Healthy Banana Bread!
With this healthy banana bread recipe, you're only a few basic ingredients away from the best banana bread ever! It's made with whole wheat flour and honey.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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
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).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
So today I made this banana bread gluten free, and it is awesome. Totally perfect! I used veg oil and rice milk and I used silvana’s gluten free flour. Here is the web site I get that recipe. I will be putting your banana bread recipe in my “go to” file. Bravo! https://silvanaskitchen.com/silvanas-kitchen-all-purpose-gluten-free-flour/
Glad to hear it! Thank you.
I made this with applesauce instead of eggs (my daughter has an egg allergy) and added 1/2c of dark chocolate chips. It was heavenly – one of the best banana breads I’ve ever tasted!
Glad to hear it! Thank you for letting me know.
Hi Kate just wondering if you could leave out the honey or maple syrup altogether or would it be too bitter?
Hi Ciara, I don’t think it will be bitter, but it might not rise properly given the reduction in liquids, and it would barely be sweet. You might try replacing it with applesauce or a little more mashed bananas/milk instead of eliminating it altogether.
Hi Kate!
I just thought I would say that my partner and I love this recipe. It is perfect on days like today where it’s raining and cold here in New Zealand. Cup of tea in one hand and a slice of this in the other. Bliss!
Thanks, Gina-Rose! That sounds like a lovely way to spend a rainy day.
Hi! Is your cookbook available for sale on Amazon?
Not yet! It comes out next spring. :)
This is my go-to banana bread recipe! It is husband approved and I have a loaf in the oven now! YUM
Yay! Thanks, Rachel.
It’s great that you’ve thought of vegan, egg free, dairy free, gluten free and low fat options, but how about low sugar options? As a type 1 diabetic, 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup will have about the same effect on my body as 1/2 cup of sugar, but if I take it out or reduce it, the mixture probably won’t bind together properly. Any ideas?
Hi Robyn, you could use only half the amount of honey for a less sweet bread. I’ve heard that works. You could also try replacing it with applesauce.
So tasty!! I decided to only add 1/4 cup of honey instead of 1/2 a cup and it was still super tasty!! LOVE this recipe xx
Thank you, Lilly!
This is in my oven now! I used unsweetened applesauce instead of oil (not opposed to healthy oils AT ALL, but I’m doing Weight Watchers, so I have to pick and choose where I fit them in :)). I also used unsweetened vanilla cashew milk and half the maple syrup amount. Oh, and I threw in 4T of chocolate PB2 and doubled the whole recipe to make 2 loaves. I have a big family! Can’t wait for my 5 kiddos and hubby…and me…to give it a try. I’ll report back!
Hope it turned out great!
thanks for sharing,Kate!! <3
I used your recipe the other day and made some icing on the side because my husband likes it a bit sweeter.
I had made some banana breads before using other people's recipes,but now I know that I will stick with yours.
so easy & so delicious!
Thank you, Natalie! I’m so glad you loved the bread.
Seriously is this healthy? This is the best banana bread I have ever made! Thank You xo
Yay, thanks Jodi!
BEST BANANA BREAD EVER! Love that it is healthy and delicious! I made it gluten free with Bob’s Red Mill…it was perfect and enjoyed by gluten and gluten free eaters, alike. Thank you!
Woohoo, thanks Kristin!
Hi, great recipe! Made it three times already. first time I followed to the T, but then started modifying. Every time it gets better!
Just a word of caution, as I am a calorie counting junkie: Olive oil has more calories than regular butter, for the amount called in the recipe. I make mine with melted butter instead. Also, both honey and maple syrup have more calories than regular sugar, for the amount called in the recipe. So I use regular sugar instead.
Hi Kate.
Thanks for the recipe. I made it and it was more like a pudding and not very breadlike (infact quite similar to a Vietnamese banana bread pudding ???) It tasted very nice and I actually served it as banana pudding :-)
Any ideas of what might have gone wrong?
I love the flavours and want to get it right.
Hi Marcus, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right. I’m baffled as to why it didn’t turn out right—are you sure you didn’t miss an ingredient?
Hi Kate.
Thank you for writing back. On discussing this with my (clever) wife I think the problem was that I used baking powder and not bicarbonated soda.
Trying again now.
Cheers
Marcus
Ok… done…. came out perfect!
So I learned if you want to make a banana bread pudding which tastes great replay bicarb soda with baking powder.
Cheers
Aha! That makes sense. Thanks for letting me know, Marcus!
How many calories are in a loaf? So I can work out how many are in a slice! Thanks xx
Sorry Mary, I don’t provide nutrition facts yet and they will depend on exactly what you use in the bread, of course. Several others have posted their nutrition facts in the comments.
Note: with gluten-free four you don’t need to be careful about folding in the flour, you can throw it in cake mixer and completely batter it. (excuse the pun) the careful folding process used in normal baking is to be sure not to activate the gluten which in this case is not an issue. Same is true for gluten-free bread.
Yep!
Can you use coarse whole meal flower?
Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean by coarse. Regular whole wheat flour works well.
Delicious! thank you so much! My partner and I enjoyed every crumb
Glad to hear it! Thanks, Jessica.
Excellent ! Moist perfectly sweet but not too sweet. My kids loved it!
Awesome! Thanks, Radhika!
I just made this and it is amazing! I can’t believe that I made something that tastes so good! Thank you so much for the recipe. I used flax eggs and maple syrup and added chocolate chips. So moist and tasty!
High five! Glad to hear it, Angie. :)
Just made this recipe and it was delicious!
Yay, thanks Janna!
I have made this over and over again – it is my absolute favorite banana bread recipe! I use flax eggs to make it vegan and it comes out wonderfully. Thank you SO MUCH!
Thank you, Samantha! Yay! :)
This banana bread was Amazing! I added dried figs which gave it the occasional sweet chewy crunch. Thanks for making it so easy and delicious,
Dana
Thank you, Dana! Your fig version sounds so good.
I made the banana bread and it was delicious. Thanks and many success to you.
Thank you very much, Louisa!
I am looking for a breakfast bread recipe that I can change from banana bread to zucchini bread to pumpkin bread — is that possible with this recipe? I am married to a cyclist who leaves EARLY in the morning, so he grabs a few slices on his way out the door. In a perfect world, I would have the dry ingredients prepped ahead of time and then I could add the wet stuff when I needed another loaf (which is often.) I used to throw a granola bar at him, but am trying to move towards healthy alternatives (and I’m not a great baker!) If you have ideas, I’d appreciate it! I am making your zucchini bread this morning!! I’m adding pecans and dried figs (just dehydrated them from our tree)
thanks!
Peggy
Hey Peggy, my pumpkin bread/banana bread/zucchini bread are all based on the same recipe, but there are some tweaks to each one, so you’d be better off using the individual recipes. They might all use the same dry ingredients; I’d have to check. If I were you, I’d probably just bake a bunch of loaves, slice them, freeze them, and sleep in! ;)
Hi I always have ripe bananas and usually make muffins. But my brother in law was making this one day so I asked him for the recipe. I substitute Greek yoghurt for egg in baking. I only had white flour on hand but have bought wholemeal for next time. Yes! There will be a next time (soon).
This bread was WONDERFUL and moist and a tasty change from muffins. I can see how walnuts would give it that extra crunch.
Good on you for creating & sharing this fantastic recipe! :-)
Thanks!
Thank you, Vera! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I make this recipe twice a week and have a slice for breakfast each day. It is a great recipe. Would like to know it’s nutritional figures though so I can feel less guilty?
Hey Sarah, I don’t offer nutrition facts (yet) but others have posted theirs in the comments.
I must’ve gone wrong somewhere, although I followed the exact recipe and went with olive oil. But it turned out pretty dense and dry, not moist at all. I’m going to try again, maybe add a little more oil or more banana…? I was so excited about this recipe.
I’m sorry to hear that, Liz. It should have turned out like the photos! Be sure when you’re measuring the flour to use the spoon and swoop method—fluff the flour with a spoon, then spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off the top with a knife. Otherwise, you could end up with twice as much flour, which would definitely make some dry bread.
I think it was the method of adding the flour. I made this again tonight, made sure to fluff the flour, and added another half banana. Turned out moist and delicious! Thank you!
Turned out amazing, I had to substitute the Whole wheat flour for a mix of malted grain bread flour (the grains added great texture) and plain white flour. Also some caster sugar to make up the honey.
Really moist, Delicious.
Thanks
Truly the best banana bread EVER!
Thanks, Alice!
Great go-to resource for healthy quick breads (banana, zucchini, etc) and muffins. I use it frequently as these are my breakfast and “treats”.
Once you get the basic recipe down, you can adjust to taste. I often use over ripe bananas that have been frozen and thawed, so recipe can handle more like 3 or 4 of them. Because of sweetness of banana, if you’re trying to reduce sweetener this is a good bread to experiment with reducing honey/syrup. It always tastes sweeter the second day. Does well with flax eggs too, or a combo of these and regular eggs/egg whites. Handles reduced oil + apple sauce. Experiment with spices too! I like the versatility. I am “the bread/muffin lady” for family gatherings. Yesterday I brought Kate’s zucchini bread, made and frozen last weekend (one for the freezer and one for me!), to a family event. Not a crumb leftover. Time to use my frozen bananas for this weeks treats. A perennial household staple. Make two and freeze one to have on hand.
HI! I found your recipe while looking for a healthy version of banana bread ( I also had lots of really ripe bananas to use! ) I love to use oats in my baking so I subbed 3/4 cups of large flake oats (that I chopped up in my blender) for the same amount of the flour. I used whole wheat flour and also put in baking powder instead of the soda by accident. I used coconut oil and maple syrup as per your recipe and added fresh blueberries and dried cranberries. It was AMAZING!! I used a little more bananas than noted and it didn’t rise as much but tastes great! The only problem is trying not to eat it all! Thank you!!
Thank you, Nadia! Glad you enjoyed it!
PS
I have better luck with a 350 degree oven when baking quick breads.
Thanks, Laura. I’m glad you’re enjoying the quick breads. I bake these at 325 because honey browns quite a bit more at 350.
I had 5 old bananas so I was going to make a double batch of your bread. However, I only had 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of maple syrup so yesterday I made a batch with the honey. I made 3 mini loaves and baked them about 35 minutes. It turned out good. Today I made a batch with the maple syrup. About 25 minutes in, as I was cleaning up, I find a measure cup with 1/2 cup of syrup in it. I thought “Oh No!! That’s why my batter was so thick!” I pulled them out of the oven, poked holes in them, poured the syrup over them and stuck them back in the oven for the last 10 minutes. I actually liked it better than the batch I made correctly but then I do not love honey and I do love maple syrup! I will definitely make this again–the right way!
Uh oh! I have definitely made that mistake before; I’m glad you rescued your bread! Sounds delicious.
Oh my,your recipe is so similar with my gf banana bread that I’ve been making for the past 7 years.I make mine with just org sprouted brown rice flour.It doesn’t crumble and taste delicious.I used to make it two tone up until we found out my son can’t have cacao.I would pour half of the recipe in the pan,and add a couple of tb of raw cacao in the other half (the cacao thing was my later on “invention”).Then I add the cacao one over, and using a knife I make circles.I skip the cinnamon as my son is allergic to this one too,and add about 2 tb vanilla extract.I also make it into muffins.
Sounds like beautiful banana bread, Ann!
hey kate,
I added coconut to it and mixture went thicker not like yours.
I am bit scared hope it turns out fine
Had so much fun making these with my teenager! I was wondering if you had nutritional info. Fat carbs protein and fiber. ( on weight watchers. Trying to figure out points!)
Hi Josie, glad you enjoyed the recipe. I don’t offer nutritional details yet, but others have posted theirs in the comments.
It was very good. I made it yesterday and today. I did make some small but not needed improvements on it. It is more for taste. I used four small bananas instead of two but I only mashed three of them and then cut up chunks of the last one. I then added about half a cup of artificial sweetener and then baked it not to the point of a dry toothpick but barely wet at approximately 65 minutes of baking.
I love this bread. we packed it for breakfast this morning. I’m also on a diet and am counting calories, so decided to share this.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0 slices
Amount Per Serving
calories 185
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g 16 %
Saturated Fat 1 g 7 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 7 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 32 mg 11 %
Sodium 214 mg 9 %
Potassium 136 mg 4 %
Total Carbohydrate 22 g 7 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g 7 %
Sugars 14 g
Protein 3 g 6 %
Vitamin A 1 %
Vitamin C 3 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 3 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Do you think this would work for a baby cake smash? Will it break up easy enough? I see there is already a way of making them into muffins. I was just going to put into a regular cake tin.
I made it today and am very happy with the results. Prefer a bit more sweetness but overall a healthy n a very good recipe. Thank you!!
This one is in the oven now,it look perfect and smells like heaven :D I added 1 tablespoon of blue poppy seeds to the mix, and 2 teaspoons of unrefined brown sugar mixed with cinnamon drizzled on top :)
I made your mango salsa yesterday as well, that one was really great also :)
Please keep the good recepies coming, they are great inspiration ;)
Hi,
I am really keen to give this a go but would prefer the 1/3 – 1/2 cup measures in different metrics such as ML.
Can you post these for me please?
thanks
I made this twice now and i absolutely love the recipe! The second time i made it, i added in some dates which made it sweeter and richer. I love that this recipe allows me to eat banana bread guilt-free. Awesome recipe, Kate! :)
Could I use butter as the oil?
Can you use butter for the oil?
Loved it! So good!
Used:
Coconut Oil
Maple Syrup
Brown Rice Flour (Arrowhead Mills gluten free)
Buttermilk (I had it on hand)
3 mashed bananas made a full cup
for the coconut oil, I ended up heating the bowl so the coconut oil turned liquid and then it was easy to blend in the maple syrup and then move on to the next step.
It might not have risen as much as gluten flour, but it was so good, who cares.
It’s disappeared so fast, no time for pictures. So good. Really.
This is a good recipe. It makes a healthy, not too sweet banana bread. I reduced the baking soda to half teaspoon, and cooked mine at 160C for 50 mins.
I replaced the oil with unsweetened apple sauce (same amount) and used manuka honey. It’s a wee bit on the spongy side, but thats to be expected. It’s also super moist. I added chocolate chips (more than recommended in the recipe). Conclusion: this is awesome. So easy to make as well. My apartment smells incredible right now.
Any idea of how I would swap the whole wheat flour for coconut flour? Thanks