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.
- Total time
- 1 hr 5 min
- Active time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 1, 1 loaf
- Difficulty
- Medium
Ingredients and Constraints
Ingredients
- Optional
Ingredient watchpoints8 watchpoints
Short requirements and tradeoffs to check while gathering ingredients; detailed source notes stay expandable.
Coconut Oil
⅓ cup (75 grams) melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil*
The source ingredient row lists alternatives.
Details and source
Acceptable alternatives: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil; Vegetable Oil
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Coconut Oil
⅓ cup (75 grams) melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil*
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Honey
1/2 cup honey (168 grams) or maple syrup (155 grams)
The source ingredient row lists alternatives.
Details and source
Acceptable alternatives: Maple Syrup
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Milk
1/4 cup (56 grams) milk of choice or water
The source ingredient row lists alternatives.
Details and source
Acceptable alternatives: Water
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
White Whole Wheat Flour
1 3/4 cups (220 grams) white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour**
The source ingredient row lists alternatives.
Details and source
Acceptable alternatives: Regular Whole Wheat Flour
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Walnuts
Totally optional: 1/2 cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…
The source ingredient row lists alternatives.
Details and source
Acceptable alternatives: Pecans; Chocolate Chips; Raisins; Dried Fruit; Banana
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Walnuts
Totally optional: 1/2 cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Additional ingredient notes
Notes
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Techniques
Before You Cook
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Decisions before cookingDetails1
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Banana Bread Flour Options
Method Overview
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Tip: How to Measure Flour
Method Timeline
Prep
ActivePrep
10 min
Prep time from the source recipe card.
Cook
ActiveCook
55 min
Cook time from the source recipe card.
Total
PassiveTotal
1 hr 5 min
Total time from the source recipe card.
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Step 2
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.)
Step 3
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.
Step 4
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.
Step 5
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.
Learn More
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Why this works
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What makes this banana bread healthy?
Banana Bread Variations
Article photos
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Source: Healthy Banana Bread!
Recipe structure
Components and intermediate outputs created by the method.
Main recipe
Recipe card ingredients and steps.
1, 1 loaf
Batter
Source step 4 creates or uses batter.
Extra useful notes
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Recipe adapted from my honey whole wheat banana bread, originally based on All Recipes.
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.
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.
*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 b
**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 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 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 DAIRY FREE: Choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
MAKE IT EGG FREE: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
MAKE IT EGG FREE: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
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Source and Origin
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Adapted from source
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Healthy Banana Bread!
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