This easy no-fail Healthy Banana Bread recipe makes the most fluffy and moist banana bread you will find at only 238 calories per slice. It contains NO processed sugar or butter and comes together in just a few minutes!
It’s finally here! We are a huge fan of banana bread. Somehow, we always end up with 3 to 4 very ripe bananas just sitting on the counter. Bananas that are too ripe to eat, but are perfect for baking. You know what they say, when life gives you ripe bananas, make banana bread.
But seriously, ripe bananas are a dream in banana bread and make the best banana bread ever. This healthy banana bread is everything you want in banana bread. It’s moist, dense, and full of flavor. I made a batch and shared a few slices with my friends and they could not believe it was “healthy”. This recipe is a keeper, and I’m sure your family will love it as much as we do!
What Makes This Banana Bread Healthy?
To make this banana bread healthy:
The sugar is replaced with honey
For the butter, we opted for coconut oil. You can also use olive, avocado oil, or even apple sauce.
As for the flour, whole wheat flour works wonders!
Another very important ingredient is the ripe bananas. Ripe bananas are super sweet so the riper the better.
How to Make Healthy Banana Bread
Make this delicious banana bread by combining the dry ingredients and setting aside. Next, simply combine all the wet ingredients and add in the bananas.
Stir in the dry ingredients and add in your favorite banana bread add-ins. I like to add chopped chocolate, chocolate chips, or nuts.
Lastly, transfer the batter into a greased 9×5 pan, and bake for 50 minutes. You can also bake this banana bread in a small square 8×8 pan for just 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Is Banana Bread Healthy?
Banana bread can be made healthy with simple substitutes that also taste amazing! Replace the sugar with honey or an alternative sweetener, replace the oil with healthier sats, and use whole wheat or almond flour.
What is the difference between whole-wheat flour and white whole-wheat flour?
Whole-wheat flour is made with red wheat, which is darker in color. It has a slightly bitter taste and a coarser texture. White whole-wheat flour which lacks bran color. It also has a milder flavor and a softer texture.
What Mix-Ins can I add to Banana Bread?
There are a ton of things you can add to your banana bread each time to give it a new flavor. I like to add chopped dark chocolate, chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, dried fruit, Nutella, oats, or berries.
Recipe Tip
If your bananas are not yet brown or soft then you can place them in a 300F degree oven for 20 minutes or until dark brown. I swear this method will produce the ripest bananas that are perfect for banana bread.
How to Store Banana Bread
This banana bread will last at room temperature for 3-4 days. To store, place a paper towel in an airtight container or ziplock bag and top your bread with another paper towel. Be sure to seal the bag or airtight container.
To Freeze: You can leave the loaf whole, wrap it, and store it in a freezer-safe bag or container until you’re ready to eat it. You can also slice it and freeze it as well. To thaw, move it to the fridge for a short time or take it out of the freezer and set it out on the counter. It will unthaw quickly and easily.
More Delicious Healthy Banana Bread Recipes To Try
- Healthy Oatmeal Banana Bread
- Almond Flour Banana Bread
- Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread
- Healthy Coconut Flour Banana Bread
- Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Have some extra ripe bananas and want to try new banana bread recipes? here are a few of my favorite banana recipes:
Healthy Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, or olive oil
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup milk or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2-3 medium bananas
- 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour, or plain all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts, raisins, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, honey, milk and vanilla for 2 minutes. Stir in the bananas, flour mixture and chocolate chips (or any other add ins of choice.
- Pour batter into greased pan, sprinkle with some more cinnamon, raw sugar, or banana slices (optional) Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
For dairy-free/vegan: use almond milk and flax eggs and maple syrup.
*Trader Joe’s has white whole wheat flour that is also great in this bread.
Recipe inspired by allrecipes and cookie and kate
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Healthy Moist Banana Bread Muffins
Hi there,
I’m quite a novice when it comes to anything food-related (except eating it).
You call for fresh, ripe bananas. It’s been engrained in my brain by my family that if the banana is about to reach the point that it’s too ripe, you put it in the freezer until it comes time for banana bread making. Can I use the bananas I have in my freezer or does it make a huge difference if they aren’t fresh?
Frozen bananas will work just fine just be sure to thaw them a little so they incorporate into the batter.
Hello!
I’ve made this recipe at least 6 times since discovering it this year and it’s perfect every time!
I took it to my Sunday school (back in Feb) for our office meeting and everyone was shocked that it didn’t have butter or sugar, yet still tasted amazing!
Thank you for this recipe, it’s become a classic in our household 🙂
So moist and delicious (i used rye flourbread also)! Toddler approved.
Im here from Liza Koshy’s video on her second channel “Liza Koshy too” and it turned out really good for her. just wanted to say that! Also go check her out. Her old videos are the funniest.
I found it terribly bland also. My husband and I have been slathering our slices in peanut butter or cookie butter to give it some sort of flavor. Other than the chocolate chips in the recipe there is no sweetness. It just tastes vaguely like oil. I
Sorry, it did not work out for you! Did you use honey?
I made this with walnuts (no chocolate) and put a generous amount of cinnamon, a teaspoon of sugar in the raw and extra walnuts on top before baking….it formed the most delicious crust! YUM!
Thank you.
Sounds delicious!!
Strange! This was SO moist and tasted like a choc chip sponge cake for me
This is my GO TO banana bread recipe! SO good!! I find this one is even so much better than the unhealthy banana bread recipes. I would highly recommend.
I love this recipe. Quick tips to make it super healthy, I use oat flour, avocado oil, and sugar-free syrup. Also add a little nutmeg, just because I love that with cinnamon. Also adding a little monk fruit sweetener as a healthy alternative to add some sweetness. Overall this makes wonderful banana bread every time!!! and yes I have made it more than once 🙂
I tried this recipe,also replaced eggs with flax seed eggs, came out delicious. Bread’s texture moist and loved the flavor of coconut oil.i would rate 5 stars !! My family is asking me to make it again allready:)
Thanks so much for the detailed feedback, so glad it worked out for you with flag eggs!
I only have a 8.5 x 6 inch aluminium load pan, will this temperature still work? Thanks
Yes, it will work!
I don’t usually leave reviews, but this recipe was so good!! I went to make it and realized I was out of eggs (ugh), so I substituted applesauce and it was delicious. Also used oat milk instead of regular milk/yogurt. Moist and delicious! Thanks!
This banana bread is easy to make, very moist and delicious. The only thing that surprised me was how greasy the bottom of it is. I will definitely make again.
We loved this banana bread! I upped the ingredients according to how a friend once told me to improve on a boxed cake mix. I.e. a vanilla protein drink instead of milk plus the same volume of vanilla yogurt. I also used a quarter cup of protein powder for some of the flour, three bananas, olive oil and an extra egg. Result was incredibly moist and quite delicious with both chocolate chips and walnuts added in. Would definitely make again and looking forward to enjoying with coffee and tea over the next few days.
Made this healthy loaf but was not impressed with the results . I have been baking for years. Loaf was too dry not moist at all for my liking. 1 used 1 cup of white an 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour. If you are giving options of different types of flour than may be you need to give options on liquids used that we can increase or decrease depending on the flour used. Needed more liquid in the batter.
How would you cook mini loaves? What temperature for how long?
I made mini loaves and they came out great at 28 minutes.
I love this recipe! I know that I’ve asked this question before in the comments, but it won’t let me load the previous comments right now. Would you please let me know your recommendation for baking mini loaves? What temperature for how long? Thank you!
This was really really good. It came out moist and tasty. I used a 9×9 tin pan so they came out about an inch high (that way we had smaller servings to last longer)
I stuck with the recipe mostly but added pecans and choco bits. I topped it with date sugar. I used whole milk and einkorn whole wheat flour. The bananas were on their last legs so they were extra sweet.
My favorite banana bread recipe so far
I followed the recipe changing nothing and it is a 10/10. I did not have any issues whatsoever with the timing.
My go-to banana bread recipe. Very forgiving, relatively healthy, and you can’t taste the whole wheat. Thank you!
Hi, it’s delicious, but you do realise that vanilla extract is packed with sugar – and heated honey is pretty much pure sugar?
What is wrong with heated honey? Besides the temperature you hear the honey is not enough to make it “bad” or whatever those articles say.
Honey, sugar, glucose is pretty much same thing. Let’s not demonize food.
I’ve made this recipe about 10 times now. I love it, and it turns out perfectly every time! Thanks!
Definitely needs more than 55 minutes, I think recipe should be updated to at least 65 minutes at 325 unless you update temperature to 350.
I want to make this recipe using mini foil pans. Your recommendation for temperature and amount of time…THANKS
Can’t wait. I have a bunch of bananas screaming to be baked.
Good but coconut oil is one of the most unhealthy oils. The Fad has passed
I’m sorry you’re you’re sadly mistaken. Go back to your research, an add “monolaurin” to your list, in lieu of Covid issues. Coconut oil is better than ever.
wowwww! so moist!!! i have been making 1 a week for the past 3 weeks. i need to lean the recepie even more so I can continue eating a lot of it without getting fat! I had chocolate chips, dry raisins and walnuts. I use cashew milk. Will try whole wheat flour, protein powder and coconut oil eventually. Thank you!!!
I’m pretty inexperienced when it comes to baking but was very happy with this, the best banana bread I’ve had.
Here’s what I used from the recipe, plus a couple of minor substitutions based on what I had available:
– rapeseed (canola) oil instead of coconut/olive oil
– half honey and half agave syrup
– milk instead of greek yogurt
– for flour; half plain and half seeded wholemeal (the added texture from the seeds works really well in my opinion)
– added 1/2 cup dark choc chips
– added a small sprinkling of cinnamon, sugar and sliced banana on top of the batter before going into the oven.
Will definitely use this recipe again, thanks!
Yum, thanks for sharing your alterations!
This came out super crumbly (Can’t even cut off a slice) but tasted great. Going to try to use almond flour and/or an extra egg and see if it turns out better.
This is my second time making this recipe. The first time I might have had a bit too much wet ingredients, so it was a bit too moist, but this time I nailed it. The batter was a bit thicker. But the last one was really, really delicious! I especially love how the coconut oil blends the flavours nicely and really isn’t overpowering at all. The honey is a nice replacement for refined sugar.
Hi, 238 kcal is for the all cake or just a piece?
That is for 1 slice.
Hello – I made this tonight and I do love the taste. However it is a little too moist, almost like it is not all the way done. I cooked for 55 min and the outside seemed like if It cooked any longer it would burn. I inserted a toothpick in the center and it came up clean.
I did substitute the flour with a paleo flour by red mills. I am not sure if that had something to do with it. I used the same measurements. I am not a baker, so maybe the measurements are different when you change flours?
Anything you could advise for the next time? I love moist but would like it to be a little more firm.
Thank you!
The paleo flour may have played a role in the texture. I would bake it a little longer next time to be sure!
I think it’s a great recipe. Followed it exactly (used all purpose flour, yogurt and honey, where given options) but ended up baking for closer to 65 minutes. I think next time I’ll increase the amount of honey, I used dark chocolate chips and the bitterness of it was screaming for a touch more sweetness!
Can you add nuts to this? Thinking of walnuts.
Hi! Thank you for the lovely recipe. I followed it to a T, but then after being in the oven for 55 minutes and left for 10, the bottom half was still super undercooked. I put it near the bottom of the oven and the oven was heated for a long time before I even put it in… the mixture looked great… any thoughts as to why it was still undercooked? I really want to get banana bread right 😂🙈
Are you using a glass pan? How many bananas did you use?
Same for me. Super raw in the middle.
Glass pan. two small and one large banana.
Can I make this with almond flour?
can I substitute apple sauce fir honey or syrup
Made this tonight and it was better than any banana bread I’ve ever made!!! It’s certainly a keeper. I
Hi, I have made this bread and it’s super delicious, but we found it a bit sweet(as one of my family member is diabetic) . If I reduce the honey/maple syrup do I have to substitute with any other liquid ingredient? Also I want bake it as a cake for my husbands birthday will a 9” inch pan be good?
Definitely switch out honey/maple syrup as these are on the high glycemic index, which would not be recommended for anybody who is diabetic and managing their blood sugar. I would instead use monk fruit extract or coconut palm sugar, nowadays these are available in health retailers and major markets.
Keep in mind monk fruit extract is 150x more sweeter than regular sugar so I would use 1/8 cup.
Coconut palm sugar 50x less sweeter than sugar so I would isntead use 1/2 cup.
Happy baking 🙂
Hello. Would Apple Sauce be a good replacement for the oil? And if so, how much?
Thanks!
I used 1/2 cup of applesauce and it worked fine. The taste was not as rich, but not bad.
Yes, it works! 🙂
This is easy and delicious!!
Made it as an experiment to see if a baked good without sugar or butter could still be good. I was definitely skeptical. Not only is it delicious, but the best banana bread I’ve ever made!
Wow, what an easy, tasty and healthier banana bread. I love the fact that it doesn’t require sugar, and the coconut oil doesn’t affect the taste. I love to put raisins in my banana bread. It is delicious!
A easy fantastic recipe. Fluffy and light👍