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.
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!
Thank you for sharing, Lisa!
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…
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.
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.
I’m sorry to hear that, Craig. Are you cooking at a different elevation? I’m happy you found something that works for you!
I loved this recipe.
i added 1/4 tsp nutmeg.
Thank you for sharing, Norah! I appreciate your review.
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.
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.
I made it with oat flour and doubled the recipe. It came out really fluffy! And almost hazelnutty. Really good!
Can I make muffins using this recipe instead of the loaf?
Hi! I would suggest my banana muffin recipe.
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 :)
Hooray! Thank you for your comment, Shweta.
Luv the options… and the nutritional values…
I have made several times, & it goes quickly, and we don’t miss the sugar.
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.
Hi Claudia! I’m sorry to hear that. What type of flour are you using? How long do you leave it in for?
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.
That’s great to hear! Thank you for reporting back, Amanda.
Wonderful recipe!! I used coconut oil and oat flour. Took an extra 10 min to bake but worth the wait! Thank you!
This was one of the best recipes I tired and the results were outstanding.
Thank you so much!
Hi there, for the flour can I use coconut flour?
No, I’m sorry, coconut flour behaves completely differently than most flours. You will find many other flour options in the recipe notes.
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
Hi would this work in a bread machine?
Sorry, I haven’t used one so I’m not sure.
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.
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.
Could you please tell me how much apple sauce you used.
Thank you
Exactly the same quantity as the oil required. 1:1 ratio. Hope that helps.
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!
Tried this today, love love love! Thank you :)
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
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!
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.
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 :)
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!
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.
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
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.
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. :)
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!! ❤️
Hi Denny may I ak how many grams of oat flour?thank you so much
Delicious! I used half wheat flour and half A/P flour and added chopped walnuts. What a great tasting treat!
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 :)
Thank you for your review, Alahna!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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 ;)
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
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!
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!
My go-to banana bread recipe! :) I use whole-wheat flour and maple syrup and load it up with walnuts and dark choc – Delicious!!
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?
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?
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!
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!
You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s such a hit, Rai.
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.
My new favorite banana bread recipe. Love the honey flavor it has
I think my fav banana bread ever, and I’ve made a lot of different banana breads. Thank you, great recipe :)
I was curious if I have to change anything if I’m baking in an aluminum loaf pan?
Hi, It may get done faster so keep an eye on it.
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!
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 =]
Great recipe- everyone loves it!
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!!
You’re welcome! Also, thank you for purchasing my book. I appreciate it!
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!
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.
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.
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!
I used oat flour and it worked out really well. Thank you so much!
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!
Thank you for sharing, Kat!
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
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!