Good news, bakers! This recipe on how to make banana healthier was made especially for you. Gone are the days of cloyingly sweet microwaved specimens — this healthy banana bread recipe will give you a loaf that’s fluffy, moist and only lightly sweetened with honey. It also contains no eggs or dairy products, so it will be easy on your stomach and even easier on your daily calorie count.
Healthy banana bread
Have your cake and eat it with this low-fat, healthy banana loaf – perfect for breakfast and beyond
- Freezable
- Healthy
| Highlight | Nutrient | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| kcal | 145 | |
| fat | 2g | |
| saturates | 1g | |
| carbs | 24g | |
| sugars | 9g | |
| fibre | 3g | |
| protein | 6g | |
| low in | salt | 0.6g |
Ingredients
- low-fat spread, for the tin, plus extra to serve
- 140g wholemeal flour
- 100g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 300g mashed banana from overripe black bananas
- 4 tbsp agave syrup
- 3 large eggs, beaten with a fork
- 150ml pot low-fat natural yogurt
- 25g chopped pecan or walnuts (optional)
Method
- STEP 1Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment (allow it to come 2cm above top of tin). Mix the flours, bicarb, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- STEP 2Mix the bananas, syrup, eggs and yogurt. Quickly stir into dry ingredients, then gently scrape into the tin and scatter with nuts, if using. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins-1 hr 15 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
- STEP 3Cool in tin on a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature, with low-fat spread.
Healthy Banana Bread
This super healthy banana bread recipe is so moist and sweet, everyone is always shocked to find out it’s actually good for you!
Healthy banana bread for breakfast or snack
The recipe can be oil free, egg free, and dairy free, with NO refined sugar.
To lower the oil without sacrificing moisture or taste, it packs a full one and a half cups of mashed banana into the loaf, which also sweetens the banana bread recipe without all that extra sugar and empty calories.
And though I’m normally not a fan of oil-free baking, this banana bread is definitely an exception. You can easily omit the vegetable or coconut oil entirely if you prefer, and it will still turn out amazingly soft and delicious
While many traditional banana bread recipes call for at least a cup of refined sugar and half a cup of butter or more, this lightened-up healthy banana bread recipe cuts way back on the things you don’t want.
Instead, it replaces them with whole grains and good-for-you ingredients, adding extra potassium rich banana for natural sweetness.
Simple whole grain banana bread
If you have overripe bananas sitting on the counter and no idea how to use them up, this healthy banana bread is the perfect solution.
The addition of yogurt to the recipe adds even more softness without weighing the bread down. And it’s sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar.
Thanks to the extra banana, the bread needs just half a cup of sweetener for the entire recipe. This is around half of what is called for in popular banana bread recipes from Martha Stewart, Food Network, Rachael Ray, Betty Crocker, and others.
Banana loaf ingredients
The healthy banana bread calls for basic ingredients: flour, baking soda and baking powder, salt, cinnamon, plain or nondairy yogurt, pure vanilla extract, sweetener of choice, and of course the banana.
For the flour: You can use all purpose flour, white or whole grain spelt flour, or whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat flour yields a denser loaf than I personally like, but some readers still enjoy it that way. So it’s completely your choice.
To make wheat free or gluten free banana bread, the recipe works with oat flour or certified-gluten-free oat flour for an oatmeal banana bread.
Multiple readers have reported success with substituting gluten free all purpose flour as well. I haven’t personally tried it yet.
If you want a grain free version or low carb recipe that’s also naturally gluten free, make this delicious Almond Flour Banana Bread.
The sweetener: Try pure maple syrup, agave, or honey for the half cup of sweetener. The additional two tablespoons of sweetener can be stevia, sugar, erythritol, date sugar, coconut sugar, or any of the above liquid sweeteners.
For a version made with granulated sugar, try this Vegan Banana Bread.
Optional ingredients: The banana bread is easy to customize. Throw in half a cup of mini chocolate chips, raisins or another chopped dried fruit, shredded coconut, or crushed walnuts or pecans. I also love adding half a teaspoon of cinnamon.
It’s good with or without the chocolate chips added to the top, although my preference is probably easy to guess!
Healthy Banana Bread
This EASY Healthy Banana Bread recipe is made with low sugar, no oil and is just over 100 calories per slice. It yields incredibly moist, perfectly sweet, and delicious bread!
What I love about the recipe:
- Normal Ingredients – No artificial sweeteners or anything out of the ordinary here. I use basic pantry ingredients you already have.
- Healthy – No oil, low sugar, FOUR bananas, and around 100 calories per slice!
- Tastes Amazing – When baked goods are labeled “healthy” they often don’t taste great, but I promise you no one would ever guess that this banana bread is any different! It is still just as moist, sweet, and scrumptious as traditional banana bread!
How to make Healthy Banana Bread:
Grease a standard 9×5” loaf pan (I also like to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to make sure the loaf doesn’t stick).
Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add egg, vanilla, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon and stir well to combine.
Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to banana mixture and stir to combine. Stir in melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5-10 few minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack.
Pro Tips:
- Use very ripe bananas. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is, the easier it is to mash, and the more sweetness it adds to the bread.
- Trick to ripen bananas quickly: Place the bananas (peel on) on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 6-8 minutes. until the outer peel is dark.