My Favorite Healthy Banana Bread Recipe
This healthy banana bread recipe is incredibly easy to make, contains no refined sugar, and is incredibly moist! Say less, am I right?! I’ll show you everything you need to know to whip up this easy and delicious recipe the whole family will love.
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You know those over ripe bananas sitting on your counter, just begging you to use them before they go bad? Well I’ve got the perfect recipe for you, and it’s way better than eating mushy bananas. If you love banana bread, this recipe is so moist and delicious, and it has real food ingredients that you can feel good about it. This yummy bread uses coconut oil and maple syrup, two of my favorite kitchen staples to bake with.
Ingredients In My Favorite Healthy Banana Bread
1 3/4 Cup Flour
You can use your favorite flour in this recipe. My preference is usually whole wheat, or all purpose flour (or a combination!)
1/3 Cup Melted Coconut oil
One of the best oils you can use in cooking or baking is coconut oil. It is a great natural replacement for refined oils like canola oil or vegetable oil, and as a bonus it has great health benefits for your brain, heart and joints! As an alternative you could also use olive oil, but it does change the flavor a bit in the final product. Melted butter would also be delicious!
1/2 Cup Real Maple Syrup
Nature truly provides the best natural sweeteners, and pure maple syrup is one of my favorites. A little goes a long way with maple syrup, and it adds a delicious flavor combined with the bananas that you will love. You could also use raw honey in place of maple syrup.
1 Cup Mashed Bananas
You want ripe bananas, and over ripe are actually even better. They are easier to mash, and they add a little bit more sweetness than underripe bananas. 1 Cup is about 2 1/2 bananas, or 2 large bananas.
1/4 Cup Milk
Use whatever you drink! You can also use water if you prefer.
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Salt
My go to for salt is always Redmonds unrefined mineral salt.
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tb Cinnamon (+ more to sprinkle on top)
TBH I always measure with my heart, but especially when it comes to cinnamon. You can almost never have too much! That’s my motto when I make homemade granola, too.
1/2 Cup (Optional) Mix-Ins
This banana bread recipe is delicious as is, but you can also add in some mix-ins which do take it to another level. Some great ideas are walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or chunks of banana.
Tools You Need To Make Healthy Banana Bread
This is a really easy banana bread recipe, and you will only need a few simple kitchen tools to make it.
- Glass mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Mixing spoon
- 9 x 5 Loaf pan
- Cooling Rack (optional)
How To Make Healthy Banana Bread
To make this easy peasy delicious banana bread, you will only need about an hour total (including baking time!). It comes together so quickly.
1. Preheat the oven to 325, and grease a loaf pan with butter or coconut oil. Or, you could line it with unbleached parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Add in the mashed banana, eggs and milk, whisking until combined. You could also use a hand mixer, but I prefer a whisk as it is simple to mix up and I usually don’t feel like getting out my mixer. Too much work!
3. Add the vanilla, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
4. Next add the flour, and stir with a spoon until just combined. If you are using any mix ins, add them now.
5. Pour the banana mixture into the greased loaf pan, and sprinkle the top with cinnamon. You can zig zag a knife through the top to create a fun zig zag if you want!
6. Bake the banana bread for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
7. Let the bread cool for about 10 minutes in the pan.
8. Remove from the pan, and let the banana bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
How To Store Healthy Banana Bread
This moist banana bread stores best in an air tight container. At room temperature it will last a few days, but keep it for up to a week in the fridge, or six months in the freezer. I think the best way is to freeze banana bread in several sections or individual slices so that you can pull it out easily when you want a piece. I find it easiest to wrap them in plastic wrap and then inside an airtight container or freezer bag. When you are ready to eat it, you can simply let it sit out at room temperature to thaw, or you can throw it in the toaster oven.
Tips For Success
Use ripe bananas: Ripe (or overripe bananas) make better banana bread, trust me. The more brown spots the better!
Don’t over-mix the batter: Mix the flour into the wet ingredients until just combined. Over mixing can result in more dense banana bread.
If the coconut oil solidifies on contact with the cold ingredients, place it in a warm place for a few minutes. The top of your preheated stove works great!
Line / Grease Your Pan: Make sure to generously grease the loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper. You don’t want to ruin your perfect loaf of banana bread by it sticking to the pan!
Let it Cool before slicing: letting your bread cool completely before slicing will help it set and slice easier and cleaner.
Banana Bread Variations
The easiest way to try different banana bread variations is with different mix-ins. Try chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, dried fruit, or banana chunks. Or experiment with types of flour. Whole wheat flour is actually really good in this recipe, or you could try gluten free flour or einkorn.
How To Serve Banana Bread
My kids love homemade banana bread for a snack with some grass-fed butter on top. This is my favorite way to eat banana bread, but it would also be delicious alongside some eggs for breakfast, or with a fresh cup of coffee for an afternoon treat. There’s really no wrong way to eat this delicious bread!
Banana bread is also a wonderful baked item to give to neighbors, or bring to a brunch. Everyone likes banana bread!
Healthy Banana Bread
Equipment
- 1 glass mixing bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Mixing Spoon
- 1 9×5 loaf pan
- 1 Cooling Rack optional
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 1/2 bananas, or 2 large bananas
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 3/4 cups flour whole wheat or all purpose
- 1/2 cup mix-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit) optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325
- Grease a loaf pan with butter or coconut oil. Or, you could line it with unbleached parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil and maple syrup.
- Add in the mashed banana, eggs and milk, whisking until combined.
- Stir in the vanilla, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
- Next add the flour, and stir with a spoon until just combined. If you are using any mix ins, add them now.
- Pour the banana mixture into the greased loaf pan, and sprinkle the top with more cinnamon. You can zig zag a knife through the top to create a fun zig zag if you want!
- Bake the banana bread for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool for about 10 minutes in the pan.
- Remove from the pan, and let the banana bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
I hope you enjoy this easy recipe! If you like it, please leave a review and/or comment below. I’d love to hear what you think!
ooooo, looks great! I have been substituting honey in a lot in recipes. Do you think they would be interchangeable here, too?
Absolutely! Honey would be delicious.
I love making banana bread, I have the recipe memorized from making it so much. But mine doesn’t have maple syrup or coconut oil. May have to try that. Thanks!