest my banana muffin recipe.
Shweta
I have found my go-to banana bread recipe!! I followed the instructions to the T and it came out perfect. We are all set with the weekend breakfast and snack. I would happily let my toddler have a slice as well :)
Kate
Hooray! Thank you for your comment, Shweta.
Cynthia Fielden
Luv the options… and the nutritional values…
I have made several times, & it goes quickly, and we don’t miss the sugar.
Claudia
I have made this twice now and it’s always comes out really stodgy and soggy. Kids still eat it but it doesn’t look anything like the photo.
Kate
Hi Claudia! I’m sorry to hear that. What type of flour are you using? How long do you leave it in for?
Amanda M
Made this 3 times so far. Excellent recipe. Used olive oil, regular whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar instead of honey, 1tsp cinnamon (because I love it) and almond milk. My only issue with this recipe is it takes 15-20 mins more to cook in my oven for whatever reason.
Kate
That’s great to hear! Thank you for reporting back, Amanda.
Kel
Wonderful recipe!! I used coconut oil and oat flour. Took an extra 10 min to bake but worth the wait! Thank you!
Diana
This was one of the best recipes I tired and the results were outstanding.
Thank you so much!
Liyema
Hi there, for the flour can I use coconut flour?
Kate
No, I’m sorry, coconut flour behaves completely differently than most flours. You will find many other flour options in the recipe notes.
Anna
this is super amazing! Easy to make, healthy and YUMMY . It makes my relationship with my teenage son 100 times better. Many thanks to you, beautiful lady
Greta
Hi would this work in a bread machine?
Kate
Sorry, I haven’t used one so I’m not sure.
Aditi
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious. I did tweak it a bit since I don’t like it too sweet. I cut the maple syrup to 1/3 cup and added an extra egg. Thank you for this great recipe.
Beena
Came out delicious. I used apple sauce instead of oil, brown sugar instead of honey/maple syrup and added raisins, cranberries and sliced almonds as my mix-ins. Baked for 60 mins. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Jeni
Could you please tell me how much apple sauce you used.
Thank you
Beena
Exactly the same quantity as the oil required. 1:1 ratio. Hope that helps.
Frank
Made this for thanksgiving and my 8 year thought it was a cake and loved it! She even tore a few more pieces from the loaf when we weren’t looking!
Definitely adding the zig-zag pattern helps to cook it more thoroughly. It was perfect done at 58 minutes for our oven at 325 using 3 mashed bananas (about 1.2 cups). All other ratios and ingredients the same (used extra virgin olive oil, 2% milk, and whole wheat flour). Thanks so much…my wife and kid are loving that their dad can make such a tasty recipe!
Farah
Tried this today, love love love! Thank you :)
Liz
Hello we love this banana bread. This is the second time I made it. It’s very moist and healthy. I put dried blueberries in it with olive oil. I’m luck to get one slice because my 15 year old son gobbles it up!
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Liz
Mary Lou Menning
I found out this fall that I am allergic to sugar and dairy. I was on a search for baked goods recipes without those two things. I stumbled across your recipe and decided to try it. It is literally the best banana bread I’ve ever made and eaten. I tried it with maple syrup the second time – even better. I’ve made it gluten-free for my husband and two daughters. I’ve shared this recipe with so many people. I love that it’s sweet without the white sugar sweet. This banana bread recipe is the only one I’ll be making from now on. In fact, there’s two loaves in the oven right now. Thanks for a great loaf!
Kate
Hi Mary, I’m sorry to hear that, it’s always hard. But, I’m glad you found my blog and this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Geetha
I am a novice baker and being a vegetarian myself, love this site. Made this recipe a couple of times, just as is and my family loves it. My only trouble is when I slice the bread they crumble and don’t all hold shape. Is it ‘cos I am not letting it cool completely ?
Other than that this recipe is the bomb. Thanks Kate!!
Ps: My 14month English Golden Retriever Bailey Loved it just as much :)
Kate
Hi! I’m excited you are loving my blog. Yes, be sure to let it cool and cut big enough pieces so it holds together. It also sounds a bit dry, so make sure you are leveling your flour off to not have too much flour to the recipe. I hope this helps!
Jacqueline Jacobs
I made this recipe today grinding my own oatmeal to make the oat flour. I am at high altitude(8,000) feet. I followed your recipe exactly. It has a wonderful flavor! The texture is a little grainy which maybe that is due to not enough processor time. Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely be trying it again.
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
Alice
Sadly this turned out kind of dry for me, and I wished there was more banana in the flavor. The bananas I used weren’t overripe the way I like for banana bread, which was no doubt the issue with the too-subtle banana flavor. I baked it for 45 minutes (I habitually set my timer for less than recipes tell me to so I avoid over baking). This was done and not at all burned but just lacked moisture.
Mary A Piker
Love this recipe…easy and delicious! I’ve made it several times and so far my favorite is using 1 and 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup flaxseed meal and for the oil I really like avocado oil. As add-ins I did 1/4 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup each walnuts and raisins. I stirred all my dry ingredients together with the add-ins and folded that mixture into the wet ingredients as the last step. It keeps the raisins and chips nicely mixed into the bread otherwise they sink to the bottom. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. :)
Danny
Just made this tonight! Made it with oat flour and it came out perfect. I didn’t let it cool enough before taking it out of the pan so it broke in parts but that’s my fault because I was impatient lol. Froze half of it and put the other half in the fridge. Thank you for this recipe!! ❤️
GABRIELLA DOCCHE
Hi Denny may I ak how many grams of oat flour?thank you so much
Cathi Schoenhoff
Delicious! I used half wheat flour and half A/P flour and added chopped walnuts. What a great tasting treat!
Alahna Banana
I made this recipe using oat flour (the amount recommended) organic olive oil and half the amount of honey.
It came out better then I’d expect! It’s so delicious I can’t believe it’s healthy.
Although, if you don’t like things too sweet like me, half the amount of honey is still plenty sweet enough as the banana also adds to the sweetness!
I enjoy mine warm with a drizzle of natural peanut butter!
This is my new ‘go to’ recipe for breakfast on the go, thank you :)
Kate
Thank you for your review, Alahna!
Wes
that sounds good, im wondering if adding peanut butter also in the mix would be a good idea? might give it a nutty texture and taste without hopefully losing the nice banana flavour.
Kate
Hi Wes! Adding peanut butter to a slice once made is delicious. Mixing it in would change the recipe and not sure if it would work.
Seleyanne
Pretty much the best banana bread I have ever made! it was super moist and great topped with crunchy peanut butter as a snack! the only adjustments I made were:
– I subbed the oil with melted butter (1/3 cup)
-Used three bananas (previously frozen)
-And added dark chocolate chips (3/4 cup)
-I ended up baking it at 65 mins in a convectional oven.
****I love your recipes, and just had to comment on this one!
Marie
Great recipe! I had to use all purpose flour because I had just used up all my whole wheat making two batches of dinner rolls. Still this banana bread came out great!
Cibele
This recipe is perfect and my banana bread tasted amazing!
I followed the recipe with the quantity in grams, with 220g of plain flour.
Next time I might use more honey or a little bit of brown sugar for my super sweet taste buds ;)
Jen
This banana bread is amazing!! I was looking for a healthy loaf to make for my 9 month old son to be able to eat and he devoured it (so did I!)!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love all your recipes so much that I recently purchased your cookbook. It’s such a beautiful cookbook filled with delicious recipes!
Thank you!
Jen
Marijana
Usually when I try to make a healthier version of something we love eating, it doesn’t turn out very well…but THIS, this is spot on! I used spelt flour and it turned out just fine :) I’ve passed on the recipe to the rest of the fam!
Brad
Great, the recipe came out as you described. I used gourmet local honey from B.C., and added 1/2 cup Chipits. I doubled the recipe and baked it as a cake in an 8 x11 pyrex dish. Thanks!
Shaheena
My go-to banana bread recipe! :) I use whole-wheat flour and maple syrup and load it up with walnuts and dark choc – Delicious!!
Katie
You are my go to for recipes, always. I do follow a lot of folks too! Have not had a bad one yet. Today, the banana bread really missed the mark. Surely it was me.
Used flax eggs, like I do. The honey may have been it. Raw and solid. Had to melt it along with coconut oil. Could that be it?
Kate
Hi Katie, I’m sorry to hear that. Your honey may have been the cause since it was solid. Did you use really ripe bananas?
risa-josephine
This is such an easy, delicious and healthy banana bread recipe. I make this all the time. It turns out SUPER fluffy and delicious! I personally mash the banana’s in my hand which helps make it more puree-like, rather than chunky.
ANYWAY, YOU WON’T REGRET MAKING THIS!
Rai
Hi!
I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe-I became very popular with the family at our picnic for making this. Best of all I can make it gf and healthy! Everytime I cook or bake something, I use your website and it’s a success everytime so thank you so much!
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s such a hit, Rai.
Sonali
Made this healthy banana bread yesterday following the exact recipe and it’s delicious. I added half cup of chopped walnuts for a little nutty taste. Thank you for sharing.
Abbey
My new favorite banana bread recipe. Love the honey flavor it has
Eimear
I think my fav banana bread ever, and I’ve made a lot of different banana breads. Thank you, great recipe :)
Christa
I was curious if I have to change anything if I’m baking in an aluminum loaf pan?
Kate
Hi, It may get done faster so keep an eye on it.
Emily
This banana bread recipe has tricked my friends and family into thinking that I know how to bake. It comes out perfectly every time, no matter what subs I make. It’s just the right amount of sweet and healthy for kids and adults alike. I’ve successfully tested the following subs (some in combination): 3T aquafaba or 1 flax egg for 1 chicken egg, 1/4 c flax for 1/4 c WW flour (I always make this sub to add extra fiber!), 1/2 c almond flour for 1/2 c WW flour (gives bread a nice nutty flavor), and 1/2 c applesauce for 1 banana (this is my favorite). I also usually cut the honey or maple syrup to 1/3 c to reduce overall sugar, then top with a 1/2 t of turbinado sugar. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Courtney
I loved this banana bread… even my grandma, who is a very prideful and picky eater with super high standards (she’s been to multiple countries tasting wine and cuisine and taking chocolatier courses) thought it was delicious. And she hates whole wheat goods!!
I made it as per the recipe with no additions. I love recipes that include the ingredients measured by weight rather than in cups and it can be hard to find them on a lot of these contemporary food blogs. My only issue is that the nutritional value is measured for “one slice”. That could mean anything, depending on how big you slice it. Is there a weight measurement in grams for the nutritional value?
Thanks for sharing =]
Paul Friel
Great recipe- everyone loves it!
Mae
I was looking through your cookbook for a snack recipe and stumbled upon this delicious banana bread. It’s moist, not too sweet, and doesn’t leave you uncomfortably full and icky feeling after you eat it. I didn’t add any mix-ins, but topped a slice with peanut butter. YUM! Thanks for this amazing recipe!!
Kate
You’re welcome! Also, thank you for purchasing my book. I appreciate it!
Elias
I have made this banana bread so many times and it has been delicious so consistently every single time. I felt that after making it so long and receiving many compliments that I must leave a 5 star review on this recipe. It is absolutely perfect and you won’t be disappointed with this banana bread! Everyone was shocked when I said it had whole wheat flour because you honestly can’t tell it’s just too good!
Ada
I tried this recipe twice. Both times, the cake was dense, compact and wet, like play dough. I’m sure all measurements are correct, and the batter looked fine too. Any help appreciated.
Kate
Hi Ada, I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like you may have had too much flour. Did you level your flour? If you had too much, the leavener also wouldn’t work the best either.
Brin
I’ve been loving this banana bread! I’m about to make it for the third time this month… it hardly makes it to the end of day two in my house my partner keeps teasing that he’d love to have more than the crumbs next time!
Hanh
I used oat flour and it worked out really well. Thank you so much!
Kat Crow
Thank you for this recipe, every time I make it everyone loves it and can’t believe its gluten and dairy free. This is the best banana bread recipe I have ever had and made. I was on the hunt for gluten free baked goods without all the sugar since my husband is allergic and I am highly intolerant to gluten. It comes out well with the all purpose gluten free flour blend I use. It is so hard to find recipes that can be made with either gluten or gluten free flour! I do cut the honey down to 1/3 cup since we don’t like things too sweet and I add about 1/4 cup collagen peptides for a protein boost. Turns out great every time! Thank you again!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kat!
Elizabeth
Hi Kate,
I’ve been testing out various Banana Bread recipes during this time and My husband and I both agree this is by far the best!
The only thing is I used “refined” coconut oil and added some small
chocolate chips.
My loaf seemed to be only and 1/1/2 high…not as tall as yours.
Is is supposed to be that way? Anyway…delish!!
Elizabeth
Alli
This recipe has become a FAVORITE in our house and have probably made it close to 2 dozen times at this point and it comes out perfectly every time. I love making them into muffins, and experiment with different mix-ins. I’ve recommended it to so many family and friends, too!
Solitaire
Can this be made with frozen bananas?
DaniBo
I’ve done this about 3 times now! This time I added almond milk instead of regular milk and I always flour the pan after greasing it. It’s great! Love adding 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of walnuts!
Chaitrali Sardesai
I have made this recipe at least 40 times and it’s just so wonderful! I love it. Also, could I replace honey with date syrup?
Kate
I love that! Thank you for your review.
Madelaine
Amazing banana bread! My absolute favourite…would like to try with buckwheat flour? What do you think?
Kate
Hi! All the flour recommendations are in the post. I hope this helps!
Carla
Incredible banana bread. Doubled the recipe and used 6 bananas it’s perfect!!!!!! Thank you!
Courtney
We love this recipe and have been making it weekly for at least a year. We always buy way too many bananas from Costco and get to the end of the week with 2-3 bananas that are too ripe to eat, but perfect for banana bread.
This recipe is SOO delicious and so easy to eat a lot of (which I still can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not).
Kate
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Courtney.
Roz
I’m not usually a big fan of banana bread, but I had 1 overripe banana, so thought I’d look up a recipe to make for my kids. I only made half the recipe and baked it in a normal loaf tin for about 35 minutes (obviously half the height but that didn’t bother me). I added some chopped up melting chocolate and a little bit of dessicated coconut and coconut essence and it was delicious… And that comment is coming from both me and my kids! I also love how most of the measurements are in grams to save me scooping out with separate utensils. I will be making this again for sure.
CC
Very good. I made it with EVOO and was surprised that there was not a funny taste. It was delicious.
Matcha
Hello from Paris !
The recipe was really moist and tasty.
I will try it with chocolat chips next time :)
Thank you very much,
Matcha
Aimee
Amazing recipe! So quick and easy to put together, and nice to have a banana bread recipe without too much sugar. I only had 1/4 cup of maple syrup left so supplemented with 1/4 of brown sugar, and added half a teaspoon of nutmeg after reading that suggestion in the comments. Will definitely make this again!
Ashley burkholder
Love this recipe ! Definitely my go to !! Just wondering how many points it would be if you were on weight watchers ?
Kate
Hi Ashley, sorry to disappoint but I’m not an expert there so I can’t provide. The nutritional information is below the recipe notes.
Peta
This is easily the best banana bread recipe; much healthier and tastier than others and very flexible with what can be added. I use plain flour (all purpose) and add chia seeds, sunflower seeds and a handful of chopped dates too. In the past I have also used cranberries, grated zucchini and a spoonful of LSA mix as extras.
My oven is fan forced and I only need about 46 – 48 minutes before it’s done. I’ve also baked this in the air fryer oven. Takes a bit longer but the result is just as good.
It comes up awesome toasted and my kids love it too (winner!). Freezes in slices really well as it’s so easy to take out, reheat and toast up.
Great recipe, best banana bread!
Vasu
Superb recipe! I left out the eggs as I wanted an egg free loaf and it worked just fine.
rachel
I used whole wheat flour (not WHITE whole wheat) and it came out very dense/barely rose. Any idea what happened here?
Kate
Hi! How did you measure your flour?
Parvathi Menon
This recipe was my first baking attempt, and I could not believe how well it turned out. The bread was moist, not too sweet, and just an ideal snack throughout the week with my coffee. Cannot wait to make it again! Thank you.
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
Noelle
So easy to make and tastes great! Also personally enjoy the cinnamon swirled effect for the finished product haha. Thank you for the recipe!
Francine Scanapico
Hi Kate, I’ve been making banana bread for years and due to recent health changes, decided to look for a healthier version and came across yours, thankfully. I followed by using my scale. For the flour, I used 1c organic AP flour and 3/4c white wholewheat and bc I can’t use raw honey, I used organic maple syrup but only half the amount bc added sugar, I need to be mindful. Oh, and for my liquid, I used unsweetened Vanilla Pea protein, lol. The aroma coming from oven was great. The bread crumb was so moist. I let it rest and waited until completely cool before slicing. So tender. This will now be my go to recipe for my personal banana bread. Thank you.
Janet
Yum!! I am having a hard time leaving it alone, it tastes so good!! I used spelt flour and it worked very well in it. Next time I will add a little bit more banana and make sure it is even riper plus add some more pecans because I really like nuts. And I think I will try maple syrup and see if it changes the taste at all.
Karina
This was absolutely delicious! Loved the honey flavor. I used all-purpose (white) flour and vegetable oil. I also substituted a little almond flour in with the AP flour.
I loved the cinnamon swirl top suggestion! I want to do this on all of my banana breads in the future.
I would definitely make this recipe again.
Amanda
This was amazing, I’ve eaten a lot of bahaha bread but never made one and it’s the best I’ve had!
Sarah
I used butter instead of oil and added 1 diced apple and a handful of blueberries.
Yummy!
Nikki
Perfect banana bread!! I’ve tried many other recipes trying to get a perfect healthier version of banana bread with no luck. The only ingredient I changed was I used 1/3 cup applesauce because previously when I used the oil, I didn’t like the oil taste. I used honey instead of syrup and I baked for 50 minutes. It came out perfect. It was moist and cooked all the way through. This will be my go to recipe from now on and I’ve already downloaded it my recipe app. I am a type 1 diabetic and eating this bread did not send my blood sugar through the roof. Thank you :)
Natalie
This is so delicious but always takes twice as long to cook as the recipe states – would increasing temp to 350 help?
Kate
Hi! What type of pan do you use?
Tonia32
Just put it in the oven to bake! So, I added semi sweet mini chocolate chips, my other half likes them, then added a few more once in the pan. (I put in 1/2 cup honey, and 1/8th cup real maple syrup, so I didn’t feel as bad). Then I thought I’d add crushed walnuts, and stirred them in. ONLY to realize I forgot the baking soda, and stirred that in. I now think I may have stirred it all too much. We’ll see how the consistency is and I’ll let you know once it’s done.
Well….it tastes really good! Looks exactly like the one in the video when done. Except, some of the bottom is heavy, not as fluffy as the top. But that won’t stop me from making it again. It was easy to put together, love the substitute options, so will try them next time for sure!
Thanks
Amy
Hi! Can I make this recipe in a 13×9 cake pan? If so – what adjustments do you suggest? Thank you!
Kate
Hi! I would suggest my banana cake instead.
Uma
I freaking love this recipe. It tastes amazing, isn’t overly sweet, and can be eaten any time of day. It’s a staple in my house.
Ps. Question: is it ok to use this flour?: War Eagle Mill, Flour Whole Wheat White
Katya Blair Calvert
Bread was looking lovely and brown after 40 minutes – Risen and clean skewer. I didn’t think that was too weird as our oven does seem to cook things more quickly than recipes suggest. However when I took the bread out and let it rest it went flat. Would anything else cause this, or just that I undercooked it?
Kate
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. It may have cooked too quickly.
Rachel A
I usually don’t comment on recipes online but I felt compelled. This is absolutely DELICIOUS! Best banana bread I’ve made so far. I folllowed the recipe exactly and used maple syrup and whole wheat flour.
Someone else noted this but you will need to budget some more time to cook the bread. I used walnuts in my recipe and had to add 30 min.
Kate
I’m happy you did! Thank you for sharing, Rachel.
Rachel A
I actually made this again today and used baking powder instead of baking soda (facepalm). It did not rise as much but hoping it’s still edible?
Mary - Edinburgh
I followed the recipe exactly, using grams rather than cups (as I am in Scotland!). It’s delicious. Thank you.
Nik
I love this recipe! It is so versatile and flexible. There are so many different combinations that can work. I used oat flour and substituted 1/4 cup of agave nectar and 1/4 cup of Splenda. The bread turned out great!
vindhya subramanian
Loved this recipe and my son loved it too
Nicole Peters
This was delicious! I did olive oil with honey and 1/2 c of maple syrup. Next time I might have to wait until my banana are little bit more ripe. They were brown but not enough and thus the recipe wasn’t sweet enough for my husband. But personally it was perfect amount of sweetness for me. Next time I might try to add in more cinnamon and do brown sugar instead of maple syrup. Either way what a great base recipe this is and I like that you can tweak to mix in add in’s.
Curt
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s wonderful! I wasn’t planning on it, but I had to use some substitutions. I wanted to make a double batch, two loaves, but I discovered the last minute that I was very short on bananas. I didn’t even have one full cup and I needed two. I substituted crunchy almond butter for the other cup and 1/8 of bananas. I also opted to use milk, and maple syrup instead of honey. I cannot believe how delicious this bread turned out. And nutritional as well! Thanks again!
Cheryl
I love this recipe for banana bread! So easy and comes out moist every time. I use the whole wheat flour and honey. Delicious!
Guy
Wonderful recipe!
I’ve adapted it in various ways with ease and really appreciated all the info and alternatives you suggested.
People keep telling me I should be selling it ☺
My version contains half the amount of honey and the rest with dark molasses sugar. I mix half olive oil and half coconut oil too.
I add some of my Rye sourdough discard as well (taking care to adjust the milk and whole wheat flour accordingly).
Spice it up with black pepper and nutmeg as well as the cinnamon and a touch of vanilla.
I use about 300g of banana (for extra fun).
It’s amazing so thanks a lot for sharing this recipe I highly recommend it!
MacKenzie Dalton
AMAZING!!! Truely the best healthier banana bread recipe i’ve found!
Kate
Thank you, MacKenzie!
Cat
Hi! I just found your site as I was looking for healthy recipes! Going tho make your vegetable soup tomorrow. I do have to make this comment though in regards to one of your recipes, or maybe there’s more that I haven’t gotten to yet. Please be careful when you state “healthy” vegetable oil. There is no such thing! It’s industrialized crap! Can’t wait to try some of your recipes on here!
Kristin
I tried this tonight and it was outstanding. I added an extra banana and used maple syrup and honey (mostly because I ran out of maple syrup close to the end), but it is fantastic and I cannot stop eating it!
Kristin Hope
This is soooooo wonderful! I made it GF substituting the flour for Gluten Free On A Shoestring’s Better Than Cup 4 Cup flour – my go to AP GF flour of choice. I used the maple syrup and didn’t use cinnamon (not a fan) and added instead cardamon and nutmeg, along with walnuts. For milk I used homemade plain hemp milk – just hemp and water. This is just pure, delicious, classic, easy, banana bread. There’s about a thousand “best” banana bread recipes on the internet but for me at least, this one IS the BEST!
Julia
I just made this bread with my family and it is delicious! For sure making it again! :)
Kate
Wonderful, Julia!
Jennifer
This banana bread is sooooo good! I have to be sure to hide some for myself so hubby doesn’t eat it all. My 13 month old loves it too. I have to be sure to cut it into little pieces for her because she will gobble it down! I use maple syrup and coconut oil. Yum yum!
Laura
Hello :)
I have made this before with regular all purpose flour and it turned out great.
However, I have recently switched to gluten free flour and have noticed that the bread turns out incredibly dry. I’ve been using “freee” plain white flour. I’m careful not to over-bake or over mix it. Should I try using something else or less flour? I am using a scale to measure out the flour.
Thank you for your help :)
Laura
Kate
What brand are you using of gluten free? Have you tried oat flour or maybe Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Made with Almond Flour)?
Tyler
Literally the best bannana bread I’ve ever made, healthy or not. So good, so moist, to keep it moist I wrap in foil and I added a whole 83% dark chocolate bar into chunks in this, AMAZING!! Fam loves it aswell, you should def make this.
Kate
Wonderful, Tyler! Thank you for sharing.
İdil
Great recipe! My family and friends loved it. Not so sweet and perfectly moist. I added half a cup of walnuts and topped wth banana and walnuts also.
Anna
I love this recipe… it was delicious. I decided to cut back on the honey and add some dark choc chips which worked really well. It didn’t rise very much so I was thinking it might need some more baking soda, but would definitely make again.
Anne
I made this recipe because I had a quantity of frozen bananas to use up. It has turned out beautifully. Thank you Kate.
sharon
Can I use almond flour?
Kate
Hi Sharon, due to popular request, I came up with a recipe that works with almond flour. I love this gluten free banana bread with almond flour.
Janhvi
I think I found this recipe when I was 13 years old, which means I’ve been using it for 8 years now. This is the recipe that TAUGHT me how to bake, and I cannot thank you enough. I have made a hundred different variants of it over the years, and it always turns out so great!
I have turned this into carrot cake, apple cake, orange cake, pineapple cake, made it eggless, used substitute flours, made it completely without oil (or butter) and no matter what I choose to do with it, the result is always absolutely perfect.
I don’t think it’s POSSIBLE to go wrong with this recipe.
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Janhvi.
Hannah
I followed this exactly. The variations I chose to use from the recipe were maple syrup, all-purpose white flour, and vegetable oil. I baked it for 55 minutes in my gas oven. It’s the best banana recipe I’ve tried. It isn’t too sweet, has mostly guilt-free ingredients, and is an actual bread and not a cake. I wish I had some homemade apple butter because it would be so good on this! Thanks for sharing. It’s definitely a keeper.
Kingsley Day
This recipe was easy to make and the banana bread turned out wonderfully, with great compliments from friends I shared it with. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Kingsley! I appreciate your review.