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,
This was a good recipe! I was wondering if I could add slightly more maple syrup to make it a little sweeter? Also, I like a rich banana flavor. Can more banana be added as well? Not sure how these two extras would impact the ratio/balance? Thanks!
Hi Brenda, I recommend it as written as changing the amounts can impact your results. You can always serve it with more banana and drizzle of syrup or honey if you are looking to make it sweeter.
I just made this and it came out awesome (as expected based on the reviews). I made it exactly as written by weighing ingredients. I doubled the recipe and made 1 loaf as well as 6 muffins. Really delicious!
I’m glad I found your blog :)
I’ve tried baking many times and failed, and this one is a success!
Even though I reduced 1/2 of the honey/maple, they still taste good.
I also changed the flour to 1/2 oat flour and 1/2 AP flour (I just wanted to finish the oat flour).
I used non refined coconut oil but I don’t know why it taste coconut-y (yes a little funky). Nevertheless it tasted good and I’m gonna share this with my neighbors.
Thank you for giving me the confidence to bake again..
I appreciate your efforts of testing and making recipes for all of us.
Thank you so much! <3
I’m glad you found it, too! Thank you for sharing how you made your banana bread, Mentari.
Hi Kate, can coconut sugar be used in place of maple syrup?
Hi Elizabeth, this recipe needs the liquid sweetener. I hope you try it written as is!
I always use brown sugar instead of honey, and it works fine. Coconut sugar should work well as well. Just add an extra dash of milk at the end to make up for the fact that your sweetener isn’t liquid.
Hi Kate ( & Cookie)
This recipie sounds amazing!!!!!
Im going to make it for Thanksgiving!!!
I was just a little confused as to Scale- my husband said that it applies to the amount of servings, is that correct!!!
If I do the 3X can i put all the ingredients in one lasagna size pan?? ( which is roughly 10×12 )
thanks so much
Hi Barbara! Yes, the scale number is amount of recipe – single recipe, double or triple. Does that help? A triple recipe might need two large 9×13 pans. Let me know if you try it!
This has been my favorite banana bread recipe for years! I’ve even thrown the extra batter into a frying pan to make pancakes – guess what I’m having for breakfast!
What should I wrap the banana bread up with for storage in the fridge?
Honestly it never really lasts long enough to put in the fridge in my house. So I keep it out and cover it with plastic wrap for the few hours until it is all gone. I’d imagine you could wrap it in plastic wrap or use a storage bag.
This was so good and moist, definitely a keeper.
Hi, I made this banana bread today and it was absolutely delicious! My super fussy 5 and 9 year olds kept coming back for more. So wonderful to have a healthy recipe that they love and one that is so easy to make. Can’t thank you enough Kate!
I’m glad they enjoyed it, Claudine!
I love this recipe! So delish and guilt free! I add nuts, chocolate chunks, and sometimes pumpkins seeds. I love the extra crunch that these adds in give the bread. My go-to banana bread recipe!
Thank you for this recipe!! I’ve also struggled with banana bread, it would always fall when taken out of the oven and would be undercooked inside. The first attempt to make this version was successful!!! I used the same amount of greek yogurt to replace milk and used a bit less honey. Making another one right now!
Hooray! I’m glad you like this one, Ksenia.
I make this banana bread at least twice a month as written and it is an absolute winner!
That’s great, Jacqui! Thank you for your review.
Hi,
Can you substitute some almond flour for the wheat flour. Maybe 1/2 and 1/2?
Thanks,
Nora
This is just divine and a keeper. I followed recipe using 1/2 honey and half maple syrup, coconut oil and adding no extras. Its moist and very mourish. MMMMmmmm
Thank you
Great!! Not kidding. Like the ingredients. No butter
Hi, I tried this recipe with oat flour and it turned out pretty good (taste wise) but it was quite crumbly. Why might that be? I added all the ingredients as mentioned except vanilla extract because I didn’t have any. I used 2.5 cup of oat flour as mentioned as well? I am not a baker so I wanted to ask so I can do a better job next time! It tasted pretty great though.
Hi! Sounds like it may have been over baked. If you try again, let me know!
Same thing happened to me, the loaf quite crumbly, tasty but hard to slice successfully.
I made this exactly as written, opting to use whole wheat flour, honey and coconut oil. I threw in about 3/4 cup of trail mix I had leftover (craisins,walnut, pumpkin seeds). It was delicious! The crust was a bit crispy with a delightful, subtle coconut flavor since I used that to grease the pan. Excellent recipe! Unless I’m missing it, it would be great if you included nutritional info with the recipe. Thanks so much!!
I made this exactly as written, opting to use whole wheat flour, honey and coconut oil. I threw in about 3/4 cup of trail mix I had leftover (craisins,walnut, pumpkin seeds). It was delicious! The crust was a bit crispy with a delightful, subtle coconut flavor since I used that to grease the pan. Excellent recipe! Thanks so much!!
I’m glad you loved it, Adrienne!
Hi! I doubled the recipe and used flax eggs and it was still raw after cooking for an hour. Did I miss anything?
Hi Julie, did you split between two loaf pans?
I’m embarrassed to admit I forgot to double the flour! My tired mom brain realized it in the middle of the night. I made your oatmeal banana muffins it’s a great recipe!
I have a banana bread recipe that I have used for years but I’m so glad I came across this one as the ingredients are much cleaner and I love that there are so many tried and true variations.
I made one loaf, today, following the recipe as written and it is delicious. Thank you, Kate!
I’m glad you came across this one too! I appreciate your review, Cadence.
Absolutely Delicious!
Followed recipe but used oat flour and 0 sugar oat milk
Will make over and over
This recipe is amazing! I used 1/2 honey and half maple syrup because I ran out of honey and I added some chia seeds. Can’t stop eating it, thank you for the recipe!
Could I make 2 loaves by doubling the recipe
Thanks
Yes, you can double and dived into two loaf pans.
This is my go to recipe for my 5 and 3yr old. My 3 yr old eats it for breakfast.
Love the ingredients. I don’t measure the amount of bananas (usually have about 3 ripe that need to be used)and it comes out great every time. I also add about a TBSP of dried orange peel. It tastes excellent!
This is a delicious recipe. It is not too sweet. My entire family loved it. I made a recipe with walnuts and one without nuts. Both were delicious. I am going to try it with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips next time. Thank you
You’re welcome, Carrie! Thank you for your review.
Hi,
Loving this recipe and just trying to adapt it slightly to increase the protein and make it a really great breakfast option. If I was to add to unflavoured protein powder as a sub for some of the flour do you think this would work? And if so, any idea how much flour I could lose before it goes wrong? Or alternatively if I added the powder as an additional a bit like the bits, would this be likely to make it too dry?
Thanks!
Hi Rich, I haven’t tried adding protein powder so I can’t say for sure. You can always serve with a nut butter.
Delicious!! I added 1/2 walnuts and also more for topping. Subbed regular flour for oat flour, still turned out great. My only complaint was that it was a little dry, but I suppose if I had taken it out of the oven a little earlier I could’ve avoided it. Loved that it had the perfect balance of cinnamon, banana flavor, and it wasn’t too sweet.
The problem with this recipe is that it’s so delicious that it disappears too quickly. LOL. So, I’ve clicked on 2x under scale above and next time I will double the recipe. One thing I noticed is that the bananas increase to 2 cups, but the number of bananas stays at 2 1/2. Is this a glitch? Thanks!
That’s great! I’m glad you love it, Felicia.
This is absolutely delicious! Moist fluffy and plenty sweet. I have made one before with whole wheat but it was dry and dense. This is definitely going into my go to recipes. I mixed maple syrup and honey and added some hazelnuts. It added that extra flavor and crunch. The flour measuring tip was so helpful.I keep forgetting about it. I also used 3 smaller bananas and it came to the amount asked for in the recipe.
This has been my fave banana bread for at least five years. So delish, so healthy for me and my 5 and 2.5 year olds. I use different flours and it always works. Tried buckwheat flour today and it was still gooey in the middle. I left it in the oven for another 10 and it came out okay but still a bit soggy on top in the middle. It was never recommended to do this with buckwheat, but I’d advise others to stick to other flours suggested. Still delicious and gobbled up though!
I made this exactly as written and it turned out perfect. I didn’t have whole wheat flour on hand so used unbleached white. Thanks for this great recipe! I will be using it again and will try it with whole wheat flour next time.
This turned out so well! I should have doubled the quantity. It’s going to be hard to go back to buying store bought versions.
I have made this recipe a few times now. The 3 things I love about it, 1) you mix everything in one bowl, 2) you can try it so many different ways, and 3) it’s always delicious. This last time I made it with avocado oil, 1/4 c maple syrup and 1/4 c monk fruit sweetener, water, and whole wheat flour. Also, I made 3 mini loaves with the 1x recipe and baked for about 40 minutes. Perfect!
Thank you, Cynthia! I’m happy you have made it a few ways now.
This is such a great recipe! I didn’t have cinnamon, but it still tasted delicious!!
My husband and children absolutely loved it and finished it in no time! I had to make another one the next day Thank you Kylee
I am shocked how good this is and I even forgot the vanilla. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kacie! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hi, I wanted to know if I could replace the amount of honey with sugar? I would love to make the recipe but I’m completely out of honey.
Hi, Unfortunately that would be a different recipe. This needs a liquid sweetener. I hope you can try it soon!
You can totally substitute sugar for honey (I usually use brown sugar, about 1/4 cup).
Just add a dash of extra milk at the end, to make up for the lack of moisture (since sugar isn’t liquid, while honey is!)
I can use coconut cream substitute for oil and milk?
Hi, I haven’t tried that so I can’t say if it will work. This recipe is best as written since baking is precise.
Can we use Chia Flour for this recipe? And I need a substitute for eggs.
Hi Mike, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. The alternative flours I recommend are in the post. I hope you try them and can enjoy it!
Can you add flax seed to this? If you did, would you recommend subtracting some of the flour?
Hi Amy, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure.
Absolutely love this recipe. Anytime I have ripened bananas this is what I make. My husband loves them and I love how easy they are to make.
This bread is absolutely delicious! Easy recipe and extremely healthy. Thank you
You’re welcome, Tracy! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
This recipe is absolutely delicious, I used coconut oil and maple syrup and it’s just the best! Thankyou
You’re welcome, Isobel! I appreciate your review.
Absolutely love this banana bread recipe! I’ve been making it for over a year now and it’s the only recipe I use. It comes out delicious every time! Sometimes I use honey and sometimes I use maple syrup to sweeten it. Our family stays away from processed sugars as much as possible so I was really happy to find this healthy recipe! I personally don’t put in any add-ins when I make it, btw. Although I might try it with chocolate chips one day!
I’ve made this recipe countless times since it is just SO delicious. I make it as written choosing honey, coconut oil and the whole wheat flour I use to make bread.
When I made the current loaf that’s sliced in my freezer, I was low on all three of the above ingredients so I used maple syrup, melted butter and unbleached white bread flour instead.
Guess what! It’s as superb as the other. I’ve shared this recipe now with my daughter who makes it for (and with!) her five year old. And with my friend, who begged for the recipe, who now always has some on hand.
Five stars. Only because I can’t give you any more!
I’m glad you love it!
Really delicious as always. I used spelt whole meal flour this time round and half and half honey and organic maple syrup and 3 med bananas.
All of your recipes are great. Thank you and Merry Christmas Kate.
This was so delicious and moist!
Hii, may I know how many calories does this banana cake contain?
Hi Bridget! The nutrition information is below the notes of the recipe.
Love this recipe. Made it several times. Could I put in more mashed banana in lieu of the milk/water. I enjoy more banana flavor.
Thanks
Hi Liz! For this to turn out the best, I recommend baking as listed. You can always serve with some slice banana and a nut butter to get more banana flavor.
As Kate says: don’t add extra banana – I’ve tried, and it results in the bread never fully baking inside (stays a bit raw/ unbaked).
I followed this recipe to a tee, and my banana bread was not done in the center! I baked an extra 10-20 minutes…still not done. Outer edge well done, needless to say. In reading other comments, I am completely puzzled because I have a nice convection oven that is only a year old. Never had other problems with it!
Yes mine too! I doubled it and cooked 20 min over… still raw
Hi Jazz, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you separate it into two loaf pans?
I have had the same problem, I got an oven thermometer and found my oven creeps above what it’s set to by 15-30° on long bakes. To compensate, I reduce the temperature setting to 310° halfway through the bake, then let it bake for 65-70 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
I’ve had no problems after that!
This tasted amazing! Thank u for the recipe <3
Why soda instead of powder?
Hi Bee! It helps it to rise and get that delicious top. I hope you try it!
I really like this bread with honey – it gave it such a depth that I haven’t experience when using sugar.
I have made this recipe countless times and it always tastes delicious. I have tried other healthy banana bread recipes before and I have had to throw them out. I am so happy to find this one as I fall back on it everytime as it’s so reliable. I think I’ve made it in every house I’ve lived in, which has been a lot :). Thankyou so much!
Hey! I never leave comments but this time I had to. It’s the first time I made this banana bread and OMG, it was insane! Thank you very much for this nice recipe :) From now on I know which one to make.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you loved it.