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’ve tried many healthy banana bread recipes overs the years, and I just want to say this one is by far the yummiest one to date. To be honest you can’t even tell it’s missing the butter or sugar. My toddler looooves this bread! Really glad you included all the substitutes as well. I like to incorporate almond flour into a lot of my baking. Although so far I’ve only made it with whole wheat flour. It gets 10 stars from me. Thanks for sharing!
LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it twice in a week – the first time was perfect, moist, and I finished it within two days. The second time, not so much – I tried substituting unsweetened applesauce for the oil, but I left out almond milk and maple syrup because of this, and I think the bread paid the price.
How would you recommend going about substituting unsweetened applesauce for oil without disrupting the texture/integrity of the bread?
Hi Lailah! I appreciate your review. I wish I could be more helpful, but I can’t say for sure without trying it. I believe others have tried it with applesauce so I suggest seeing what worked for them.
This recipe works so well for us. My 7-year-old son is the super banana bread-lover of the house, and he cannot tell the difference between this and bread made with white sugar and flour, and butter.
I use equal amount of applesauce in place of oil and it’s DELICIOUS!!! I have also done the flax egg substitution. Each time the bread came out amazing. One time I didn’t have maple syrup so I used sugar and even then, her recipe did not fail me!
Stellar recipe!!! I love baking and I baked so many banana breads before but this recipe is something else I must say. Used oats flour,2 small bananas+1 frozen banana and reduced 3 tsp of honey..still tastes heavenly.I’m so glad I found your blog. Looking forward to trying your other recipes. Thanks.
AMAZINGGGGHHH, THANKS KATE
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
This is the best healthy banana bread recipe ever :))) My friends loved it so much!
I just have one question: when I was baking it in the oven, somehow the egg’s scent (the egg wasn’t rotten, it was a fresh egg) was too strong. Is it because I put too much egg (since egg sizes are different, it can vary?) Could you tell me the exact measure of eggs(in grams) or how could I get rid of the egg’s typical scent?
Thank you so much!!
Oh no! I’m sorry you had a bad egg. I don’t have the gram measurements, I’m sorry.
Hi Kate,
Not sure if it was answered somewhere, but if I were to try to try and make it low carb, can I use almond flour? I can see you say NO to coconut flour, but have you tried using almond flour?
Otherwise, this is an awesome recipe, made it numerous times and it was always a hit :)
Regards,
Hi Thomas, you can try my Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Made with Almond Flour). I hope you love it!
Have you tried adding more vanilla essence? I really don’t like the smell of egg and sometimes just to make sure what I’m baking will not smell I add an additional teaspoon of vanilla essence.
Try adding 1tbsp lemon juice to batter.
Hello! I love this banana bread recipe and make it with my 6-year-old granddaughter. On the nutrition facts you posted for this recipe the amount of cholesterol is 36.3 g. I am wondering what the difference (in cholesterol) would be if I used olive oil instead of coconut oil. Thank you so much!
Hi Sherri, please refer to my Nutrition Disclaimer. I can’t provide additional insight. Sorry! I suggest using an online calculator to answer your specific questions.
This is the very best banana bread recipe wherein you don’t miss the refined sugars and flours. Thank you so much for always sharing your culinary genius with us, Kate!
You’re welcome, Dana!
This was a great recipe! Very moist and flavorful using 3 large ripe bananas, coconut oil, almond milk & whole wheat flour.
This is a definite keeper I will make again! for a healthier heart association approved- i will replace coconut oil with applesauce. I greatly appreciate the substitution list!!! That’s so helpful.
Not that you need yet another raving review on your banana bread, but nonetheless ding! ding! ding! Delicious. My son used the word “exquisite” to describe this banana bread with honey on top. Your recipes are always a keeper. Thank you!
I found this recipe on google and thought I’d give it a go and I’m so glad I did , I will definitely be making this again turned out perfect
Made this Banana bread and it turned out amazing!
Would almond flower work?
I would suggest Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Made with Almond Flour) instead!
How thick should the slices be?
Hi Lola! 1-2 inches should be a great slice.
SO GOOD! I used agave instead of honey or maple syrup! And we used oat milk! Delicious!
This banana bread is amazing! I took out the white flour and changed it with a gluten free flour blend and it was perfect! This bread is super moist and will definitely be my new go-to banana bread recipe!
tried this and boy its one of the best banana bread i’ve made so far! love the fact it is not using all natural ingredients and not too sweet. would love to try with spelt flour next time for a nuttier taste!
I was looking for a recipe with honey instead of refined sugar. I really like this recipe. It is just sweet enough and the bread is moist. I’ll certainly bake it again, and with nuts the next time. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Cathy. Thank you for your review!
I made two, one with honey and one with maple syrup and used regular whit flour as that’s what was in the house. Bananas were one day before they were too far gone. I used olive oil, and I added cardamom, it’s so nice with cinnamon. I definitely preferred the maple syrup to the honey. This is maybe the fastest easiest baking recipe i have ever made. Its a 10 and my favorite banana bread by far.
Thank you, Victoria! We appreciate it.
This is my go to banana bread recipe. I have always had trouble using whole wheat flour because everything always seems to come out too dense and the flavor never seems quite right. Kate has really figured out how to make every recipe with whole wheat flour absolutely delicious, moist, and bursting with flavor. Thank-you and keep the recipes coming.
I’m glad this one worked well for you and you enjoyed it, Devin!
I love this recipe. Can I use buttermilk or kefir instead of milk? Will I have to change the amount of baking soda?
Hi Mary, I recommend this as is. Changing those element may not work and require I new recipes. Sorry to disappoint!
I did it anyway and it came out great. As long as you use baking soda because the acidity of the buttermilk or kefir activates the baking soda. Do not use baking powder. I used the same amounts in the recipe. Now I’m wondering if I could use the batter to make pancakes!!! Will let you know.
Best ever!!!!!
Hands down, the best recipe ever!!! So easy and quick, yet so healthy. My partner and I love it as a snack/desert or a quick breakfast with coffee
Thank you! I’m happy you loved it, Emilija.
Just baking mine right now. I’m just wondering..the sugar content per serving (one slice) is 18g. That’s about 4.5 teaspoons of sugar per slice. Am I right? Seems very high. Just me?
Hello from The Netherlands. Can I use agave syrup instead of maple syrup?
Hi Karin, I haven’t tried it, but I believe others have so that should be ok.
So good!!!
I discovered this recipe a couple of months ago and must have made it every week ever since. My husband loves it (even though I had to force him to try it at first as he was certain he wouldn’t like it!) even my nana and grandad love it. I do keep it in the oven for an hour and 20 mins though as I add chocolate chips, chopped pecans, walnuts and almonds so it needs a good bit longer.
I’ve never baked a banana bread before and my hubby was curious how it tastes. So, browsed the net and I’m really glad I’ve chosen this recipe. It was a total success as my hubby called it the ultimate comfort food! :)
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it totally made his day!
Ohh my gosh, this is honestly the best banana bread recipe ever!! Thank you!
My go to banana bread recipe! Tastes so good without all the junk that other recipes have!
Wonderful to hear, Alli! Thank you for your review.
I have made this recipe 5 or 6 times now and it is to die for! I have experimented with a few of the variations and my favorite is to use honey, almond milk, and oat flour. That comes out the most moist and sweet in my opinion. Even my gluten and added sugar loving family love this bread.
LOVE this recipe! I would love to make a bunch to freeze as well. Can I freeze them uncooked, and then pop into the oven frozen? Or wait until thawed and then put in oven? Or is it best to freeze cooked? Thank you!
Hi, you want to bake this then it would be ok to freeze.
This is a really good recipe. I’ve made it twice, but used applesauce instead of oil the second time. Both ways area great.
Great recipe! What is the serving size in terms of how much each slice should weigh?
Hi Ada, I’m not sure about the weight of the slices, sorry.
Hi Kate, I love this recipe, and also the pumpkin bread version. So easy to do on a kitchen scale in 1 bowl! I’m looking for a date nut bread recipe, and wondering if this can be adapted. Could I replace the banana with apple sauce to make the flavor more neutral, do you think? Lmk! Such a huge fan of your blog and books
Hi Macy, sorry to disappoint but I wouldn’t know without trying it. I hope you find something that works!
Just made this, I thought I had coconut oil unfortunately I was out so I put butter in, same quantity. I chose the maple syrup option.
I turned out AMAZING. Moist, delicious, not to sweet. It’s really great.
This might just beat out my mom’s recipe! Very tasty and healthy – I used olive oil, maple syrup and rice milk because that’s what I had on hand. It’s wonderful toasted with a little vegan butter spread on it for breakfast too! Thanks so much Kate!
That’s wonderful! I’m excited it worked with what you had on hand. Thanks for your review, Mary!
This was delicious! Tasted like banana bread made with sugar, butter, and AP flour without the blah afterwards. Thanks for making this recipe :) It’s definitely going on regular rotation.
Only thing: I had to cook this for 70 minutes, but could be low oven temp.
My family LOVES this banana bread! I use this recipe a lot. When I make this I use the oat flour substitute and want to use applesauce too when I have it. I love that it’s healthy so I can give my 5 and 7 year old girls a treat that is guilt free :) As a kid I liked banana bread but as an adult I was shocked that the ingredients were about the same as making a cake! Thank you for this great recipe!
I love that, Ashley! Thank you for your review.
I come back to this recipe every time I make Banana Bread. 10/10 every time! xx
It was delicious! My sons loved it! It disappeared so fast! I’m making more tonight
Made this last night. Added chopped nuts and cooked 55 minutes. Very bland and dry.
Hi, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t have a great result. Did you use enough banana? Sounds like some of the liquid ratio wasn’t quite right.
Thanks! I’ll try it again.
Do you know if it keeps well to the next day?
Hi! Yes, this is great leftover.
Absolutelu
The best!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the banana bread, Jackie.
This is the first healthy (non-buttery) banana bread recipe I’ve made that I actually liked! Moist and flavorful- tasted just like my mom’s sugary version. This one is a keeper. Thanks!
That’s great! Thank you for trying it Myndee and sharing you enjoyed it.
Can I make without maple syrup? Trying a sugar free diet including any sweetener
Hi, sorry to disappoint. Omitting the maple syrup would change the recipe as it’s an important liquid component.
Hi is it possible to make without maple syrup? Trying to have a sweetner free diet
Hi, Sorry to disappoint. Omitting the syrup would impact the recipe as it is an important liquid ingredient.
This recipe came out amazing! It is so fluffy and tasty. I didn’t have whole wheat or white whole wheat so I used regular white flour instead and I also used canola instead of vegetable oil. The banana bread still came out absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much :)
Hi I have just made this recipe ( doubled the recipe to bake two loafs ) and I know you said don’t substitute coconut flour , but I did half gluten-free self-raising flour and half coconut flour , I added in duck eggs instead of chicken eggs and a handful of mixed fruit . I also added some xanthan gum in the mixture when I mixed in the flour and they have come out lovely and fluffy thank you for your recipe
Mine turned out decent but a little dry. I measured the whole wheat flour by gram, not by cup, so maybe I actually used more than you did originally? The batter seemed pretty wet to me though.
Hi, You may have left it in too long if it was a little dry. Ovens can vary. Did you use the gram measurements I provided with the recipe?
Made this recipe couple times and each time it came out great. Its especially nice, because I am a complete newbie when it comes to baking. I am trying to replace my family’s consumption of store bought banana bread with this one.
How do I make this bread in bulk? Do I just double all the quantities? or is it different for baking soda?
Hi! You can increase this recipe, but I recommend separating it into separate loaf pans for best results. I hope this helps!
6.5 g of fat per slice. That seems a lot of fat for a healthy Banana bread. I modified slightly by using olive oil and reduced by 1/3. It’s just out of the oven. I can’t wait to taste it . Will drop back later with the verdict. Thanks.
I’ve made this banana bread a zillion times now and I use the Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour. I’ve made it with regular flour and it does not do it justice. The paleo flour creates a soft texture and the bread stays super moist. I recently added dark chocolate chips and it really kicked it up a notch! I also prefer to use maple syrup over honey and very ripe bananas! Make two batches at once, it’s that good!
That’s great, Amber!