Delicious and moist Healthy Banana Bread made with applesauce, whole wheat flour, oil free applesauce and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. This healthy banana bread recipe is so easy to make, and is perfect for breakfast or snacking because everyone absolutely loves it!
Love quick breads? Healthy apple bread, healthy pumpkin bread and healthy zucchini bread are on a regular snack rotation in our house.
Table of contents
Healthy Banana Bread Recipe
Healthy banana bread is a staple in our house along with mouthwatering delicious and moist healthy banana muffins recipe. And if you are looking for completely sugar free options, these almond flour banana muffins and healthy banana pancakes are delish, easy and crazy popular among our readers. Either are perfect as a school snack or healthy breakfast (spread with butter – yum!).
Today is your chance to learn how to make the best ever banana loaf using our healthy banana bread recipe. So easy, my kids make it. Your perfect banana bread with applesauce should be moist, have glossy and sticky top and with a crack. When you take a bite it melts in your mouth.
In my world, it is the best banana bread. And you are looking at it right now!
What Makes This Banana Bread Healthy?
- 100% wholesome ingredients unlike traditional banana bread recipes that call for loads of butter, refined sugar and flour.
- 100% naturally sweetened with bananas, honey or maple syrup only, which offer trace nutrients which white sugar does not.
- Moderate amount of sweetener – only 1/3 cup of maple syrup or honey unlike 1 cup called for in regular bread recipes.
- Moist low calorie banana bread with applesauce, only 2 tbsp of oil and no butter unlike its counterparts calling for a stick of butter.
- Tried and true recipe: I have tested this recipe over 7 years and over 88 five star reviews from readers mean this recipe just works.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Ripe bananas are a must: They make bread sweet and moist. Ripe bananas are very yellow with brown spots. The uglier the bananas, the better. Even uglier than in my photo and video are perfect.
- Unsweetened or sweetened applesauce: Substitute with extra ripe large banana, Greek yogurt with 2% fat content and higher or pureed fresh apples.
- Eggs: You can replace with flax seed eggs if needed.
- A bit of oil: Really any oil works like avocado oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil.
- Honey or maple syrup: Any liquid sweetener is OK like agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- Whole wheat or spelt flour are the ones I usually make skinny banana bread with. Please see FAQs below for substitutions.
If you can find a more simple healthy banana bread recipe with only 1/3 cup of maple syrup and without 1 cup of vegetable oil, feel free to leave it in the comments. 🙂
How to Make Healthy Banana Bread
- Mash bananas and eggs with a masher. I first like to mash bananas and then “whisk” eggs with the same masher.
- Add all other ingredients except flour. “Stir” with the same masher. I know, I’m fancy but there is really no need for extra tool and bowl. Quick bread is not a cake.
- Add whole wheat or spelt flour and stir gently until incorporated. Do not mix too much as bread might come out rubbery. Batter should be thicker than pancakes.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour and then let cool completely before slicing. It will make all the difference because you will be able to slice the bread. Been there, done that haha.
- Remove and cool: Do not overbake and remove bread from the oven when toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then on a cooling rack further more.
Tips for Best Banana Bread
- Please follow the recipe: I can’t stress enough that baking is a science and 99% times deviations from original recipe result in baking fails.
- To “ripen” bananas faster: Bake yellow bananas with skin on for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F oven. Or place a few ripened bananas or apples with unripened ones in a brown bag, close tightly and wait 1-2 days.
- Use fresh baking soda. If your baking soda is older than 3 months, I suggest grabbing a new one for best baking results.
- Don’t overmix the batter. If you over-mix the batter, gluten will develop causing tough banana bread. You only need to mix until wet and dry ingredients are combined. This tip rings true for any healthy muffin recipe you make in your kitchen, too!
- Don’t overbake: Remove bread from the oven as soon as toothpick comes out clean. Bread will keep cooking with residual heat and overbaking will result in dry bread. And even further, remove bread from the pan after initial 10 minute cool off to cool down completely.
- Optional mix-ins: What I love about banana bread is that you can make it custom. 1/2 to 1 cup of each or a mix of both add-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Mini banana loaves: Bake them for about 35-40 minutes and check with a toothpick.
FAQs
Absolutely. Do not throw away turning brown and going bad bananas. Freeze them whole right in the freezer, no need for a bag but you can. Then thaw on a plate placed on a kitchen counter for a few hours, peel and use. Do not discard liquid that separates during defrosting, use it to make bread as well.
Yes. You can replace 2 large eggs with 2 flaxseed “eggs”. Just whisk 6 tbsp of ground flaxseed in 6 tbsp of warm water and let sit for 10 minutes or until gelatin like mixture forms. Then use as per recipe.
Yes. I have tested this recipe with white flour and you will need 2 3/4 cups.
Baking is a science and almond flour acts differently because it doesn’t contain gluten like wheat. However, lucky for you I have almond flour banana bread recipe.
Baking is a science and coconut flour is very “thirsty” and would not work as a substitute in this healthy banana bread recipe. However, check out my coconut flour banana bread recipe instead. It has rave reviews.
You may try whole wheat pastry flour which is a lighter version of whole wheat flour. Also I believe white whole wheat flour will work in this recipe.
Yes, you can but keep in mind you will need 2 muffin tins because you will get around 14-16 banana muffins. Spray parchment paper muffin liners with cooking spray, fill 3/4 full and bake at 375 degrees F for 22 minutes. Or just simply use my healthy banana muffins recipe.
Storing and Freezing Recommendations
Storing: On a counter wrapped in plastic or straight in the loaf pan covered with plastic. Then cut a slice each time. You can slice it fully and wrap each slice in plastic but in my opinion it is not environmentally friendly option.
Banana bread stays fresh on a counter for up to 3 days. After you can refrigerate for another 3 days.
Freezing: Bake and cool completely. I recommend you do not slice bread before freezing. It retains its moisture better this way. Place in a gallon size Ziploc container, let out as much air as possible and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: Defrost on a counter. Takes about 3-4 hours. Bread will taste just like freshly baked. Pop it into a toaster for a minute for that freshly baked bread warmth and aromas.
Enjoy this healthy banana bread!
More Healthy Quick Bread Recipes
- Healthy chocolate bread
- Zucchini banana bread
- Almond flour cinnamon bread
- Chocolate zucchini bread
- Lemon zucchini bread
Browse all healthy muffins and quick breads and for extra banaan lovers, check out my list of healthy banana snacks.
Healthy Banana Bread Recipe {So Moist!!!}
Ingredients
- 4 medium very ripe bananas 1 1/2 cups mashed
- 2 eggs large
- 1/2 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 tbsp avocado or coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9 x 5 loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork or a masher.
- Add eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to combine (masher works fine).
- Add flour and stir gently just enough to mix.
- Pour batter in prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool off completely. Cut into 10 slices and enjoy.
Store: Keep in a cool dry place in a glass airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- Can I use other flour? Please see detailed recipe post and FAQs.
- Please follow the recipe: I can’t stress enough that baking is a science and 99% times deviations from original recipe result in baking fails.
- To “ripen” bananas faster: Bake yellow bananas with skin on for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F oven. Or place a few ripened bananas or apples with unripened ones in a brown bag, close tightly and wait 1-2 days.
- Use fresh baking soda: If your baking soda is older than 3 months, I suggest grabbing a new one for best baking results.
- Don’t overmix the batter: If you overmix the batter, gluten will develop causing tough banana bread. You only need to mix until wet and dry ingredients are combined.
- Don’t overbake: Remove bread from the oven as soon as toothpick comes out clean. Bread will keep cooking with residual heat and overbaking will result in dry bread. And even further, remove bread from the pan after initial 10 minute cool off to cool down completely.
- Optional mix-ins: What I love about banana bread is that you can make it custom. 1/2 to 1 cup of each or a mix of both add-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Mini banana loaves: Bake them for about 35-40 minutes and check with a toothpick.
Nutrition
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Hello and welcome to iFOODreal.
My name is Olena Osipov. I'm a mom to 2 boys, a wife to Alex and we reside on magical Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. This is our healthy family recipes blog. Originally from Ukraine, I grew up on real food. As an adult, I struggled with diets for years because none worked long-term. Now for over 10 years, I cook easy healthy meals for my family. I can help you with “What’s for dinner?” too.