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.
Great recipe. I used convection oven and had to reduce the cook time by 10 mins. Felt like it was overdone by couple of mins. Shall I use the conventional oven to have better results next time?
Hey Deepti, glad to hear it! My recipes are designed for regular (not convection) ovens, so yes, I’d try the conventional setting next time. Should turn out just right!
BEST banana bread I’ve EVER MADE. I used 3 1/2 bananas and Greek yogurt instead of milk. SO DELICIOUS!!!
Wow!! This was so good. My daughter made this by herself and it is great. I think she also learned you can find better options then the “normal” version, and make something delicious without sugar. Thank you so much for sharing. We plan to try others you have listed.
Hi! I’m excited to try this. But I only have almond flour. Would this work in replacement?
Hi Makayla! Unfortunately, I don’t recommend almond flour as a 1:1 replacement. Do you have old fashioned oats? If you do, you could make oat flour in a high powered blender – just blend high until a flour consistency. I have been working with some. It seems to work well, although delicate when warm so let cool completely before cutting in to it.
I baked this banana bread yesterday and it turned out to be absolutely amazing! Thank you for such a wonderful and easy recipe, this one is a keeper! Love from India XoXo
Hello!
Can I use a round 22 cm pan instead of the classic bread pan?
I only have that..
Thanks!
Yes, I think that will work! The bread might bake more quickly in that pan, so keep an eye on it. Bake until it reaches the visual cues provided within the recipe.
Why is coconut flour not recommended in this recipe? I’m planning on making it today. I have almond, oat and coconut flour at home.
Hey Abigail, coconut flour behaves quite differently from other flours because it is so absorbent. It will suck all of the moisture out of the cake. Oat flour is your best bet!
This was delicious!! I made mine vegan and used the egg replacer because my kiddos have allergies. It didn’t rise up super high, but it wasn’t dense at all! It was hard to stop myself eating it when it was nice and warm!
Is your loaf usually tall?
Hi Amanda! So glad you enjoyed the bread! My bread rises to about a 1/2-inch below the top of the loaf pan. If yours didn’t rise that high, I’m guessing your egg replacement is responsible.
Hi Kate! Thanks for the response! I kind of assume that too. Don’t think I overmixed but maybe I did with the flour. Have you tried egg replacers? Is there one you like best?
I’ve tried “flax eggs,” which work well in this recipe! (Combination of ground flax meal and water.) I’m not sure which egg replacer you’re referencing, but I’ve not used ready-made store-bought options.
Great tasting! I used whole wheat flour, honey and coconut oil. My daughter added chocolate chips to her side.
How would you recommend storing it?
Hey Helen, I’m so glad to hear it! You’ll find a full rundown in the storage suggestions underneath the recipe. :)
Amazing banana bread!!! So good!
I bought wheat flour because there was no white flour and I got the last bag of wheat flour. Anyway, bumped into this fabulous recipe for banana bread, first time making this, the maple syrup, the cinnamon, the best banana bread recipe everrr!
I have just made this banana bread and it is an amazing success. It is so delicious and easy to prepare! Thank you Kate, i will definitely try more receipes in the next weeks, love from Belgium
Loved this recipe. I added walnuts and dried cranberries with nutmeg on top.
Over baked slightly in my oven it only needed 40 minutes. Regardless it was super moist and delicious.
I used xtra virgin olive oil, eggs, soy milk and honey with whole wheat plain flour
This is a fantastic and versatile recipe! My weekly bake. So far: As the recipe, chocolate chips, dates and raisins, Apple cinnamon (instead of maple syrup sauteed the apples in brown sugar), and this week, orange cranberry (sub orange juice for the maple syrup) with orange zest and dried cranberries (and an unhealthy orange glaze). Thanks for this recipe!
Turned out great! I added a little ground clove and ground ginger in addition to the cinnamon and used chopped pecans and golden raisins as add-ins. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! We only have corn oil at home. Can I use it instead?
Hi there! As long as it doesn’t have a noticeable flavor to it, I believe it’ll work fine.
Best banana bread ever! I’ve made it twice in two weeks – once with honey and almonds and the next time with maple syrup and walnuts. Both were excellent!
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?
Thanks
Hi there, I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread! You could perhaps try replacing a portion of the honey/maple syrup with some additional mashed banana or applesauce (both are sweet, but not as sweet, so they should help).
I just made this with my 5 year old daughter. We used self raising gluten free flour (we’re in Australia) and omitted the baking soda. We also threw in half a cup of dark chocolate chips.
It turned out perfectly, and between the 5 people in our house, we have already demolished half the loaf. Thank you for a great recipe!
I made this yesterday – it’s a good thing I froze some slices immediately, otherwise my meals today would consist entirely of this banana bread! I loved it, such a great and easy recipe! I added crushed hazelnuts and some cacao nibs – I did need the full hour in the oven, thanks for having specified that! Delicious, thank you!
Just make the batch of three Banana Breads.
Worked out perfectly for me, I also added in pistachio nuts into it.
I can’t stop eating this, tastes great. :)
I do love pistachios! Thank you for sharing, Declan.
Excellent ! Came out super moist and delicious. Will definitely be making this again !
Do you think almond flour would work in this recipe?
Hi Emily! I don’t recommend almond flour as a 1:1 ratio. I have been testing oat flour with it(you can ground oats in a high powered blender to flour) and it seems to work. It is delicate when warm and doesn’t rise as much, but works pretty well.
Thank you so much for sharing! I followed this recipe to a T but used a brand new oven I haven’t cooked with much before and ended up overbaking it at ~52 minutes so unfortunately, it came out a bit dry and lacking flavor. I will definitely try this again and cut down bake time/watch more closely! But also wanted to share a potential fix for even slightly overbaked bread that you want to ensure is still moist – I made a simple syrup with 1/2 cup coconut sugar and 1/2 cup water and poked holes in the bread with a toothpick before pouring around half of this simple syrup over the bread and then covering for a few hours before eating. This trick that I found online saved my banana bread this time around so wanted to share in case helpful for anyone! Thanks again, Kate! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
This is such a great recipe! a no fail one! I love how healthy yet comforting this is! thanks a lot :)
made it thrice already. :)
I have to say this is the best banana bread I have made. I have made it a few times and finally have made the best one. I find coconut oil and almond milk are the best combination for the most moist banana bread. Thank you
You’re welcome, Stephanie!
Can you use oat flour instead of whole wheat flour?
Yes, oat flour will work (equal amount). It just won’t rise as high. Be extra careful not to handle the bread when it’s warm (let it cool in the pan), since it’s more delicate while warm.
Can I sub oat flour for this recipe?
Yes, oat flour will work (equal amount). It just won’t rise as high. Be extra careful not to handle the bread when it’s warm (let it cool in the pan), since it’s more delicate while warm.
Hi, Can I swap the oil with butter? would the measurement remain the same?
Hi Chen, I think so! Same amount and gently melt it before using.
Great :) Thanks so much!
I have been making this since you published it and it is always my to go to recipe. I love it. Today, I have ran out the usual flour and only have all purpose and wanted to add blueberries for the first time (trying to use what i have in the fridge). Do I have to make any adjustments??
Hi Gabby! All purpose should work well with this. I don’t know about adding blueberries to this recipe. But, I do have a blueberry bread recipe https://capital-balance.pro/blueberry-lemon-yogurt-cake-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I loved this recipe !!!! I used Whole Foods Whole wheat pastry flour. It is a white wheat flour for pastries and tea breads. It came out perfect !!! I had to bake longer like 1 hour 15 minutes. I added chocolate chips and chopped nuts. I got little carried away !!! Haha. This will be my only banana bread recipe !!!
Hooray! I’m glad you were able to find some, Diane. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and review. Chocolate chips and nuts sound delicious!
Have you substituted avocado oil? I’ve made the recipe as is and it is fantastic- very moist!
Hi Lisa! I haven’t, but I’m sure it will work well as long as your avocado oil is mild (I believe most are).
I haven’t made it yet because I don’t have white whole wheat flour so I was wondering if I could use all purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio?
Hi Anna! Yes, you can.
This recipe is so amazing! I cut the fat in half with applesauce and subbed honey for molasses (just what I had in my pantry). Chocolate chips folded in and chopped walnuts on top. Baked for 55 minutes right on the dot. Best banana bread I’ve ever had! Thank you Cookie & Kate!
Hi Kate! I usually get better results when I weigh my flour. If I double your recipe, it says I need 3 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour. I have some unbleached all purpose flour on hand. Can you tell me what the weight in ounces or grams the 3 1/2 flour would be?
Thanks,
Gina
Hi Gina! My cups average to about 125 grams each. 125 times 3.5 = about 437 grams
This banana bread is moist and so delicious! Used Trader Joe’s 100% canola oil which is expeller pressed without the use of chemicals or additives, pure maple syrup, water, AP flour and mixed-in at my husband’s request walnuts and chocolate chips. Also greased the pan with cooking spray and dusted lightly with AP flour. Recipe is definitely a keeper, look forward to making it again(and so does my husband)!
I made this with half Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and half Bob’s quinoa flour and a little less maple syrup. It would have been super healthful if I hadn’t added dark chocolate chips. But it’s delicious and I can even eat it for breakfast!
Hi! I used this recipe exactly but in a 9×9. At 325 it only took 25 minutes! It came out perfect thank you!
can I use a 6inch cake pan instead of a loaf pan?
Hi Hikali! I’m afraid your bread might spill over the sides of a 6-inch cake pan (loaf pans have a larger capacity). An 8-inch cake pan would work, or you could divide the batter by two and bake two 6″ cake pans (if you’re baking less batter in a smaller pan, it’ll be done sooner than indicated in the recipe). Hope that helps.
Delicious Banana Bread! I replaced the flour with a combo of almond flour and whole rolled oats. I also removed the milk altogether as I found it moist enough with the oil and I reduced the maple syrup to 1/3 cup. Delicious and healthy! YUM!
I have baked this banana bread several times using your Healthy Banana Bread recipe since August and it’s always delicious and a big hit! I use the healthier alternatives when I make it and use whole wheat flour, coconut oil, honey and water. I also add walnuts, chocolate chips or raisins. It’s healthy and also very tasty and that’s a great combination. Thank you again Kate for sharing your scrumptious recipe.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for getting back to me about the weight of the flour. I had to make the loafs this morning for a sick friend, so I went ahead and measured. The next time I will weigh. I doubled the recipe and cooked two loaves in my convection oven at 325. It took about 1hr 15 minutes to cook. I loosely covered the loaves for the last 20 minutes so they wouldn’t get too dark. Was wondering if you would think I use less milk next time for a thicker batter or just cook longer. My oven is pretty accurate, and usually cooks foods faster. I also usually lower the temp 25 degrees, but didn’t this time because I saw a few comments about the middle staying a little mushy. I measured the bananas and all the other ingredients to match your recipe. I think the raw honey I used may have made my batter a little loose.
I love your recipes and your website!
Thanks Gina! How thoughtful of you to make banana bread for your friend. I don’t know why the bread took longer in your oven, especially at a convection setting. I’d recommend weighing the flour next time. This recipe is designed for regular (not convection) ovens so I would try turning that feature off and baking as directed.
Love love love the recipe but the entire middle of the loaf was raw even though I cooked it even a little longer than suggested. I did add a little more add ins so wonder if that’s the issue? Also wondering if I should make it into muffins to help that.
Hey Emma! I’m sorry to hear that. I could imagine that perhaps the bread would need a few more minutes with the add ins. It could also be a leavening issue or temperature issue. Any chance you grabbed baking powder instead of baking soda? Did you use regular eggs or a substitute for the eggs? It’s also possible that your oven runs cooler than mine. I have temperature gauges in mine to make sure it’s operating correctly. So many factors go into baking that it’s hard to identify the culprit sometimes.
Wow impressed how quickly you replied! ;) honestly, I am such a big fan of all the recipes I’ve tried of yours. Just had to say that!!
So for this one I made gf and df… gluten free flour and xantham gum, oat milk, and half apple sauce half coconut oil. I added walnuts and dark choc chips. The flavor and texture and everything was great! I just wonder if I needed to cook like 10 mins extra! I hate when it’s over cooked though. That’s why I thought maybe muffins easier to gauge… but then not really sure how long to cook for. I’m trying again so maybe will give loaf another shot!
I do try to respond quickly and to as much as I can! :) I’m happy you are loving so many recipes. Thank you for sharing how you made this one.
I can’t have sugar or sweeteners because of a medical condition so I left out the honey, and it’s still delicious. The banana gives it enough sweetness. I’ve been missing baked goods like this, so finding this recipe was such a treat! I doubt it will last very long- I want to eat it with every meal. :)
A friend made this and it was delicious! I gave it a go myself but it came out very wet in the middle. Do you have any tips or ideas on where I might be going wrong please? I’m also converting cups to grams and ml so this could be an issue. Could you recommend any sites I could use to convert?
Hi Tallulah, sorry to hear that! Are you sure you didn’t forget the eggs, or perhaps used baking powder instead of baking soda? Or it could be that your moisture level was off. I’ve actually just made this bread to weigh the ingredients—they come to 220 grams flour, 225 grams mashed bananas, 75 grams coconut oil and 175 grams honey. Hope that helps!
this is my favourite banana bread EVER!!
I have baked with recipe for over a year. It is totally awesome!
Yum! I substituted blended oats for the flour, halved the honey and added walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and omitted the salt (not by choice I just ran out!)… and it turned out great! Will definitely cook again :)
Thank you!
I’ve made this many times since last year and it’s got better & better every time! It was the first banana bread I went for and I’ve kept with this recipe since! The last time I made it I added a banana slice on top and some dark chocolate chips. The presentation looked lovely and it tasted amazing!
Olivia xx
Hello, I baked without any sugar/honey and only with dates. Turned out quite good. Thanks for sharing