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.
I made this with Bob’s Red Mill One to One flour and it was good but dry. Can I use almond flour?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that as that hasn’t been my experience. Have you tried oat flour?
I made this recipe to share with my daughter who is 16 months. We both have food allergies so I made a few adjustments. I replaced the eggs with chia seeds soaked in water and used green banana flour instead of whole wheat flour. It came out great. My daughter is a picky eater but she loved it.
It did get kind of dry after a day (maybe I needed to add more water to the chia seeds or to add more milk?). To bring it back, I just warmed up in slices in a pan with some butter which she loved. ( :
Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome recipe! I was looking for something that uses honey instead of sugar, as I have honey out the wazoo and no sugar. I made a double batch and added blueberries and almonds to half and walnuts to half once they were in the pan. Perfect for freezing for a quick breakfast. I am about to make another double batch on this cool autumn day!
Hi Kate, if I don’t have baking soda what can i use?
Hi Rachna, Unfortunately, you really need baking soda for this recipe.
I’ve been in this predicament. I wanted to make something really badly so I did the replacement which was baking powder. But you need 3x the amount. Example – recipe calls for 1 tsp of baking soda – you will do 3 tsp of baking powder! Good luck!
Did the 3 teaspoons of baking powder work?
Hi.i want to replace part of the flour with oat flour.how.much should i use?like put.half and half?
Hi Demi! I haven’t experimented with half of each yet, sorry! If you have enough of one, I suggest sticking with that. If it’s oat flour, check out how much to use in my oat flour post.
Hi there- your recipe ingredient list does not call for eggs, yet you use them in the video. I followed the recipe list, so eggs were omitted and the bread was super dense and didn’t rise. Just a heads up- should probably edit the ingredients listed. Thanks!
I see eggs in my list. I used the recipe last night (May 31)
It’s the 3rd ingredient on the list….
It tastes AMAZING!! This will be my “go to” banana bread recipe. Highly recommend! Thank you
Made this last night with a little modifying (not enough maple syrup so added a little sugar)
I am very pleased to say it turned out Very Well! This will be in my cook book now for those times when I feel like baking. thanks!
I usually don’t leave comments, but this was THE BEST banana bread!! Everyone absolutely loved it, and I’m so glad I made it. No changes needed to anything; this was absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe!! :)
This was absolutely a hit! Right out of the toaster oven it started to get devoured. Smelled delicious whilst baking and is scrumptious to the last slice. Made with 1 large egg and one chia egg, orange blossom honey and all else to a T. The whole wheat flour gives it a hearty flavor yet it still remains moist and delicate. I will be making again and again!
Hi Kate,
Can I use buckwheat flour?
I’ve made it with plain flour and it was delicious. Want to make it again but not sure if buckwheat is ok or there are any measuring guides I need to consider.
Thank you.
Hi Carmel! I’m not sure if you checked out the other flour options that work well in the post. I would suggest those. Buckwheat isn’t always a great 1:1 and needs adjustments. If you try it with another option, let me know what you think!
Okay I literally NEVER come back and comment but I’m sorry I had to for this one. I make a lot of different banana bread recipes but this is by far the BEST banana bread recipe I ever made, the moisture? GOD, the taste was unbelievable and it’s healthy!!! I hope this makes your day because honestly I truly never leave comments but this is how impressed I was with this recipe. I used olive oil and crushed up pecans and chocolate chips
I’m so glad you came back to comment! Thank you for sharing, Marina. I’m so happy you liked it.
This recipe was just was I was looking for. I used honey but did not have enough and the bread still turned out great!
I used this recipe as a guide yesterday! I added white chocolate chips , peanut butter and loads of cinnamon. I didn’t really measure anything just used my own judgement when adding the ingredients. No sugar was added – I just prefer to use loads of Irish or French unsalted butter to add oomph after. I found my batter a little runny so I added extra white self raising flour. I used milk and olive oil and two large eggs and of course bicarbonate of soda and half and half white self raising flour with wholemeal. It turned out really well!! My bananas weren’t very ripe so I figure with super ripe bananas this recipe would be absolutely perfect! Thanks for the guide!
You’re welcome! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Hey!
I tried to follow your recipe. But it turns out a little dry.
Does super ripen bananas really help to make the bread more moist?
Or do i need to add more oil / additional egg yolk / milk / banana to the recipe?
Hi Cheryl, I’m sorry to hear you are disappointed. Yes, ripe bananas really make this work the best. I would make sure to use ripe bananas next time and keep an eye on it so you don’t over bake. Be sure to report back!
Awesome!!
I’m happy you liked it, Mindy! Thank you for your review.
I made this a few days ago. Never really tried much baking before and this recipe was so easy to follow. Turned out perfectly, so proud of myself. My friends and I agree it was delicious, best fresh out of the oven. Thanks so much for sharing this lovely healthy recipe
We love this banana bread. Thank you so much. This is the best recipe I’ve tried with whole wheat flour. How do you think I can use hazelnut meal mixed with whole wheat flour in this recipe? Have you ever tried it? Many thanks in advance.
Hi Elif! I am not too familiar with hazelnut meal, sorry. I do know almond flour doesn’t work well for this in my experience. If that helps at all?
Just made this, replacing baking soda with 3tsps baking powder and omitting the salt – success. (Used maple syrup, olive oil and Whole-wheat flour)
Tasty and very easy.
I’m happy to hear that, Jonathan! Thank you for sharing.
Can I use almond flour and what will the measurement be? I can’t find whole wheat flour right now. Thanks
Hi Janet! Unfortunately, almond flour doesn’t seem to work well in this recipe as you have to change too much to get it to work. I have tried it a few times.
Hello,
Your 2X doesn’t have the correct banana number. The grams are correct but number of banans is the same as the 1X. I think I messed up my recipe now because I just realized it after checking back and thinking it was small amount at the time and it is already in the oven now. Woops!
I keep making this recipe over and over and my family and I still love it! I recommend it to my friends all the time. we like using maple syrup, almond milk, 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup GF flour blend. We also alway add dairy free chocolate chips and nuts if we have in the house.
I don’t know why mine turns out fudgy and super brown (I’m not complaining about it though), but the taste is bomb.
Mine does the same thing it sinks and becomes super dense and almost raw. How do I fix it??
Hello! Did you make any substitutions, or did you follow the recipe as written? That should not have happened if you followed the recipe closely. Please double-check that you used baking soda (not powder) and that it has not expired. It’s also important to measure the flour properly; the post has tips on that. Hope this helps!
Hello kate can i use baking powder in place of baking soda?
Hi! Unfortunately, no you can’t. They aren’t the same and won’t give you the same results.
Thank you for the wonderful Recipe.It turned out so tasty and fluffy:-)
I’m happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing.
My consistency is really liquidity I usually have a thicker consistency. This has only happened with this recipe is that normal?
Hi! How did it bake up? It may not be as thick as other bread recipes, but that is ok. It should still bake well. Let me know how it turned out for you!
Im making this tomorrow and hoping for a few tips. Are the eggs better at room temperature? Which works better s/skimmed milk or water and would Nutella work with this? Thank you. I’m so excited
Hi Laura, if you can have your eggs at room temp that works well. I like milk in this, but water can work too – see the recipe.
Smelled heavenly! Tasted heavenly. However, a bit soggy in the middle, and I believe it’s because I used almond Would oat flour be better? Those are just questions; recipe is a definite 10/10
Hi! Yes, almond flour isn’t a great 1:1 replacement here. Oat flour works well, but be sure to follow my notes on using oat flour as it is a little more delicate.
I never comment on recipes but I have made this banana bread plenty of times after receiving your cookbook from a friend. It is my go to banana bread/muffin recipe, it is amazing! I’m unfortunately very intolerant to eggs and wheat and have been able to make this recipe with gluten free flour and flax eggs with great results!
Anyone who is making this with Bob’s Red Mill, I will just let you know that the structure is a bit delicate when slicing and serving (the slice was a little floppy). I live in Canada and use my staple President’s Choice Gluten Free All Purpose flour with amazing results everytime. I would suggest trying different GF all purpose flours for anyone that needs it and see which flour yields the best texture/structure.
Thank you so much Kate, everyone loves this recipe (including egg and wheat eating friends and family)!
Have just made this banana bread. OMG!!!!! It’s the best banana bread I’ve ever made! Moist & sweet, delicious!
Hi Kate! This is my go to banana bread now! I love that is so much healthier but the taste might be even better than one with sugar, white flour, etc!! I’m also in love with your red Thai curry recipe. Thanks for the amazing healthy recipes!!
It is the third time I have made this banana loaf it’s delicious…….I add a little crushed wattleseedsand macadamia nuts or Brazil nuts
What happens if you don’t let the bread cool before slicing?
Hi! It may be more delicate and not hold up.
I made this yesterday and added chocolate chips. It was great and no one noticed the healthy subs. I just ordered your cookbook and I hope other quick breads are included in it. Take care.
AMAZING!!! Tried this recipe today and it was really good. Thank you !!! Followed the exact same recipe other than 1 thing, sifted the flour twice. Added some chopped walnuts too. Definitely a keeper.
Delicious! We used half maple syrup and half honey (because win win :), olive oil and half whole wheat flour and half all purpose. It turned out so tasty, thank you for the recipe! I’m definitely saving this for the next time I have more ripe bananas.
Made the vegan version of this recipe (just replaced the egg with an extra banana), oh my god, amazing, instant success with my non-vegan family, turned out moist, flavorful, sweet, and still light and fluffy! Im definitely making more for my in-laws, thats how good this banana bread is.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! It finished within hours. I didnt have enough maple syrup or honey so I used both and added a little bit of sugar to it. I also added chocolate chunks and walnuts to the batter. Would definitely make again and recommend!
Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect!
Hi Kathryne, I just made this and OMG! It’s amazing! I stuck to the recipe as written with these few tweaks to make it vegan; apple purée in place of the honey, ‘chia egg’, spelt flour, soy milk and threw in a good amount of hemp seed. My toddler loves it! Devouring it this very second. Thank you ❤️
My daughter shared your recipe with me and she swears by it! I’ve made it a couple of times too and everybody at home absolutely loves the banana bread!
You’ve simplified it, so it’s very easy to make. And it tastes yummy!
Thanks so much!
Hi Kate! I am vegan and I wanted to use an egg replacement instead of eggs in this recipe. Do you think that would be okay? Thank you!
Hi! Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
I did it with the wheat flour so the crumb was a little mushy. Will try with oats flour next time. Also my first cake in the Oven so it was really neat(I think I need to start learning the use of my oven a bit more, it’s a hand me down, simple one but I think I shut it off withthe timer on my watch and didn’t follow the timer on the oven)
Thanks so much for adding the metric conversions! I did it awhile ago, wrote them all down, but in the twenty times plus that I’ve made this, I now have it pretty much memorised. Still, it’s much easier to read it and have it confirmed. I obviously love this recipe. And my partner and neighbours love the results. :) Much appreciated!
Just made it because I had some ripe bananas, and I like the idea of not using sugar. It turned out delicious and my daughter says next year she wants this as her birthday cake. Thanks for posting such delicious recipes. I have also tried your butternuts squash soup, which was delicious as well! Thanks again
This has become a weekly staple in our house!
We are trying to go no sugar, or reduced, so the honey is a nice substitute. Each week we mix up the add-ins! Our favorite is dried cranberrys and pecans in with the bananas.
Thanks for your great combos and healthy alternatives.
This is a great treat or snack vs. junk food or empty calories.
This is the first time I have ever baked, and it turned out fantastic! I made it a couple of times now. I use less honey, I don’t need it to be super sweet. I now have breakfast with a slice of bananabread, healthy and fast. And I don’t need a midmorning snack anymore, it is really filling. Thanks for your great recipe!
Hi, I was wondering if I could use almond flour for the healthy banana bread
Hi! Unfortunately, almond flour doesn’t work well here in my experience.
Thank you for this fabulous banana bread recipe! It is so wholesome and tasty. We’ve made it a few times now, and always add plenty of walnuts, and sometimes a few organic raisins or chocolate chips. I often use vegan eggs, and include a quarter cup of flax meal and/or almond flour in the flour measurement. Best of all is the addition of a big handful of blueberries – the frozen little “wild” ones from Maine! Lovely and moist.
This fantastic banana bread is NOT your typical healthy but dry and boring one that you will only make once. This is amazing and flavorful and moist. There is no reason to make your old recipe again! This is just lovely and wonderful, and you don’t really need to tell anyone picky that it’s not all white flour and sugar. I feel a lot less guilty about eating this one, too :) This will permanently replace my old banana bread recipe.
Hi Anne! I’m so happy you love this version. Thank you for your feedback, I appreciate it!
Moist and so delicious, will definitely make this again
Hi Kate —
Trust that you are safe and well. My kids and I baked this yesterday and it turned out AWESOME!! Thank you so much!
Just wondering whether I substitute barley flour for this recipe.
Thanks and best,
Sam
Hi Sam!I hope you love it. I find the ones I listed in the post work best.
do you know how many calories this bread is?
Hi Shannon! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe.