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.
Did this last night and I luvvit! Thank you for making it so simple and so good!
Love love love this recipe!! I have shared this with many family & friends and everyone loves it!! I use 3 bananas, oat flour and walnuts! We love it!
I used 1-3/4 cup oat flour and it always turns out amazing!
LOVED this recipe! Recommended it to tons of my friends too, and it’s come out great for everyone who reported back.
If you’re adding in chocolate chips, I’d recommend using a darker chocolate, since the bread is pretty sweet with the honey already. I also had to bake slightly longer, about 65 minutes.
We love this banana bread! I have lost count on how many time I’ve made it. I use avocado oil and bake it in mini loaf pans. On the top, I sprinkle mini chocolate chips or chopped pecans. It’s a hit every single time I make it. (There is usually a loaf or two stashed in my freezer!)
Thanks for this Kate! I love your recipes! Thanks for putting in the time needed to test them for us! :-) Where on Earth can one find Whole Wheat flour these days. I’ve been searching for weeks. Sadly, I may have to buy a mill.
Hi Yvette! Thank you. :) Can you find oats? You can turn oats into oat flour in a blender or food processor, and I love this recipe made with oat flour! I’ve gotten lucky and found some whole wheat flour at a smaller, health-oriented grocery store near me, so you might check smaller stores.
I want to say I have actually been making your banana recipe for a few years now. I have a very small kitchen with not a lot of appliances since they take up room. It’s one of the best easiest recipes I have every made and soooo delicious!
I do use regular flour (since I have it on hand) and olive oil. It makes 2 pans that I have.
I love this recipe! I cut down on the sweetness by using ⅓ cup of honey and it still tastes great.
Love this recipe! This is the only way I eat bananas, and I’ve probably made this over 20 times in the last couple of years
I usually do 1/3cup honey/maple syrup and always add in nuts, and sometimes chocolate chips.
I bought your cook book and this is one of my favorite recipes. Not only does it taste great, it is also quite quick to throw together. I have added what you have suggested, but the last two times I added flax seeds. Once ground flax seeds and the next time the whole flax seed. Both came out great. So if you want to add some more fiber to the recipe this is my suggestion. Of course it is fantastic as it is as well.
Thanks for a great cook book I use it all the time.
I’ve been making this recipe regularly for over a year, using Einkorn flour and ground pecans. We always have some in the freezer. It’s not too sweet and is the best banana bread my husband and I have ever had.
Could you please state the flour in grams or ounces? TYIA
Hi there! I’ve added those details to the ingredients within the recipe. If you don’t see them, your page is caching—try refreshing the page or check again in a few minutes. Sorry for the trouble!
I’ve been experimenting with banana bread and this one is hands down my favorite. I use maple syrup (because I am Canadian lol), almond milk and coconut oil and the result is delicious and healthy breakfasts all week!
I made this recipe yesterday using yogurt rather than milk. It’s excellent!
This is one of my favorite recipes from the cookbook! I make it into muffins for easier eating (I freeze them).
Can I use almond flour instead of the wheat flour?
Hi Anita! Almond flour is not an easy substitute for other flours, since it’s made with nuts instead of grains. I’ve been experimenting with almond flour in this recipe and haven’t quite nailed it yet.
This is my 2nd or 3rd comment I just love this recipe so much!!! I’ve played around with variations and substitutions and found this is the best for my liking / the healthiest I can make it without sacrificing flavour or texture : 1/4 cup applesauce + 1.5 tbsp coconut oil (doing only applesauce leads to a gummy bread), 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of the 1/2 called for (sweet enough for my liking!) and 1/4 water. The rest as written! I can’t believe how good this banana bread turns out even with so little fat and sugar!!!
Looks amazing And easy- a huge plus. I Will have to try with GF flour as my kids are all GF.
I’ve been hunting for a healthy date bread recipe. Do you think I could sub softened dates for bananas? Many date bread recipes require you to soak the dates in a liquid anyway. But most recipes are loaded with more sugar.
Love your site and with meat shortages you have become a regular source of dinner inspiration as I persuade my family to eat less meat.
Hi there! I’ve tried a lot of variations on this bread, but never tried a date bread—sounds delicious! I would probably replace the mashed banana with yogurt (to maintain a similar moisture balance), and consider the softened chopped dates an add-in. Something like this bread crossed with these muffins. Let me know if you give it a try!
Hi Kate,
Can I use coconut flour instead?
Hi Dee, unfortunately coconut flour doesn’t work as it just soaks ups all the moisture.
I made this Banana Bread yesterday, and it was gone by sundown! My family loves it and asked me to make another really soon. I used honey, all-purpose flour, and added golden raisins. I also followed your suggestion to sprinkle cinnamon over the top before baking. Using a knife tip,I drew a pretty pattern on the top. I totally forgot to take a picture. Sorry!
HEY!
I substituted the whole-wheat flour with coconut flour, since I hardly ever read the comments below… :)). I used 1 cup and added 2 extra eggs, which is what you usually do in this case scenario.
The loaf has not risen as much as in your pictures but oh my…
It was absolutely sensational!!!
Thanks for sharing! :P
I love this recipe – the one from your cookbook is a staple in our house. But, I am really picky about bananas and don’t want any chunks in the bread, so my mom actually came up with the idea to put the banana through a potato ricer -works perfectly every time :).
I think this is the most descriptive website for recipes and i would like to thank you because you can cleary see the effort put. Good job! I also appreciate the fact that you listen to all the feedback in the comments. Again, good job!
My family loves this banana bread recipe! I make it exactly following your recipe, but I make it in a pan that’s slightly wider because it means more of the crusty top and less baking time. I just made it last weekend and my son was so happy–he said that it’s the BEST banana bread. Luckily, it’s also healthier than the usual stuff :)
Hi
I made banana bread for the first time last week and used this recipe… I do not bake but love banana bread… Being a diabetic I do not eat it much… Was looking for a healthy option and this ticked all the boxes… It came out really well too… So thank you:) I have kept it in the freezer as you suggested so that I can enjoy it for a long time
The recipe sounds delicious but I was wondering if I could substitute monk fruit sweetener for the honey?
I actually don’t have much experience with monk fruit, sorry! From my brief research, it’s dry so that would’t work. You really need the liquid sweetner to help with moisture.
So disappointed! This came out incredibly wet for me, even after giving it an extra 30mins in the oven. Left it in the tin after removing from oven for over 15 mins and it still sank in on itself.. bummer!
You didn’t measure the ingredients right. Mine comes out differently every time I cook because I eyeball the measurements.
Hey Martha, I’m not sure how I’d measure the ingredients wrong when using measuring spoon’s/cups/scales?
This was the first time making this recipe so I didn’t eyeball the measurements.
Not sure what went wrong but unfortunately it didn’t work for me this time round.
Thanks for the recipe… this was so DAMN good. This is a keeper.
I just made this with half the recipe because I didn’t want to have too much in the house, but kept both bananas and used regular flour. I now realise looking back I completely forgot the eggs!! But it still turned out moist and yummy! So now I have a sugar free, dairy free and egg free banana bread recipe – amazing :)
Got this recipe on an email and it was exactly what I felt like. So delicious, I used pear sauce instead of honey and it was still delicious :)
Thank for sharing, Nadia!
Yum! I made two loaves today – one with and one without chocolate chips. I have to cook without eggs (anaphylactic person in the house), and I find that although most things work out ok, they tend to want to come apart easier. I’m a big fan of parchment paper, it keeps breads and cakes together better. I cut a piece of PP big enough to extend over the long edges of the loaf pans. All you need to do is unstick the short ends of the loaf and then the whole loaf comes out easy peasy!
This is my go to banana recipe! I always swap the eggs out for flax eggs. I also double the cinnamon and add a tsp of all spice. Today I thoroughly stirred the mix with all of the ingredients and the bread came out fluffier than normal, which isn’t typical of quick breads.
So great to hear. I’m happy it worked out well for you, Elizabeth.
Love this! Making it in iso in Sydney, Australia.
Just wondering if the oven temp of 165 is for fan oven or normal?
I’ve been getting a bit of burn right on the edges so wondering if that’s why. (I’ve been using 165 fan-forced)
Thanks so much.
Hi! This is for a normal oven. :)
This was the first time I baked banana bread, and it is delicious! I used oat flour and honey, and love love that it is a super healthy option! My husband was delighted too! Score 10/10!
Thank you for noting the measurements in metric as well as US. That will make things much easier and more likely to be made.
It tastes AMAZING! This and your roasted cauliflower soup are simply one of my favorite recipes ever!
Hi Kate. Love all your recipes and stories. I’m vegan and gluten free. Can I use oat flour and flax eggs or oat flour and Bob’s red Mill vegan eggs? I do not have a gf blend handy.
Hi Jan! I have not had a chance to try the oat flour/egg alternative combo yet, so I’m not entirely sure how it will turn out. If you give it a shot, please let me know!
Hi Kate. I did try with oat flour and flax eggs and it came out perfectly. I added .25 cup arrowroot flour for the binding. It was all gone before I could take a picture
I have another recipe for banana bread from very long ago and when
I make it l make it into my mini muffin pans for my grandchildren and
bake only for 15 minutes..I would like to try this healthy recipe and
wonder if the timing would be the same. Mine uses a whole cup of
sugar so this sounds so much better. Looking forward to your response.Thank you,
Hi Shelly! Typically mini muffins usually take half the time. I would suggest using my banana muffin recipe.
Everyone is making banana bread, but I’ve never found one that was good enough to repeat. This is it! This is now pinned in my “Recipes Worth Repeating” section of Pinterest. I really appreciate that it was all done in one bowl, and I definitely feel better giving this to my kiddos since it’s coconut oil and honey. I added the chocolate chips, and it was amazing so warm soon after the 10 min cooling time.
Hooray! Thank you for letting me know this is on your repeat list. I appreciate it, Rachel.
This is my favorite recipe! I’ve baked this banana bread almost once per week since I bought your book. I love it! Thanks Kate!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing. I used 3 bananas, half coconut oil and half homemade apple sauce and followed the rest to the dot.
My husband who criticizes all what is healthy devoured half of it right away.
We decided with the kids that this will be a weekly treat for the family
I followed your recipe in every way except I didn’t have whole wheat flour; it turned out great! This after having tried many, many recipes! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Rand! I’m glad this one worked well for you.
Any suggestions for lowering the sugar?
I love banana bread but would prefer less than 10 g sugar per serving
Hi Andrea, sorry I don’t have a suggestion as changing that would impact the recipe. You could always decrease how much per serving you consume.
Hi Kate – love the recipe and it tasted lovely but slightly undercook inside. So a few questions..
1. I have a fan oven, what temperature should I bake in celsius please?
2. Should I just scoop the flour in as directed or does it need to be sifted beforehand?
2. In your opinion what works better in the recipe milk or water?
Any help would be great. I want to try again tomorrow and perfect it!
Hi Connie! Sounds like your bread needed just a few more minutes in the oven. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
1) My recipes are all designed for regular (not convection) ovens, and I’ve heard that convection results have not been as reliable for this bread. I would bake on regular mode following the temperature guidance within the recipe, if possible.
2) I’ve just added a section to the post with flour measuring guidance. If you’re measuring by weight, I’d just give the flour a stir to loosen it beforehand. It’s even ok if the batter has a few lumps before baking (over-mixing will produce a tough bread).
3) I always list my preferred ingredient first, so I’d go with milk if you have it. If you don’t, water will work very well, too! I don’t know if you’d be able to tell much of a difference in the final product.
This was delicious!! I have made it following the original recipe before and love it, this time I substituted Buckwheat flour (Gluten free) for the flour and agave for the honey. It worked perfectly. Thank you!
I was a bit skeptical about using whole wheat flower for banana bread, but I followed the recipe exactly using white whole wheat flour, maple syrup and folded in some chocolate chips. Delicious!!
I was a bit skeptical about using whole wheat flower for banana bread, but I followed the recipe exactly using white whole wheat flour, maple syrup and folded in some chocolate chips. Delicious!!
Really good! I used canola oil, maple syrup (you write in your book “hard to find outside of the USA”, but just so you know, most of the production is from Canada, and can be found at any grocery store here, with different grades! Here I recommend medium or amber grade), 2 very ripe bananas and whole wheat flour (not white). Baked in a toaster oven 50 min, even with 1/2 cup of added chocolate chips. Maybe the smaller size of the oven helped it cook faster…
Dear Kath I am looking long time for healthy banana bread, I find your recipe.I back it today the results was amazing. I never eat such a this oil less and natural sweet (I use maple syrup and orang zest, mix of olive, sunflowers oil and butter, walnuts and chocolate cheep and whole-wheat flour + two teaspoon semolina. Is very light and delicious bread.
Thanks a lot
Tried the banana bread today and turned out great. Doubled the recipe and didn’t realise how much I’d make. Only had 100g if honey so used dates and a little sugar to make up the sweetness. Also used atta – whole meal chapatti flour. It was light and fluffy like a cake but was a darker that ur pic’s, might be due to dates and brown sugar i used. Also used almond milk.
Thank you so much for all these yummies.
Hi Kate,
Can you use stevia instead of maple syrup or honey and if so, how much?
Thanks!
Hey Lauri! I’m sorry, I’m afraid not—this recipe relies on the maple syrup/honey for proper moisture balance.