Apple banana bread with oil

The Best Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

The best moist banana bread that is so delicious you won’t know it’s healthy! You are going to love this easy to make healthy banana bread recipe.

This is my all-time favorite banana bread recipe. It is moist and full of rich banana flavor. Your search for the perfect healthy banana bread recipe stops here!

I try not to label recipes as, “The Best,” unless I really mean it. I confidently call this healthy banana bread the best. It has the sweetness, moisture and flavor that you are looking for in a loaf of banana bread, healthy or otherwise.

I can’t even tell you how many times I have tested this recipe to make sure it is just perfect before sharing it here. I’ve tried out different amounts of banana, butter, sweetener and flour. I’ve made this banana bread with and without milk. I’ve found the perfect balance of ingredients and can’t wait for you to try this healthy banana bread recipe for yourself.

Banana bread and banana muffins are my favorite way to use up over-ripe bananas. I like to make both ahead of time for quick breakfasts and snacks for my family.

How to Make this Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

This whole wheat banana bread is made in one bowl, except for mashing the banana. I always mash my bananas in a separate bowl using a fork. You can also mash the bananas in a stand mixer.

To make this banana bread, you will start by whisking together your wet ingredients: melted butter, honey, mashed banana and eggs. I always start by melting the butter in my large glass mixing bowl in the microwave. Then I add the other wet ingredients to the bowl with the butter.

Once the wet ingredients are well combined, you will add baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla to the bowl. I like to add the vanilla last so that I can use the same measuring spoon that I used for the dry ingredients without washing in between.

Use your whisk to mix the batter up really well before adding the flour. You want to make sure that there are no clumps of baking soda or salt left in the batter.

Finally, add the flour to the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix in the flour until it is just combined. Mix until you don’t see any more streaks of flour and then stop. Over-mixing the batter will make your banana bread dense instead of light and soft.

When I bake quick breads like this banana bread, I prepare my loaf pan by cutting a sheet of parchment paper to fit in the pan, as you see in the photo above. Lining the pan with parchment will make sure that your banana bread comes out of the pan easily, without sticking to the bottom of the pan.

How to Freeze Banana Bread

Banana bread will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months, when wrapped well. Let the baked bread cool completely on a wire rack before freezing.

You can wrap and freeze the loaf of banana bread whole. Or, if you want to be able to grab individual servings of banana bread from the freezer, slice the bread and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped slices in a larger storage container or zip-top bag for storing in the freezer.

You can thaw banana bread overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature for a few hours. Individual slices of banana bread can be thawed quickly in the microwave.

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Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

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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.

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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.

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

Browse all healthy muffins and quick breads and for extra banaan lovers, check out my list of healthy banana snacks.

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One Bowl Vegan Banana Apple Bread

Published: Oct 2, 2015 · Modified: Jan 9, 2019 by Richa 158 Comments

One Bowl Vegan Banana Apple Bread. This moist Vegan Banana Bread has ripe banana, shredded apple and nut butter. Add Walnuts or chocolate chips. Vegan Breakfast Recipe.

I am the only person in the house who gets to eat Banana breads. Hubbs is allergic, so I end up making loafs with other fruit puree more often. Our breakfasts most days are a savory affair. We always keep some time in the morning to cook up and eat breakfast with each other. Snacking during the day is another matter. Depending on the day and the meals, I reach out for nuts as the default snack option. Nuts are great if I eat a few, too many and I get pimples and a double chin. A slice of a hearty loaf like this makes for a great snack to last till the next meal and to keep me away from the big bowl of nuts.

Make this Easy Vegan Banana Apple Bread filled with bananas, apple, nut butter, no added oil, nuts and chocolate chips. This banana bread has shredded apple in it. Use zucchini to make Banana Zucchini bread. You can add finely chopped apple as well for chunkier pieces. Make it with all spelt or wheat pastry flour or half and half whole grain + unbleached white.

This bread needs one bowl. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Blend up the banana with non dairy milk. No banana chunks, no mashing needed. Add in the apple and nuts. Bake, slice and serve. For a gluten-free option see GF Banana Walnut Breakfast Loaf. You can also make the batter into Vegan Banana Apple muffins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

More Breakfast Loafs and Muffins from the blog.

Steps:

Whisk all the dry ingredients and spices (pumpkin pie spice or other) in a bowl.

Blend the banana with non diary milk and nut butter and add to the bowl.

Add in the apples, nuts, Vegan Chocolate Chips etc and fold in. Drop the batter into a lined loaf pan.

Bake until done. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely before slicing.

Slice and store on the counter for the day and refrigerated (for upto 4 days) if storing for longer.

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