This healthy banana bread recipe is super moist, delicious, and easy to make! It calls for simple ingredients like whole wheat flour and maple syrup.
This healthy banana bread recipe is moist, tender, and packed with sweet banana flavor. It’s every bit as delicious as my traditional banana bread, but it’s made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s bursting with banana. I use 2 cups mashed (about 4 large bananas!), which gives it an incredible moist texture and fruity flavor. Try a slice for breakfast, as a snack, or even dessert. I guarantee you’ll reach for a second.
This healthy banana bread is easy to make with basic equipment, so you can bake a loaf anytime you have ripe bananas on hand. My son Ollie and I have been making it together on repeat lately. He loves helping mix the batter, and we both love how amazing it makes the kitchen smell as it bakes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Healthy Banana Bread Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this healthy banana bread recipe:
- Bananas, of course! The mashed banana gives this loaf its moist texture and rich, sweet banana flavor.
- All-purpose and whole wheat flour – I use a combination of flours in this recipe to keep the loaf light and tender, but still pack in some of the benefits of whole wheat. Mixed with all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour adds nutrients and nutty flavor without making the loaf dense.
- Melted coconut oil – For richness. A neutral oil like vegetable oil, or even olive oil, would work well here too.
- Pure maple syrup – It sweetens the loaf naturally.
- Baking soda and eggs – They help the loaf puff up as it bakes.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract – For warm, spiced depth of flavor.
- Chopped walnuts – For crunch.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
I also like to top the loaf with a sprinkle of whole rolled oats. They get nicely crisp and toasty in the oven!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different flour. Whole wheat pastry flour and white whole wheat flour would both work in place of the white/wheat combo in this recipe. Though I haven’t tried it, I think a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend would work here too.
- Change up the mix-ins. Replace the chopped walnuts with pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, or even chocolate chips!
- Make healthy banana muffins. Divide the batter into a 12-cup muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
How to Make Healthy Banana Bread
You can find the complete recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how it goes:
Start by making the batter. Combine the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl and the dry ingredients in a medium one.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold the walnuts into the batter.
Next, transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan. Spread it in an even layer, then sprinkle with the oats.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. The top should spring back to the touch too.
Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving!
Recipe Tips
- Use overripe bananas. Brown, spotty bananas will give this loaf the sweetest, richest flavor.
- Spoon and level your flour. It’s easy to accidentally use too much flour when you’re measuring with measuring cups. For the most accurate flour measurement, don’t scoop it up directly with your measuring cup. Instead, spoon it into the cup and gently level the top with a knife. Read more in this post on how to measure flour!
- Loaf getting too dark? Tent the top with foil. This loaf generally needs to bake for about 1 hour, but I always check it early, around 45 minutes. If the top is nicely browned at that point, I tent it with foil to prevent it from getting too dark as it continues to bake.
How to Store and Freeze
This healthy banana bread keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
It also freezes well for up to 3 months. I like to slice it before freezing so that I can defrost one slice at a time for a quick breakfast or snack! Slices thaw in about 1 hour at room temp and in about 30 seconds in the microwave.
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
If you love this healthy banana bread recipe, try one of these easy quick breads next:
Healthy Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed very ripe banana, about 4 large
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup melted coconut oil, plus more for the pan
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons whole rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x4 or 9x5-inch loaf pan. If desired, line the bottom and two long sides with a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. Fold in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the oats evenly on top.
- Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, or until the top springs back to the touch. A toothpick inserted should come out with just a few moist crumbs attached. I like to check the loaf after 45 minutes. If the top is golden brown, I cover it with foil for the remaining bake time to prevent further browning.
Notes
Hello
I have been making this bread for the last 2 weeks, i adore it!!! I forgot the sugar and it’s fine without. I love it and i have been searching for your recipe now to send you my comment. Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you from France.
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Maryse!
This rose so well! Definitely baked in 42 minutes, I’d even be tempted to bake for less to get a more moist consistency – this would be my only improvement to take it from a 4 to 5 star.
Jeanine and Jack – I absolutely love all your recipes and you’ve become my go-to when I need inspo. Any chance you’d be thinking about adding a ‘Convert to metric system’ for us followers from the UK? I am lost with ounces so find myself Googling a lot.
Hi Lucy, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the banana bread and that you’re loving other recipes too! Thanks for the feedback on the measurements—you’re not the only one who’s made this request, so just something we need to work out on our end!
The flavor is really nice. The texture was just ok. I had trouble telling when it was done, so the second time I made it it was a bit under baked. I would be interested in a non vegan version of this recipe.
Hi Jessica, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve never tested a non-vegan version of this recipe, but I think you could replace 1/2 cup of the milk with 2 eggs.
Do you know the calories per serving?
This recipe looked delicious. I used a mix of almond & all purpose flour. I’ve cooked it for 60 minutes already & somehow loaf still has a gooey ‘not quite done’ texture & is pretty dense (more than I’m used to). Not sure what I did wrong?
Hi Rae, what kind of loaf pan do you have? This recipe may need to bake longer if you’re using a glass pan. The denser texture could just be due to the fact that this recipe is vegan and uses almond flour—it’s delicious, but not quite the same as a conventional banana bread with eggs.
Hi Phoebe,
I just used a regular metal rectangle loaf pan. It’s odd – the bread was decent on top, but the closer it got to the bottom of the loaf, it got progressively denser & almost seemed uncooked just above the crust.
Would it be a baking soda/powder issue?
Hi Rae, it could be that the baking powder or baking soda wasn’t fresh. I was also wondering if you used the same ratio of almond flour to wheat flour that we call for in the recipe. If you used more almond flour, that could have affected the texture too.
Neither baking soda nor powder were fresh. Costco doesn’t come in small sizes! Haha
11 + ½ cups of flour?? Is this correct??
Hi Ana, it’s 1 1/2 cups
Can I make the banana bread with shredded carrots?
Could I use walnut oil?
This banana bread is SO good. If I bake a double batch in a 9X9 pan, how long do I bake it for?
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you love the recipe! I’ve never tried baking a double recipe in a 9×9 pan, so I’m not sure what the bake time would be. Maybe 35 to 55 minutes? It’s ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
I’ve made this twice now – always a winner! I reduce the sugar but add in chopped vegan dark choc. For the topping I add chia seeds and pumpkin seeds also (by replacing the extra walnuts). Works very well with any dairy free milk. Question: I’ve now been asked by several people for the recipe but they are all non English speakers and do not use cups, does your website have metric conversion?
Hi Jan, I’m so glad you loved it! We don’t have a metric conversion, but thank you for the request.
Hi Jeanine!
I made this last night and I liked it, but I prefer more spice forward banana bread. In your opinion, do you recommend I just double the cinnamon and nutmeg measurements of this recipe? Should I substitute regular sugar for brown sugar? Any other suggestions would be appreciated, thank you! <3
Hi Ivonnie, yes, you could increase those spices – you could also try adding some ground ginger or even cardamom.
Thank you for this excellent recipe. I used regular brown sugar and the small amount was perfect. I discovered I was out of almond flour but had coconut flour i’d never used. I reckon I’ll use a whole cup of it next time. It gives such a soft texture and is not too coconutty. I spread it with cream cheeae while still warm….divine
Hi Jo, I’m so glad you loved it!
I wonder if I can use date sugar. I know it’s it technically sugar so I’m a little apprehensive about using it. I do have coconut sugar.
Oops. I meant to say it’s technically *NOT sugar..
Hi Iva – I use date sugar in all of my baked goods and they come out great. I use it at a 1:1 ratio.
Hope it works for you!
My favourite go to recipe! It is absolutely delicious. I’ve added cranberries and have sometimes substituted almonds for walnuts. Whatever is added, the taste and texture is truly satisfying. Thanks so much for this healthy alternative ❤️
Hi. I love your recipes and I just bought the Love and Lemons Every Day Cookbook. I have severe migraines and cannot eat nuts. Many of your recipes call for walnuts, almond milk, almond flour or almond butter. Can you please tell me what nut-free substitutes I can use for these 4 items? Thanks so much!!
Hi Gail, I’m so glad you love the recipes! Exact substitutions can vary from recipe to recipe, but in general, sunflower seeds and pepitas are a good substitute for walnuts. Sunbutter, tahini, or peanut butter can replace almond butter. You can use any type of milk instead of almond milk. In many cases, you can use regular all-purpose flour instead of almond flour, but baking recipes are the trickiest to make swaps in. If you have a question about a specific recipe, please let us know!
I froze a bunch of bananas right when they were turning black and had a strong banana smell. They have been in the freezer for a few weeks, are they ok (ripe enough) to use for cooking?
Hi Mary, it sounds like they’d be perfect for baking!
Do I cool it in the pan or take it out?
Hi Lisa, I’d let it cool in the pan.
A fancy 4 star restaurant would be good enough to take it out to. If you go to a 5 one, it might feel a bit too bougie and start acting all snotty and bratty.
Take it easy with the bananas, champ.
Best regards,
Marian
Can I just do 2 cups of regular flour if I don’t have the almond flour?
Yep, you can!
No.
So so moist and delicious! Made it for our movie club and the entire group inhaled it! Will make it again!
Hi Sonia, Amazing! So glad it was a hit.
Adored this vegan banana bread! Packed with wholesome ingredients yet tastes incredibly indulgent! Such a delightful treat!
Loved this vegan banana bread! It has more healthy ingredients but tastes so decadent!