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 recipe is amazing! I used avocado oil, oat flour (added 2 tbsp all purpose bc the batter seemed too thin) and substituted Penzeys pie spice instead of cinnamon, and WOW. This tastes like regular full fat gluten buttery banana bread! And low and behold, I returned to the recipe and see its cookie and kate, I LOVE your hummus recipe and share it with everyone! You’re going to be my first stop when it comes to recipe searches!
I love this recipe so much! I’ve been making it all the time at least once a week.
I’ve been trying to bake healthier things though my son and my husband aren’t always happy with my experiments lol but this banana bread never lasts long. Thank you!!
Hi! Would you know if I can use sugar-free maple syrup?
Hi Kirsten! Sure, that may still work. Although your flavor results will vary.
The best healthy banana bread I’ve tried! Still tastes just as good as a regular one if not better, without all the sugar! It’s an extra win when the kids eat it too! Thank you!
My first healthy banana bread and it’s so tasty! I didn’t have enough ingredients so I halve your recipe. I baked it for 40 minutes. It will be added to my favourite recipes collection. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe. I am buying enough ingredients to bake it again tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing, Helen!
Literally so amazing I can’t wait to try it with oat flour
I tried to bake banana bread many times but this recipe is the best! My banana bread turned out pretty soft and moist. Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
You’re welcome, Sandy! I’m happy to hear that.
Perfect! Super delicious, I couldn’t even taste that it was made with whole wheat flour!! Will definetly make again
Just took my very first attempt at Banana bread out of the oven. Not only does it look gorgeous but smells heavenly! I used vegetable oil instead of coconut oil, water instead of milk and added more bananas. Cannot wait to eat!
I have made this cake so many times. And me and everyone who has tasted it, loved it. And the fact that it’s way healthier makes its even better.
I have a doubt , if I were to make it a chocolate banana bread, how much cocoa powder would u suggest? And how much flour?
Hi Sam! I haven’t tried it with cocoa powder. I would suggest looking at the other comments to see what others recommend as I believe some have tried it and liked the results.
Have now made this 3 times – epic each time. Great recipe and so handy to take out of freezer for preschool snacks! Thank you!
Would it be possible to replace the milk with greek yogurt instead?
Hi! You can use water instead of milk if you don’t have any.
My banana bread was perfect.. Except it tasted like it was missing something and not sweet enough :(
I’ve made this a few times.. it’s my bread.. tweaking The recipe here and there to My Preference .I’ve been told it taste like cafe high quality banana bread. I’ve tried coconut oil and low tasting olive oil. Coconut oil is a good option if you want the taste because you can defiantly taste it and it just adds extra flavour. To each their own.
I would suggest not doing the suggested amount of chocolate and honey . It ends up being very sweet / dessert like oppose to a nice Healthy snack with a tea and coffee .a drizzle across the bowl twice of honey is sufficient and a small
Sprinkle of chocolate chips is plenty.
I loved sprinkling Mixed nuts and seeds inside and ontop . And flax seeds inside extra health and you don’t even notice it.
hi, what should be the temperature for fan-forced oven?
Hi! This one is designed for a standard oven. You should be able to turn your fan off with a setting.
I was so confident I was going to nail this recipe! I meal prep every week and I’m trying to be a better baker. Cooking I’m amazing at …. baking… thumbs down! Mine came out black.. and not because I burnt it. I followed the recipe to a T. Not sure where I went wrong. I’m going to try again, because it looks amazing, and we are all about healthy eating!
Is there a temperature change for mini loaves?
Hi! No need to adjust temperature, you could just want to decrease your time. For muffins, it’s typically half so I would suggest there and add on as you need to.
Hi I love this recipe but wanted to switch it up! Would I be able to bake it in a 8×8 square cake pan? or a 9 inch round cake pan? What would the different times be for the sizing? Please help me out !! :)
Hi! If you want to make this more of a cake, I would recommend my favorite banana cake.
I’ve made this bread at least a dozen times and it is just so tastey! I use gluten free mix and it always turns out perfect. I also use pumpkin spice and cinnamon for an extra zing, and I add raw chocolate nibs and pecans. Thanks so much for this recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe. I make your banana bread and muffins regularly and it is devoured in my house of 5.love love love. I always use spelt flour and coconut oil. Never had a bad batch. Always turns out moist and perfect. Thanks Kate!
It really made my day! I followed the recipe to the dot (using oat flour, almond milk & coconut oil) and the result was excellent! I wouldn’t buy another banana bread from the bakeries when I can make my own healthy one!! Recommend this recipe without any hesitation to all who love to have a piece of cake with their tea guilt free!
Excellent! Mixed in semi-sweet chocolate chips. My kids and husband loved it :)
Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe! The first time making this I added more spices – so it had cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and even a pinch of clove – delish. Also used avocado oil for the oil. The 2nd time I used 1 banana and about 4 very ripe large figs (peeled) because we’re getting tons of figs off the tree now! I also used just a little maple syrup, and replaced some of the maple syrup with Lakanto sugar free maple syrup. Finally – I had some okara left over from making soy milk. I had cooked it in a pan until it was dry and crumbly, very much like almond flour – and just threw in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of that. Plus all the extra spices – and it came out light, fluffy and delicious again! Needed a little longer to cook than the first time. I’ll be making this recipe often!!
Thank you for sharing how you changed this up! I’m happy it turned out delicious.
Tastes soooo good!
My son loves it more than our local cafes banana bread and that’s saying a lot coming from him.
Making it for a second time :)
Lacked a little sweetness and banana flavor; will add another banana and double honey when I make next time
HI,
I’m baking the banana bread as I type.
I wanted to know if the oven is fan forced or not. Also, if I use baking paper should I still grease the paper?
Thanks
Hi! It’s a standard oven. If you have a fan, you should turn it off for this recipe.
Definitely will be making this again. Moist and delicious!!
Is it possible to use agave syrup instead of honey or maple syrup?
Hi Devan! I haven’t tired it, but you could see if others have used it as an alternative. I don’t love agave and prefer maple syrup or honey.
This is my go-to recipe for banana bread! Delicious and healthy!
Super delish, healthy and easy to make! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I highly recommend it!
Very delicious! I weighed out all of my ingredients using canola oil, half honey half maple syrup, walnuts, and almond milk. I even made muffins using this recipe, THE BEST banana bread recipe out there, definitely will make again!
This bread is just so good. I’ve made it over and over again using whatever flours I have on hand, and it’s always perfect. Hearty but not heavy, just sweet enough and tastes like bananas. I always add walnuts.
Made it several times and it was excellent each time. Even picky kids loved it. For flour I used 50% white (didn’t have whole wheat) and 50% almond meal (not almond flour, didn’t have it). Also Manuka honey instead of regular honey. 3 bananas instead of 2.5 made it extra moist, but not mushy.
This banana bread is one of the best I’ve ever had! Highly Recommend!
Thank you, Ava!
Super quick, very tasty and never fails! What more could you want?!! Everyone who has eaten this raved about it& has asked for the recipe.
Sometimes I don’t have bananas so I use 1 cup of apple puree (100% apples). It still tastes really good and it means I am almost always able to whip this up if we have any impromptu visitors. It also freezes very well in individually wrapped slices. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you loved it.
The bees knees
Without a doubt the best banana bread ive ever tried!
I used tangelo juice instead of milk or water 1/3 cup as that is what it squeezed. I also put in a 1/4 cup desiccated coconut and 1/2 cup of wallnuts!
Fanominal!
Honestly the best banana bread I’ve ever made! Compliments all around :) Thanks for this gorgeous recipe!
You’re welcome, Dee! I’m happy it was a hit.
Love your recipes and want to try your banana bread. Cholesterol is high though and I need to watch. Any ideas on lowering?
Hi Marie, I’m glad you love my recipes! Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not a registered nutritionist so I’m not able to offer any advice in that area.
I made this recipe yesterday and it was really good! I have been experimenting recently with gluten free/dairy free/refined free cooking and baking and it has been an adjustment, but I enjoy giving my daughter treats without feeling guilty about all the sugar! My question is I followed this recipe to the T and while it came out delicious, it was a little…soggy toward the bottom half of the loaf. I have read in other recipes that this can happen with coconut oil, as it may separate during the cooking process. Have you had this happen? I used Bobs red mill GF 1:1 baking flour, maple syrup, kept everything else the same, and added the recommended amount of chocolate chips. Do you have any suggestions to try differently next time?
Hi Alicia! I’m sorry you seemed to have issues. I personally haven’t had this issue with this bread. Did your coconut oil solidify when it met colder ingredients that it may have not been incorporated fully?
I made this just last week as had over ripe bananas but no butter. It turned out perfectly and delicious! I did use self raising flour (I’m in the UK) as I didn’t have any bicarb of soda, but still it was perfect. My only potential critique was could it be made less moist/oily?
I tried today with a little less coconut oil, and this time I added walnuts, but after 90 minutes it still isn’t baked, has a thick rubbery crust and I have given up! I’m devastated! Is it the reduction in oil?!
Can walnuts also affect a bake like this? As this has only happened once before, with the first and only other time I ever baked a banana loaf with walnuts (different recipe).
I’m also wondering if over mixing is the culprit, as I did blitz it after I added the flour to get the lumps out, which I’m sure I didn’t do before
Hi Shelley, I’m sorry to hear that! I have not experienced those results myself and we have several factors at play here, so I’m not sure exactly what caused the issue. I don’t think that adding walnuts is the problem, though. Over-mixing can definitely toughen a baked good by over-activating the gluten. It’s important to use the exact amounts of leavener specified in a recipe (baking soda, in this case) since slight variations can have big impacts on the finished result. I wouldn’t normally describe this bread as oily, so perhaps using self-rising flour has something to do with that? Hope your next loaf turns out just right.
This recipe turned out so well! I just had some for breakfast, topped with peanut butter! I had trouble containing myself to one slice!
Just made this for the first time, it is delicious!! I think this tastes better than the traditional, less healthy version! Moist, flavorful and just the right level of sweet!
I loved this recipe for the healthy banana loaf. So easy to make & tasted delicious. I used avocado oil & oat milk as I don’t use dairy.
It was great! I added non dairy chocolate chips!
Thank you I plan to make it again too.
Hi Kate! This is a super easy and delicious banana recipe. Am eating it right now! would like to check if it is possible to substitute the honey with brown sugar? Thank you so much for your sharing!
Hi! I would suggest the sweeteners I recommended since they are a liquid and aid in the overall moisture and help to make sure this rises correctly.
Hi Kate, noted and had made a 2nd loaf but this time round I reduced the honey and omit the cinnamon but still taste good!
Thank you again for the recipe.
if i want to use lakanto monkfruit sweetener, how should i replace it? it works almost like regular sugar
Hi! I don’t have much experience with it, so I’m not sure without trying it.
In LOVE with this recipe. I use to make a banana bread recipe that was full of sugar and butter people loved it until they realised how unhealthy it was, this recipe tastes better and has healthier alternatives. AMAZING! I added 5 bananas and it came out perfect.
Thanks for sharing, Eve!
I’m looking to make this very soon. I’d like to swap the oil for unsweetened applesauce. How much would I use? Thank you.
Hi Sue, I haven’t made this with applesauce, sorry! I would suggest seeing if others have tried it in the comments and what they suggest.
My son and I have made double batches of this bread when we first discovered it. I would say we’ve made 20 so far! We have usually used white whole wheat flour, today we used whole wheat. We added a little pineapple juice, chopped pineapple, macadamia nuts and unsweetened coconut! The results bring us back to the green shack on the road to Hana in Maui. They sell the best Hawaiianb banana bread in the world until we tried your recipe! Thank you so much!
My go-to recipe! That said, the one change I make the truly takes this recipe to a new level is: use just under 1/4 cup 2% milk and a large spoonful of Greek yogurt (in place of 1/4 cup milk). This makes for the best, most soft & most bread ever.
I’ve used your recipe before & had to leave a comment that I think it’s the best! I use hone (not quite a 1/2 cup) and always add nuts. It is moist, satisfying & not too sweet – just one problem- I can’t stop eating!!! Thank you also for the tip to slice prior to freezing – So smart!
Better than my grandma’s! Thanks, Kate!