Healthy Banana Bread is filled with good-for-you ingredients. This recipe uses everyday products and does not have any refined sugars or butter.
Have more overripe bananas? Try these Healthy Banana Muffins or Banana Pancakes next!
Healthy Banana Bread Recipe
We go through bananas so quickly at my home! My kids love them as snacks or cut up in their oatmeal, I freeze them to use in an Açaí Bowl or this Blueberry Smoothie, and my husband loves them in this Chocolate Protein Shake.
If we have any leftovers at the end of the week, my kids beg for a baked banana treat. They’ll usually request these Banana Cupcakes, but after I made this healthy banana bread a few weeks ago, they’ve consistently asked for it. Score!
Ingredients In Healthy Banana Bread
- Coconut Oil: Moisturizes, binds, and adds a coconut hint.
- Honey: Naturally sweetens and moistens.
- Eggs: Bind and aid in rising.
- Mashed Bananas: Add signature flavor, sweetness, and moisture.
- Greek Yogurt: Provides creaminess and a slight tang, enhancing texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Boosts overall flavor with a warm aroma.
- Salt, Cinnamon, Baking Soda: Balance sweetness, add warmth, and promote fluffiness.
- Flour: Forms the bread’s main structure.
Quick Tip
This bread is packed with good ingredients — protein from the eggs and Greek yogurt, vitamins and nutrients from the bananas, a boost in good cholesterol and energy from the coconut oil, and antioxidants from the honey.
How To Make Healthy Banana Bread
- Prep: Heat the oven, grease and flour a bread pan.
- Wet Ingredients: Mix coconut oil and honey, then eggs, mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.
- Dry Ingredients: Directly add salt, cinnamon, and baking soda to wet mix, then stir in flour and chocolate chips until just combined.
- Bake: Pour into the pan and bake until done.
- Cool: Let the healthy banana bread rest in the pan before turning it out to cool completely and then serve.
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Miniature Chocolate Chips: Use dark chocolate for health benefits and antioxidants.
- Chopped Nuts: Walnuts or pecans, tossed with flour before adding to the batter.
- Raisins: Regular, golden, dried cherries, or cranberries, also tossed with flour.
- Spiced Banana Bread: Omit add-ins and increase spices with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
Storage
Storage And Freezing Tips
Can I freeze banana bread?
- Yes! Freeze by wrapping slices in plastic and using a freezer-safe bag/container. It lasts up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature in 10 minutes or in the fridge.
Storage Lifespan:
- Lasts 2-3 days in the fridge, wrapped well in an airtight container.
More Healthy Recipes
- Healthy Fruit Tart Recipe
- Greek yogurt Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Banana Waffles
- Peanut Butter Protein Shake
- Healthy Zucchini Bread
Healthy Banana Bread
Healthy Banana Bread is filled with good-for-you ingredients. This recipe uses everyday products and does not have any refined sugars or butter.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 packed cup mashed very ripe bananas (~2 large bananas)
- 1/4 cup full-fat honey vanilla Greek yogurt (I recommend Greek Gods)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 3/4 cups white, all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
- 1 tablespoon old-fashioned oats, optional
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x5-inch bread pan and lightly dust with flour. Tap off excess flour over the sink and set the prepared pan aside .
- WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/3 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup honey. Add in the 2 large eggs and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until well mashed and broken down (Note 1). Pack mashed bananas into a 1-cup measuring cup and level the top. Add to the wet ingredients along with the 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: On top of the wet ingredients, add the 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir. Add in the 1 and 3/4 cup flour and the 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (if using) right on top of the flour. With a wooden spoon, gently stir the chocolate chips to get coated with the flour and then mix the flour into the rest of the ingredients. Do not over-mix; stop as soon as the flour is fully incorporated.
- BAKE: Using a spatula, scrape all the batter into the prepared 9x5-inch pan. Bake in the fully preheated oven for 50-65 minutes or until very lightly browned on the edges and a toothpick comes out clean (or with few moist crumbs) from the center of the pan.
- COOL: Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack. When fully cool, cut into slices and enjoy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Enjoy slices warmed in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Bread freezes and thaws well.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Bananas: To quickly and thoroughly mash bananas, remove the peels, break into a few pieces, and then beat them in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until well mashed.
Note 2: Sugar: While this recipe contains no added sugar, if you add chocolate chips to the batter, keep in mind that most commercial brands contain sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 12slices | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.6g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 6.8g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 117.9mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 14.5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I make this once a week at my house. Perfect for breakfast.
So glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Is the batter supposed to be so thick, like cookie dough? Every banana bread I’ve made has always been more runny. I used a browner whole wheat flour…hmmm
It’s a fairly thick batter, but shouldn’t be thick like cookie dough. I’m sure the whole wheat flour is making a difference
Did the recipe change? This used to be my go to banana bread recipe, but I’ve been without an oven since fall, and when I visited my saved tab the recipe seems different. I don’t remember coconut oil or honey being in the original recipe and I do not have coconut oil on hand, so I am quite disappointed.
Hey Heather! No, are you maybe thinking of this Banana bread with Greek yogurt? Both pretty healthy/similar.
Yes, the recipe changed — or at least, the recipe located at this URL is different than it used to be (I had the same experience as Heather, this used to be my go-to, but I took a baking break for a while, and when I came back to it via browser bookmark, the ingredients were different).
Hey Sheila! I updated this recipe to make it more consistent and delicious! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
I just stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, and I’m so glad I did! I used 1 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat, and it was a perfect density! I also only had about 1/4 cup of brown sugar on-hand, so I added 1/4 cup of honey, and it was the perfect sweetness! My husband loved this, and I don’t think he realized it was a skinny version. 🙂 I baked for 40 minutes, then foil-tented for another 12! Thanks for the recipe! Yum!
You’re a genius! Way to work with what you got!:) So glad you guys enjoyed!
What are the white threadlike specks in the bread.
I think you’re talking about the oats!
Could you use almond meal instead of flour?
I wouldn’t recommend it on this bread
Hi! Would it work to use parchment paper, rather than spraying the pan? will this change anything? #bakingnewbie
Sure that would work great! 🙂 Enjoy!