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.
Very nice texture I added about 1/3 cup raw cocoa. Nibs
Love this recipe! So simple to follow and the end result is delicious!
I’ve baked anything before but I had throwing away my riped organic bananas. It came out great! Thanks.
This looks incredible!! But just curious, could you make this with oat flour? It’s all that I currently have at home. Thank you!!
I subbed in oat flour and added a bit extra liquid (in the form of an extra banana), I used coconut oil as well. Turned out amazing!!!
Hi Kate! I have been baking banana bread before but all those recipes I tried were not having good results that I prefer. But this one of yours is really wow! Finally I found it! Healthier ingredients coz no butter at all! Thanks Kate!will post at instagram.
LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!
I subbed oat flour (ground up some whole oats I had in a blender) for the flour and added an extra banana. The result was to die for and gluten friendly!!!! <3
I made this recipe vegan with your tips and it was SO good. Thanks! You should do more recipies like this
Hi Aitana, thank you! I have zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, and muffins like this recipe. Check the recipe notes for links. :)
Hi
Thanks for such amazing recipe my whole family simply loves it. I was wondering whether you could help me with calorie count of this bread. Whats the difference between this recipe and normal banana bread in terms of calories. Thanks
Hi Tayyaba, I’m so glad you’re all enjoyed the banana bread. I don’t offer nutrition facts for my recipes yet but others have posted their counts in the comments. This recipe definitely has more fiber than most others (because you’re using whole wheat bread instead of all-purpose), and healthier fats.
Can you half this recipe by cutting all ingredients by half?
I think so, but you’ll also need to reduce the baking time.
Made this recipe yesterday and it was so delicious, it made my house smell divine! My hubby loved it too. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous recipe!
Just baked your banana bread ,absolutely delicious ,soft, great texture ,well balanced.Its a keeper.
I made these in my tiny toaster oven in small loaf pans. They turned out great. I would like them a litle sweeter so next time I think I will use a little more honey or a brown sugar splenda blend. Great recipe.
I made 3 loafs and they all tasted kind of bland. I would try another recipe.
I’m sorry to hear that, Ed! The riper your bananas, the more banana-y they will taste.
Hi Kate,
I just made this banana bread! I am no baker, but found it was very simple. I do have a question however. My muffins/loaf taste a little like baking soda. I did some research and found that they recommend 1/4 tsp. Per cup of flour. Is it possible to reduce the baking soda in the recipe and still make it work? Thanks!
Hi Lynn, I’m sorry to hear that. I have never tasted baking soda in the final good. I’m hesitant to suggest using less baking soda because you might end up with a flat/undercooked loaf, but if you do, please let me know.
Best banana bread ever! I make gluten free and tweak it a bit by adding extra banana, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Thank you, Stephanie!
how much flour are you supposed to be using?
The flour amount is listed in the ingredients section. :)
I have made this bread at least 5 times and its my favorite! I sub with agave and use less than said as well as mix in dates and walnuts. I’ve started to make them and gift them and its always a hit. Don’t hesitate to try this one!
Thank you, Vanessa! That’s great to hear!
My cake turned out very wet and sunken. I’d like to try it again any ideas. I used self raising whole meal and no bicarbonate as couldn’t get white whole meal in the UK. Any ideas?
Hi Annie, I’m sad to hear that. I think it had to do with the lack of baking soda—self-rising flour contains baking powder (not the same thing), and everyone who has accidentally used baking powder to make this bread has reported wet, sunken loaves.
Thank you for your reply am I ok to use the same flour when I try again?
I would really try to find regular (not self-rising flour). You could just use the amount of baking soda specified in the recipe, but since there’s baking powder in the flour, it might turn out strangely.
I followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out uncooked… I have made the regular recipe thousand of times and it always turns great. I believe that this recipe needs at least 180 to 200 C. What a pity and waste of honey…
Kleo, I’m sorry to hear that. Is there any chance you grabbed baking powder instead of baking soda? That would explain it.
The best healthy banana bread recipe I have ever tried! I’ve just baked my third loaf in just over a week haha. Definitely my go to recipe from now on. And it makes the house smell incredible as it bakes. Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic to hear! Thank you, Jaz.
Hi, could I substitute applesauce for the oil?
Yes, you can!
I have made this a couple times and each time I’ve loved it, but not more than the time I made it with Organic Turkey Red Wheat Flour. I found some at my local farmers market, and thought I’d give it a try to this recipe. I used all the same measurements. I added the walnuts and dark chocolate chips. The Turkey Red gave it a very moist textured bite. It was awesome! Had to share. I also used maple syrup over honey. So delicious. Best banana bread yet.
Thank you, Antonella! I will keep an eye out for that flour.
Really enjoyed it. Thanks.:)
Yay, thank you!
My husband and I loved this Kate! We’ve been enjoying it for breakfast the last two days. Thanks for a great recipe :)
Glad to hear it! Thanks, Lauren!
I made this with almond flour instead of whole wheat flour and added cacao nibs. It was incredible! My family gobbled it right up. So glad I stumbled upon your website. I teach fitness classes with a focus on eating real, whole foods and am going to share your recipes with my clients.
Thanks, Alison! I’m so glad you found my site. Thank you for sharing it with your clients!
Hi! is it possible to make this recipe in 2 round tins instead?
Hey Amber, I’m not sure. I tried making it into an 8″ round cake once, and it was very delicate that way.
If you look at the amount of sugar in honey it really isnt that much healthier. Just letting you know incase you really do care like i do!!
Super simple, use bananas instead of sugar , then your recipe woukd be perfect:)
Fantastic! Made this in Colorado at 5,000 feet, and it took 55 minutes with walnuts and diced apples. This bread was amazing! My girlfriend is super picky and she loved it – thanks so much for the great recipe!
Thank you, Kristin! I’m glad you both enjoyed it!
Hi Katie,
Thanks for the great recipe! I’ve been into clean eating since my husband was told he had pre-diabetes. My husband has since been told he’s fine, but I’ve continued to cook this way. Even my teenage boys love eating healthier. Recipes like yours definitely help :)
Jeannine B.
Thank you, Jeanine! I’m so glad you found my recipes. I tend to become hypoglycemic if I’m not careful, so that’s why I bake/cook this way. :)
Just made the banana bread for the first time. Had to tweak it slightlt based on the ingredients I had. Used 3 ounces of sugar free maple flavored syrup plus 5 ounces of honey since that’s all I had. I used three large bananas since that’s what I had and wanted to use them up. That made it moister so i cooked it for 60 minutes at 325 degrees until a toothpick came out clean. It is moist and dense! Love it. Thank you for the healthy recipe.
Thanks, Lori! I’m glad you bread turned out well!
Thank you for sharing, but there is one HUGE MISTAKE in the recipe…..HONEY.
HONEY is not suppose to be baked EVER. When honey is heated over 40 degrees Celsius is TOXIC. Here is one link to prove that http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/is-cooking-honey-unhealthy/
And there are others studies to prove that
Hi Corneliu, I study nutrition quite a bit and this is the first time I’ve ever heard that honey is “toxic” when heated. I found several issues in the link you shared, and can’t seem to find any scientific studies that prove that baking with honey is a bad idea. Heat changes the nutrition profile of all foods to some extent.
Omg! Awesome! First attempt at baking and I nailed it with your recipe. Thank you so much. Made a lot of people happy with my banana bread
High five! I’m so glad to hear that. :)
Delicious and easy! Thanks so much. I’ll be trying the pumpkin bread next.
Thank you, Cheri! I hope you love the pumpkin version, too.
Hi Kate! I’m new to your blog but I just tried this recipe (dairy free with almond milk) and added pecans and sliced bananas and it was a huge hit with my husband and picky toddler.. I’m used to “not so healthy” banana bread and will never go back. Thanks for the great detail in instructions. It’s foul-proof!
Thank you, Sandra! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
I can’t have any dairy, eggs, wheat, gluten, or seeds so I just had to omit eggs and the suggested egg sub but added an extra banana instead.
I used olive oil and gluten free flour.
End result was AMAZING! I had no expectations because my baking is usually a fail but had banana’s to be used! This is my go to from now on.
Hey Em, I’m so glad you made this recipe work for you! Thank you for sharing your results.
This is a fab recipe. I like trying to replace some flour with chia seeds or oats for more texture but the original recipe is lovely. Thanks for sharing it Kate.
Thank you, Esther!
Absolutely amazing recipe, worked out at the very first time, simply delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for letting me know! I’m glad to hear it.
Delicious, easy recipe! I upped the coconut flavor by using canned coconut milk. It’s still very mild, so I might add some flaked coconut next time. Also, I used the Namaste Perfect Flour blend, works great!
That’s a gf flour blend :)
Thanks, Selina! Glad you enjoyed it. Flaked coconut would be tasty, I bet!
Surprised your recipe does not display full nutritional information!
Hi Laurie, I’m working on adding nutrition facts to my recipes. It’s going to be quite a project!
Hi Kate,
I try your recipe today but i think it doesn’t work well for me, my bread rise 1,2 inches, yours is more than that? I can see in the picture. Im sorry for my english.
thank you
lolo
Hi Laurence, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you use baking soda as directed? Baking powder doesn’t work the same.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I really wanted to make a banana bread without cane sugar,so I was very excited to to find yours!. I used Einkorn flour in place of the white whole wheat flour, choose to use maple syrup as the sweetener and it turned out fabulous! It is so nice and moist. This will now be my “go to ” banana bread!!
I plan on grinding up oatmeal to substitute for flour my Dad’s discovery for crepes. It’s a very light flour and substitutes well. Plus im mixing it in my nutribullet. I can grind in veggies for extra healthiness. Probably sweet carrots and zucchini. For sure make 2 loaves. One to eat, one to freeze.
Hello Kate, i’d like to replace the baking soda in this recipe with baking powder, because i like a bit of sour note in my cakes and baking soda would eliminate that acidity. Would like your opinion please. Thank you.
Hi Sue, I’m not sure that’s a good idea for this recipe. Those who have substituted baking powder have ended up with sunken loaves. If you try it, you’ll definitely need to use more baking powder than baking soda. Do let me know!
Thanks for your reply, Kate! I went with the original recipe with baking soda, but replaced 1/2 cup of apples with 1/2 cup unsweetened frozen raspberiies, defrosted. Was very happy with the result! Your recipe works!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sue! I’ve been eating lots of raspberries lately, so I’ll have to try it that way. Now that I think of it, you might also love my raspberry muffins, which are made with yogurt and have a slight tang.
Wow! This recipe is amazing. I made a few substitutions for dietary needs: I used birch xylitol instead of honey, oat flour and oat milk, (which made it gluten and dairy free as well), I also added a half cup finely ground unsweetened coconut. Definitely a keeper, I’ll make this again!!
Thanks, Raven! I’m glad it turned out well for you!
Hi! I am going to try this recipe later. Is it ok if I will add more mix ins? It only says 1/2 cup but I really like it to have more nuts or even add dates to it as my partner loves dates. I was just thinking that it may affect the whole thing and maybe go dry if I put more like 1 cup of mix-ins. Thanks!
Hey Van, I think it would work fine, but your bread might need longer in the oven, and it might not be harder to slice.
Tried this today. Was so excited… but…
Followed everything to the letter, after the cake had been in the oven 25 mins it smelt a little burnt. I took it out and it wasn’t cooked but was starting to burn on the top. I covered the top and put it back in. After 55 mins it still wasn’t quite cooked. Left it in for another 10 then took it out and left to cool. After cutting it, it was very moist especially at the base. Tasted yummy but not sure how moist it’s supposed to be and if this means it isn’t cooked properly?
Hey Gemma, that’s odd that your bread seemed burnt on the top. Honey browns more than other sweeteners, but the bread shouldn’t have ever smelled burnt. Are you sure your oven operates at the correct temperatures? Also, is there any chance you used baking powder instead of soda? That can prevent the bread from rising and cooking properly.
I’m in the UK so not sure if things are slightly different. Our oven is in celcius so put it in at 165 as your recipe stated. I used ‘bicarbonate of soda’ which I believe is the same as baking soda. I thought maybe our oven is a little bit too fierce, so I tried the recipe again and put it in at a slightly lower temp (155 c) for a bit longer. I had to cover the top with foil after 20 mins as I could tell it was going to burn, after 60 minutes it still wasn’t cooked, put it back in again for another 10 minutes and took it out but after cooling it sank a little and when I cut it it was wet in the middle and quite dry around the edges. So disappointed as it tastes lovely and I wanted a healthy snack for me and my 18 month old son xx
Hi Gemma, yes, that’s the correct temperature and bicarbonate of soda is baking soda. That’s very strange that your bread is burning; I haven’t heard of that happening to others, so I’m really not sure why that is happening. It just doesn’t make sense that the top would burn before the rest finishes cooking. I’m sorry, I wish I could tell you why it’s not working for you, but I’m stumped.
I made this bread yesterday.. I used All purpose flour insted of white wheat flour..rest ingredients was of same amount.. Sorry but it didn’t turned out well.. It was too wet and too sweet.. Where i went wrong??
Hey Manu, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you sure you used baking soda, not baking powder?
My toddler LOVES this banana bread! To be fair, he loves all bread but he will gobble up the entire loaf if I let him! I’ve made this several times now including the night before a business trip. I was only gone for 2 days but by the time I returned there was no trace of this banana bread. My son and aunt had eaten it all. Thanks for introducing me to whole wheat white flour and thanks for this recipe!
Hooray, I’m happy to hear it!
We made this yesterday following your recipe exactly and it is so delicious! It will be my new go-to banana bread. Love that it is refined sugar free. Thank you!
I clicked post comment before I remembered to give this the five stars it totally deserves!
Thank you, Ashley! I appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the banana bread.