Banana bread is classic comfort food. A thick slice, warm from the oven and slathered in butter, with its caramel-y banana taste—it’s hard not to love. Not everyone loves the usual ingredients in a typical loaf, though, which is why we crafted a healthy banana bread with food-forward ingredients! We’ve replaced some of the added sugars with natural sweeteners like applesauce and honey. We also replaced some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for added fiber.
When you want a more wholesome banana bread, this is the banana bread recipe to reach for.
Is banana bread healthy?
“Healthy” means something different to everyone, but if you’re looking for a recipe that uses natural sweeteners and some additional whole grains, this is a great choice! From applesauce and honey to whole wheat flour, we love the food-forward, wholesome ingredients in our healthy banana bread.
Ingredients for Healthy Banana Bread
- Eggs: Did you know you should be baking with room-temperature eggs? It lets them mix into the batter more successfully.
- Bananas: You’ll need about four medium bananas for our healthy banana bread recipe. Grab an extra one in case you fall short of the 2 cups called for.
- Applesauce: We love the moisture and tenderness applesauce lends to a banana bread loaf!
- Honey: Our healthy banana bread recipe uses honey as a more food-forward sweetener.
- Whole wheat flour: Hearty, fibrous and wholesome, whole wheat flour is a robust and strong type of flour to use in baking.
- Pecans: A handful of pecans creates a gorgeous topping and adds a lovely, crunchy texture to the banana bread.
Directions
Step 1: Beat the butter mixture
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until crumbly, about two minutes.
Crack in the egg, then pour in the egg white, beating well after each addition of egg. Beat the mixture on high speed until everything is light and fluffy.
Using a whisk, wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the bananas, applesauce, honey and extract.
Step 2: Add in the flour mixture
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture just until moistened.
Step 3: Top with nuts
Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan, and gently spread out the batter to all the corners if needed. Sprinkle the top all over with the chopped pecans.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the loaf until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool the loaf at room temperature for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Healthy Banana Bread Variations
- Bake with other nuts: Not a fan of pecans? Walnuts and almonds are lovely substitutes.
- Add seasonal fruits: Make a summery loaf by folding in blueberries, chopped peaches or fresh strawberries into the batter. Fit the loaf for fall with chopped apples or pears—don’t forget the cinnamon!
- Make it tropical: Once the batter is made, fold in 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut and 1/2 cup chopped pineapples for a tropical loaf. Or simply bake our banana pineapple bread!
- Use your favorite chocolate: Sneak in your favorite chocolate chips for a loaf that’s a little more indulgent.
How to Store Healthy Banana Bread
To store, cool the banana bread to room temperature. Place the loaf in an airtight container, or wrap it tightly in storage wrap and aluminum foil. Store the bread at room temperature for up to three days.
To freeze, place the room temperature loaf in an airtight container, or wrap it tightly in two layers of storage wrap followed by a final layer of aluminum foil. Keep the banana bread in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, place the loaf in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for two hours.
Healthy Banana Bread Tips
How can I ripen bananas for banana bread?
You can quickly ripen bananas in just a day or two, or as quick as just 15 minutes! Our guide walks you through the various methods to try out.
Can I bake this healthy banana bread in a different pan?
There are a few different pans you can bake this healthy banana bread in. You can do about 12 muffins, give or take. If you want a bunch of mini loaves to pass out to friends and family, our baking pan conversions chart tells us that this healthy banana bread recipe can be baked into three 5-3/4 x 3-inch mini loaf pans. Just remember that both muffin and mini loaf sizes won’t need as long to bake as the regular loaf size.
