How to make healthy banana bread that actually tastes good! This recipe has lower sugar and healthier fats and adds whole grains than more traditional recipes.
Our original banana bread inspires this healthy banana bread recipe. This version keeps all the deliciousness of the original but with a few smart swaps to reduce calories, sugar, and fat. We’ve even added whole wheat flour for an extra boost of fiber.
This lighter banana bread is super moist, dense, and really delicious. For more banana recipes, see our banana muffins or these healthy banana blueberry muffins.
Key Ingredients
- Bananas: For the best healthy banana bread, use very ripe bananas. I’m talking brown and speckled bananas. They are sweeter and make the baked bread soft and moist. If you have unripe bananas and can wait a day or two, place them in a brown paper bag and set them aside in a warmer part of your kitchen.
- Flour: I use a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour in this recipe. You can use 100% whole wheat, but blending in some all-purpose makes the bread more tender in the middle. I use the same blend when making my favorite whole wheat pancakes.
- Baking Soda: Helps the bread rise and brown nicely.
- Cinnamon, Molasses, and Vanilla: These make the bread taste amazing, rich, and warm.
- Olive Oil or Coconut Oil: Our traditional banana bread recipe uses melted butter, but for this healthier version, we call for less fat and swap in olive oil or coconut oil.
- Sugar: Use what you have, but brown sugar makes our bread flavorful and moist. I use granulated sugar in the video, showing that you can use what you have on hand.
- Eggs: Provides structure and stability to the bread. We use two eggs. To make this recipe egg-free, use 2 flax eggs or aquafaba.
- Lemon: A bit of lemon zest and juice makes our bread extra delicious.
How to Make Healthier Banana Bread
We’ve shared banana bread on Inspired Taste before and love the recipe. This healthier version takes everything we love about the original, but makes a few smart changes to make it lower in calories, sugar, and fat. Plus, we call for whole wheat flour for a bit more fiber.
We both love the original recipe and were determined to create a guilt-free version that stood up to it. This banana bread bakes up to be moist, dense, and delicious. For more quick bread inspiration, take a look at our easy apple bread.
The first change was to add whole wheat flour. We use half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. You could use 100% whole wheat, but keep in mind that the loaf will taste nuttier (not necessarily a bad thing) and will be a bit more dense. White whole wheat flour is also a great option.
We use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour for our whole wheat pancakes. They are so light and fluffy!
Next, we significantly reduced the sugar. In our original recipe we call for a 3/4 cup of brown sugar. This makes the bread incredibly moist and delicious, but since we were looking for healthy banana bread most of the sugar had to go!
We have reduced the sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/3 cup. A major savings and your blood sugar will thank you. We also call for unrefined pure cane sugar. If you don’t have it on hand, granulated or brown sugar will work in it’s place.
Speaking of sugar, we add an extra secret ingredient to the batter — black strap molasses. Just one tablespoon packs in lots of flavor and adds a richness to the batter.
Finally, we swap melted butter for olive oil. Not only that, but we reduce the fat from 8 tablespoons to 5 tablespoons. If you use a fruity olive oil, it adds a lovely richness to the bread. It also keeps the bread dense and moist. No one wants dry banana bread, right?
And that’s it. How to make healthier banana bread that is moist and tastes great!
Easy Healthy Banana Bread
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
This healthy banana bread stays moist and tastes great! Our recipe has lower sugar and healthier fats, and it adds whole grains. Check the tips section below for tips on making this gluten-free or vegan.
Makes 1 loaf or 12 slices
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
3/4 cup (95g) whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large bananas, heavily speckled or even black bananas are best, about 1 cup mashed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1/3 cup (65g) sugar, brown sugar is best
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
1Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
2Butter and flour an 8 ½-inch by 4 ½-inch loaf pan. Or grease the pan and then line it with a sheet of parchment paper (as shown in the video). See tips for pan sizes.
3Whisk all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together and set aside.
4Use a fork to mash the bananas into a chunky paste in the bottom of a large bowl.
5Whisk the olive oil, molasses, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the bananas until blended.
6Switch to a large rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then add the dry ingredients in two parts, stirring until the flour disappears and the batter is smooth.
7Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. After 30 minutes in the oven, check the bread for color. If it looks like it is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
8Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the bread and cool completely before slicing.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: Banana bread lasts in an airtight container, on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, double wrap it with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil, then freeze it for up to 6 months.
- Best pan: I use an aluminized steel 1-pound loaf pan, which is 8 ½” x 4 ½” (from USA Pans). For glass loaf pans, consider decreasing the oven temperature by 25 °F and baking a little longer. Stoneware pans may also need temperature/time adjustments, but it is hard to say without testing the specific pan. If using a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, the banana bread will not be as tall, and the baking time will be less by 5 to 10 minutes.
- Use 100% whole wheat flour: Use 1 1/2 cups (195g) whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour. If the batter seems too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of water or milk.
- Gluten-free banana bread: Use your favorite store-bought gluten-free flour blend. We are partial to Bob’s Red Mill.
- Vegan banana bread: Use 2 flax eggs instead of the eggs.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 slice
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Calories
164
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Protein
3g
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Carbohydrate
24g
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Dietary Fiber
2g
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Total Sugars
10g
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Total Fat
7g
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Saturated Fat
1g
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Cholesterol
28mg
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