Healthy Banana Bread is made with delicious, fueling ingredients. It uses everyday products and skips refined sugars and butter.

Have more overripe bananas? Try these Healthy Banana Muffins or Banana Pancakes next!

Slices of healthy banana bread, warm and inviting, with chocolate chips scattered throughout.

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

I 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 I 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: Melt it for easier mixing and to help the bread stay soft.
  • Honey: Acts as a natural sweetener while keeping the bread moist.
  • Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, providing structure and moisture.
  • Ripe Bananas: The riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful it will be!
  • Greek Yogurt: Opt for full-fat for a richer texture.
  • Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract will give a deeper, more authentic flavor.
  • Salt: Just a small amount is enough to bring out the flavors.
  • Cinnamon: If you’re a cinnamon lover, feel free to add more.
  • Baking Soda: Helps the bread rise and gives it a light, airy texture.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Don’t over-mix the flour to keep the bread soft and tender.
  • Mini Chocolate Chips (Optional): Gently fold them in to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.

Quick Tip

This bread is packed with delicious 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

  1. Prep: Heat the oven, grease and flour a bread pan.
  2. Wet Ingredients: Mix oil and honey, then eggs, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla.
  3. Dry Ingredients: Directly add salt, cinnamon, and baking soda to wet mix, then stir in flour and chocolate chips until just combined.
  4. Bake: Pour into the pan and bake until done.
  5. Cool: Let the healthy banana bread rest in the pan before serving.

Switch Things Up

  • Mini Chocolate Chips: Use dark chocolate for a different flavor and more antioxidants.
  • Nuts: Add walnuts or pecans, tossed with the flour, to the batter.
  • Raisins: Regular, golden, dried cherries, or cranberries, also tossed with flour are delish.
  • Spiced Banana Bread: Leave out the add-ins and increase spices with 1/4 tsp nutmeg or a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.

Storage

Freezing And Storing Leftovers

  • Store healthy banana bread in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days.
  • For longer storage, wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To thaw, leave it at room temp for a few hours or heat slices in the microwave.

More Fueling Recipes

4.65 from 28 votes

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.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 slices

Equipment

  • Bread pan 9 x 5-inch
  • Cooling Rack

Ingredients 
 

  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 packed cup mashed very ripe banana 2 large bananas
  • 1/4 cup honey vanilla Greek yogurt full-fat, I recommend Greek Gods
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips optional
  • 1 tablespoon old-fashioned oats optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 9×5-inch bread pan and lightly dust with flour. Tap off excess flour over the sink and set the prepared pan aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and honey. Add in eggs and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until well mashed and broken down (see note 1). Pack mashed bananas into a measuring cup and level the top. Add to the wet ingredients along with the Greek yogurt and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and combined.
  • On top of the wet ingredients, add the salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir. Add in flour and mini chocolate chips (if using). With a wooden spoon, gently stir the chocolate chips to get coated with the flour, then mix the flour into the rest of the ingredients. Do not overmix; stop as soon as the flour is fully incorporated.
  • Using a spatula, scrape all the batter into the prepared 9×5-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.
  • Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. When fully cool, cut into slices and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: To quickly and thoroughly mash bananas, remove the peels, break into a few pieces, and beat them in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until well mashed.
Note 2: While this recipe contains no added sugar, if you add chocolate chips to the batter, keep in mind that most commercial brands contain sugar.
Storage: 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.

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.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.65 from 28 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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94 Comments

  1. Jess says:

    I have become a HUGE fan of oat breads recently and I love that you put greek yogurt in yours! Also bananas. Also just everything about this bread. ๐Ÿ˜€

  2. Melanie says:

    AMAZing! What’s not to love here? Can’t wait to try it. I’m sure it will be a winner with the whole family!
    Happy Monday! Hope it’s great!

  3. Laura says:

    This looks delicious, I love banana bread and with the inclusion of oats and chocolate I think I’d find it hard to stop at one slice. Pinned!

  4. Jessica says:

    Oh I really want to try this, it looks fantastic! Also your photos are absolutely stunning!

  5. Consuelo says:

    Ohh I absolutely adore baking with greek yogurt! It makes alllllllll baked goods so darn perfect! I’m sure this bread tasted delicious! It looks so moist and fluffy – what a fabulous breakfast! x

  6. Kayle says:

    5 stars
    plain Greek yogurt is SO AWESOME to bake with!!! Love how moist and wholesome this bread is!

  7. Dorothy says:

    LOVING this. Pinned!

  8. Amanda says:

    GOrgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I’m a -huge- fan of baking with Greek yogurt, and I’m currently working on a muffin recipe myself. But gah! You can never go wrong with bananas and chocolate. Definitely pinned!

  9. Krista says:

    Wow! This bread looks incredible Chelsea and sounds so tasty! Pinned! I have some bananas in my pantry that are going to be smashed really soon!! YUM

  10. Anna says:

    I love the moistness Greek yogurt gives! Great recipe!