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.
Hi, can I add in fresh blueberries with the recipe?
Sure! Up to one cup should be fine. Your bread may need an extra 5 minutes in the oven.
can i bake this in a bread machine???
Hi Joyce, I’m really not sure. I can’t recall if any other readers have attempted that. Please report back if you try it.
Hey Kate,
Supermarket substitutions are confusing, they gave me ‘Allinson’s Bread Flour- Very Strong Wholemeal’ and I also have Organic Self Raising Flour. Unfortunately I can’t get Baking Soda!
I had a read through the comments but I’m oblivious to flour/raising agent effects! Any advice on if there’s possible substitutions here would be super appreciated! My current bananas are starting to get beyond even the bread stage haha but I really want to make this! I used to make banana bread a lot but my grandma’s old recipe is all sugar and margarine.
No, unless it jade cake function. Most of them don’t and work only for yeast type of baking. This function has warming, mixing, proofing, mixing again and proofing and then baking. Way too long for dough with baking powder or baking sofa.
This was the first time I made banana bread, I don’t mean to brag but it was a lot nicer than what you’d buy in a bakery, maybe it’s a hidden talent! I added a mixture of seeds, walnuts and dried blueberries. I’ve saved my parents a few slices, daughter of the year!
Thanks Kate for the beautiful recipe.
Michelle
Could i use brown sugar instead of honey? running low on honey.
You could try it, but honey helps provide some of the moisture needed in this recipe.
I tried it with half honey and half brown sugar. Came out moist and light!
Wow! This was so good. I wish I could post a picture of how perfectly it baked. I replaced the wheat flour with same amount of spelt flour to make it wheat free and replaced the milk with apple cider (simply because I had no almond milk left).
Thank you! Great recipe.
This is an awesome recipe! I follow it exactly as in the recipe and it turns out great! I am not an avid baker but this is one recipe I can make over and over. Thanks for sharing your recipe
This is my all time favourite banana bread recipe, and I always come back to it! ❤️
Tomorrow I’m making lunch for vegan friends and I’m wondering if the eggs could be replaced with flax eggs to make it vegan? :)
Hi Dora, glad to hear it! Yes, flax eggs work well here.
Love love love love!!! This is my go to banana bread recipe! I’ve made it many times and with different mix ins every time. Thank you!
This is my go to banana bread recipe. My family loves it and it comes together super quickly.
Hi! Tried this recipe tonight and it was good but i do have a little problem. I was wondering why my mix-ins all went to the bottom part of the bread? And it isn’t as moist as the others make it out to be? (It wasn’t crumbly, just not mosit all the way through) I used water as I didn’t have milk at the moment, and opted for extra virgin olive oil vs coconut oil. Do you think that contributed to my dilema?
Hi Kat, Sorry to hear this wasn’t perfect for you. That shouldn’t have mattered for water vs milk and your oil. How did you measure your flour? It sounds like it was heavy, too much flour to liquid. Also, what and how many mix-ins did you use?
This was really good. I’m just getting into baking and I loved it! I used all purpose flour since I didn’t have whole wheat but it was still delicious. Moist and sweet but not too much. Just the way I like my desserts! 10/10 great recipe.
This is so good!! My usual banana bread recipe consists of butter and sugar, so I was worried this would taste noticeably less… indulgent? But that wasn’t the case. I ended up using 1 flax egg and 1 regular egg because I was short. Added some walnuts, and a little extra banana as well. Highly recommend!
Can I use oat flour instead?
Hi Jessica, you can if you use 2 1/2 cups oat flour! Works great.
This sounds delicious! I would like to know if it can be made using a square cake pan instead of a loaf pan. Thanks!
This is the best banana bread I’ve ever had. I live in CO and the recipe worked perfectly, though I had to bake longer because I added a plantain as well as the bananas. It is so moist and fluffy and I’m so happy it doesn’t have cups of sugar in it! I am rushing my new bananas to ripen so I can make more before I run out! This one is going in the recipe book for forever. Thank you!
Hey Kate,
I tried this cake out. The taste is amazinggg. I used regular all purpose flour and 3 tbsp sweetener instead of maple syrup.
1 problem though, the inside of the cake was ready at 45 mins but the bottom sides and a little bit of the top burned.
The burned part looks black but its weird as it doesnt taste bad.
I tried it twice, and both time i had a burned bottom. If i leave it for less time, it wont dry from the inside.
Help!!
I faced the same issue. Did u solve yours?
Hi there, I used 2/3 of my batter and baked it in the Bake Only setting of my Breville bread machine, and it was fantastic! I replaced the 1/2 cup honey with 1:1 ratio of honey and greek yoghurt as I didn’t have enough honey. Thank you for the recipes! Loved this bake!
Can you substitute almond flour?
Hi Diane! I’ve been experimenting and haven’t had great luck with almond flour (though you could try with 2.5 cups almond flour and an additional egg or two—that’s what my next iteration to try). Oat flour (2 1/2 cups) works great.
Can i use Quinoa Flour
This is my first attempt at baking anything. We normally don’t make cakes or breads at home. But I have been wanting to try a banana bread for so long because my daughter loves it. I scoured the internet for an easy yet delicious and healthy recipe and none come close to yours in all categories. It was so easy to mix everything up and bake. And the taste is soo yummmm…. my daughter just finished 2 huge slices!! That’s all I need!!
Thank you so much this recipe!!
Made this today with my kids. It was really easy to make and very tasty, will definitely make this again
Thanks for this post! it’s sounds great! Is it okay to use Whole spelled flour instead and how much should I add?
Hi there, yes, you can use spelt flour for this recipe (same amount).
Can I use almond flour?
Hi Jaimie, I don’t find almond flour works as a good 1:1 substitute. I have been testing oat flour (update coming soon) that works well!
I made these muffins because I was in the mood for something sweet and healthy. These are so good! I definitely reccomend these!!
I made this and doubled the recipe. I cut back a bit on the honey and used half whole wheat flour and half white flour and it turned out great. It doubled well and wasn’t too sweet. And skipped the cinnamon.
How would cooking time and temp change if I do not have a loaf tin, but rather a 9×9 glass cake pan?
Hi Shan! Typically, when you’re changing the baking vessel, the temp stays constant but the baking time adjusts accordingly. I think the 9×9 would be a good baking vessel here—your bread will probably be done much sooner than suggested in the recipe. Bake until it achieves the visual cues provided in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Had to use what I have on hand. I didn’t have any honey or maple syrup, so used molasses. Bread came out delicious and with great texture.
Thank you for this recipe! It was deeelicious!
You’re welcome!
I love this recipe! The substitutes you suggest are so helpful, too. I’ve been using apple sauce instead of oil and it’s delish. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kelly!
For less sugar i used trivia baking blend and added walnuts. So good
I’m happy to hear it worked out well with your substitutions.
Turned out great, thank you!
I added in walnuts, but ground them down very finely so even my 1.5 year old can eat it. We are eating it first thing this morning while we watch cartoons!
You’re welcome, Crystal!
Hi Kate can you please let me know how much is your 1 cup measurement?
Hi Sandra! Here are the weights for this recipe:
220 grams flour
225 grams mashed bananas
75g coconut oil
175g honey
Can you replace honey or maple syrup with agave?
Sure, that will work!
My husband keeps asking me to bake more banana bread. I think the coconut oil make a difference. I also use coconut almond milk. When I asked my husband if I should add more of another ingredient, he says, “Why mess with a good thing?” You have got a good thing here! Thanks!
This banana bread turned out perfect…but If I want to use just egg whites and no yolk.. how many eggs should I use???
Hi Divya, I’m glad you loved the recipe. You could try using two egg whites. Let me know how it turns out!
My cholesterol jumps at the drop of a hat. So, As an alternative to whole eggs I used ReddiEgg, with 5g of protein and zero fat. It came out great!
I also had spelt flour in the house (yeah, still safe in lockdown but short of a few things) so I used that – much like whole wheat it tastes a little ‘earthier’ and satisfying.
Also added some plumped raisins and pecans. I added another 50% Cinnamon, plus ground cloves and ground nutmeg. It is so fragrant!
I’m dropping 1/3 of a big loaf (in a bag on the doorknob) to a 97 year old neighbor who probably wouldn’t recognize me now due to dementia, but her companion can warm it up for her and she’ll enjoy real home-baked goodness. Another third will be mailed with other treats to a shut-in friend up north. I’ll have one third for my immediate family.
Share the love.
This was great!super tasty and easy to follow. I had to find the US cup to UK weight conversions but someone had already asked for it in the comments. Thank you for sharing your recipe :-)
You’re welcome! I hope this resource is helpful or you
Made your banana bread. And it was amazing. So easy to do. Looking forward to trying some other recipes thank you.
I’m happy to hear that, Rebecca!
Hi there! I’m very excited to try this. Do you think ghee would work in place of the oil?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Best,
Ruth
Hi Ruth! Yes, I think ghee would work great. Please report back if you try it.
Thanks, Kate! I got impatient and made it already haha. (Dee-lish!). But if I try it on the next pass, I’ll let you know.
We made this for breakfast this morning and my kids gave it two thumbs up! Thanks for your recipes, I love a healthy twist on classics.
The first few times I made this, it came out amazing! But I don’t know what’s wrong now – my last 2 batches have turned out really dense and even the batter was quite thick when I poured it into the tin. What do you think I’m doing wrong? I made it exactly as is.
Hi Kat, that’s strange! What kind of flour are you using? Have you made any adjustments to the recipe? If you’re accidentally measuring out too much flour, it could make your batter too thick and your bread too dense. To measure properly, give the flour a stir with a spoon, then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling off the top with a knife. Hope that helps!
I’ve made many banana breads over the years, but I like this Recipe the best. It taste wonderful! I try different flours and different mix-ins and they all taste good. Thank you Kate, and Cookie of course, for sharing your great recipes. You are my go to source for healthy recipes that never disappoint.
Yummy! I substituted 1/4 cup flax meal for 1/4 cup of the flour because we like the nutty flavor (and nutrition) of flax meal… was delicious. Thanks.
Hi Kate! I’m 11 years old and I have used this recipe for 2 years, but I was wondering if I could use gluten free flour. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Anna! I love that you’ve been enjoying this bread for years. You can definitely use Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free all-purpose flour here. Or, you can use 2 1/2 cups certified gluten-free oat flour (I have a tutorial on how to make oat flour here).
Hooray! The simplicity of the ingredients and all the suggested tweaks, both in the Notes and the Comments, made this recipe a winner while there are so many item shortages. I have been out of cinnamon, so added 1/8 tspn nutmeg and a smidge of all-spice. Worked great! Thank you for a great recipe, Kate.
Delicious!!! Made it twice in 3 days… yes we ate it that fast. Yum!!!
I tried your banana bread recipe. Totally love it. So light and moist. This is my first time baking. Thank you so much.
Hi, Just made the banana Bread. Absolutely delicious!! First time I have made a banana bread. I used oats flour and it took a little over 60 mins to bake. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Next I am going to try your recipe for almond butter!☺️
Hi Kate – my banana bread turned out very dark brown compared to your picture and it was not the right texture (wet / undercooked). I followed the recipe precisely. Any suggestions appreciated!
Hi can I use rice bran oil for the banana bread instead?
Yes, I think that will work well!
Absolutely perfect. It’s not too sweet, not too overpowering with flavor, and it’s still healthy. My family and I love it. Also so convenient to make with whatever was laying around my house.
I have FINALLY found my go-to, staple banana bread recipe! I have tried countless variations over the years, but all of them just weren’t quite right. Leave it to Kate to make the perfect banana bread! I have made this bread exactly as the recipe calls for, which is heavenly. I have also played around with a few things: it worked out well for me to sub buckwheat flour for a gluten-free option (I just used a little less than 1 3/4 cups, as it is definitely more dense). I also have subbed 2 flax eggs and 1/3 cup of maple syrup instead of 1/2. But, this recipe is incredible!! I’ll never use another banana bread recipe again. Thank you, Kate!!
This has become my go-to banana bread recipe! I have a loaf with chocolate chips in the oven right now. Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe, Kate!
Just made this banana bread vegan with flax eggs (2tbsp ground flax w/ 5tbsp water whisked and set for 5 min) and almond milk. Turned out perfect!!!
I only have bread flour, will that work?
Hi Michelle! You could try it. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which means that your bread won’t be as light and fluffy as mine. Be very careful not to stir the batter any more than necessary.
Hi Kate! I just made it this afternoon with all purpose flour and it turned out great! My friends and family loved it and asked for this recipe! It was a little tougher than I would have liked, so I will definitely try with bread flour next time. Thank you, I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hi there! I’m so glad! Bread flour will make the bread more tough, so I’m not sure that’s what you’ll want to use for the next batch. Check out my flour measuring tip in the post and be sure to not to stir the batter any more than necessary. Hope that helps!
love this recipe.Not my normal type of cooking, but while in lock down
I decided to make this banana bread.My family of 4 adult siblings just loved it. I made made three since. I recommend this recipe as a average baker to anyone.