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Skinny Banana Bread

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My favorite Skinny Banana Bread recipe has no oil, is low sugar, and just over 100 calories/slice! It’s the BEST healthy banana bread recipe to still yield incredibly moist, perfectly sweet, and delicious bread!

A loaf of Skinny Banana Bread with three slices cut away.

We are preparing for an intense ICE storm in Saint Louis this weekend. Schools are closed today and my husband is working from home.

I had never experienced an ice storm until I moved to the midwest, and they are no joke! We’ve had a few in the last couple of years that kept everyone one home, like today. You’re driving in your car and the “rain” falling on your windshield immediately freezes to ice. The streets become a sheet of ice but it’s really hard to tell it’s even there, which it makes it dangerous to drive on.

An overhead view of a loaf of Skinny Banana Bread.

It’s kind of fun having an excuse to hunker down at home with my family, though. We play games and do puzzles and pick a fun a movie to watch.

Do you want to know how to make banana bread?  You are in the right place.  I like to bake something warm and comforting like this Skinny Banana Bread.  My kids love it and I love that it’s healthier than regular banana bread. Plus, it makes my house smell amazing.

Several slices of Skinny Banana Bread stacked against the loaf.

The main reason I really love this skinny banana bread recipe (besides the obvious fact that it has way less sugar and fat than any traditional banana bread recipes) is that it has FOUR large bananas mashed into it.

Most recipes have 2 or 3, max. I love extra banana flavor it gives the bread, and it makes the bread really moist.

I like to use really, really ripe bananas. Like, so ripe that the skin is black, and my husband is begging me to remove them from our kitchen counter :-). The riper the banana, the sweeter it is, the easier it is to mash, and the more sweetness it adds to the bread.

Can you make banana bread with fresh bananas?

Yes! If you only have fresh bananas, don’t fret!  One trick is to place them (peel on) on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 6-8 minutes. This is a great trick for ripening bananas quickly!

In typing the below ingredients into a nutrition calculator (judging that one loaf makes about 12 slices) this banana bread came out to be about 140 calories per slice.

So, hopefully you can feel great about indulging in one of the tastiest, and easiest quick-breads around!

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4.99 from 61 votes
This Skinny Banana Bread is so moist, perfectly sweet, and delicious, you would never know it's "skinny"!
Skinny Banana Bread
Print Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

This Skinny Banana Bread is so incredibly moist, perfectly sweet, and delicious -- you would never know it's "skinny"!

Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy banana bread, low calorie
Unit: cup, large, Tablespoon, teaspoon
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 137 kcal
Author: Lauren Allen
Ingredients
  • 4 bananas , about 1 1/3 cups, mashed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (white or white-whole wheat)
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Instructions
  1. Grease a standard 9x5'' loaf pan (I also like to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to make sure the loaf doesn't stick).

  2. Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add egg, vanilla, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon and stir well to combine.  

  3. In a separate small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir to combine. 

  4. Gently stir in melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

  5. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 few minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

If you'd like to make these into MUFFINS, find the instructions here

Nutrition Facts
Skinny Banana Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 137 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 209mg 9%
Potassium 208mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 9g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin A 2.1%
Vitamin C 4.1%
Calcium 2.9%
Iron 5.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

This Skinny Banana Bread is so incredibly moist, perfectly sweet, and delicious -- you would never know it's

The BEST Skinny Banana bread recipe! Incredibly moist, perfectly sweet, and delicious -- you would never know it's healthier then any other banana bread! #bananabread #healthy #kidfriendly #healthysnack
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Comments

  2. I added a couple of scoops of chocolate protein (fruit / veg mix) plus some applesauce, mini dark choc chips and my picky eater kids love it!

    Reply

  3. So delicious ! My new go to recipe for banana bread because it has about a fourth of the sugar compared to most recipes, yet is still sweet because of the additional bananas!

    Reply

  5. This is my go to for when I make banana bread for my kids. But instead of the white sugar I do Agave nectar because it helps balance out your blood sugar and doesnt mess with it as bad. Then I add some almond extract and some molasses. My kids love it!! Sometimes if I have them I also add some apples into it as well.

    Reply

  8. I am just done baking this bread , I use sunflower oil , no white sugar just 3 table spoon of brown sugar , I don’t like it sweet specially for breakfast. I added 1/2 clove , 1/2 ginger and 1/2 cup roasted walnuts . It’s super good finally a bread that is not too sweet low fat with a lot of bananas in it. I baked it for 33 minutes next time I will bake it 30.
    Thanks

    Reply

  9. If you replace the egg with 1/3 c flaxseed and the oil with 1/3 c cinnamin applesauce, what would the calories be and how would the nutritional values change?

    Reply

  12. Absolutely delicious! Made two loaves tonight and my husband said it was the best banana bread that I’ve ever made! I did add dark chocolate chips and walnuts, but the bread would’ve still been great without. Thanks so much for the perfect recipe!

    Reply

  13. Not sure what I did wrong, followed the exact receipe but turned out very gloobey and flat and raw 🙁 maybe it’s my oven

    Reply

  15. I’ve made this recipe twice now, once as a big loaf and once as mini loaves. It is now my new favorite banana bread recipe, which is saying something because my former favorite was my fave for 20 years. But when I was looking for a more heart-healthy recipe to make for someone with heart disease, I found this and decided to give it a go. My former fave used tons of butter, sour cream, and sugar, and not even as much banana. This one uses more banana and is far lower in fat and sugar. To make it even more heart healthy, I eliminated the added salt for the second batch as baking soda and powder are already high enough in sodium and noticed no taste difference. The texture of this bread is perfect every time, not too wet, not too dry.
    One of my favorite things about this recipe is you can whip it up in one bowl using only a whisk or spoon, no beaters required. What a time saver! I LOVE this recipe. Thank you! (p.s. Topped ours with chopped nuts and was delish!)

    Reply

  16. I added about a cup of toasted sliced almonds, as well as a scoop (~15g) of vegan vanilla protein powder, and this bread turned out beautifully! This will be my new go-to recipe for banana bread. It is pretty moist, my loaf definitely needed the full 45 minutes to bake and the toothpick still came out a little sticky, but it cooled into a lovely quick bread consistency.

    Reply

  17. Anyone every try substituting pumpkin for the bananas in this recipe? I love the low sugar in this recipe and was thinking about trying the substitution.

    Reply

  18. I am thrilled to see the comments are recent. I feel I am always late to a party! My daughter and I are on a weight challenge and I loved seeing how this recipe could stand up to add -ins etc…So I tried replacing some of the flour with 1/2 cup oats (which was lower calorie than whole wheat flour), kefir for the butter, I only had 3 bananas, threw in the dregs of dying blueberries in the fridge (2 TBSP)and used only brown sugar b/c I like the flavor and wanted to see if it was “sweet enough” for us. My goal was to nail a not too sweet breakfast option.
    I baked it 33 min, and we couldn’t wait to slice it. Perfect! Not too sweet, moist enough, and the rare blueberry was a treat of sweet. My husband wants me to do the sweeter version- but finished his piece. 😉 I think I need the 4rth banana…
    Thanks so much for a fantastic recipe! We will try it with pumpkin next, until we have 4 dying bananas.

    Reply

  19. Holy wow! I’ve been trying different recipes for banana bread for years trying to find the right one wasn’t overly sweet. This one is about as good as it gets. I switched out 1/2 cup of all purpose white flour with whole wheat. (So 1 C all purpose white, 1/2 C wheat), and it worked perfectly. The only downside: I don’t want to share it!

    Reply

  20. This recipe is wonderful! I substituted all purpose gluten free flour and added some roasted chopped walnuts. Very moist and delicious!

    Reply

  21. I’ve follow your recipe but make some changes. I usted 2 eggs, only Brown sugar and spelt flour. And finaly don’t understand what I have to do with the melted butter so I added to de mix and it works!!!
    Next time I’ll try your recipe exactly.
    Best regards from Spain.
    Any coment about butter??? Thanks

    Reply

  24. So yummy!! I totally forgot the egg and subbed oil for the butter but it was still delicious I can’t imagine how good it will be with egg and butter. This recipe is definitely a winner. Thank you.

    Reply

  25. Delicious. I like that is has lots of bananas instead of a ton of sugar and fat like most banana bread recipes. And it is super easy to make 🙂 We’re going to try the muffin version of the recipe next time.

    Reply

  26. I feel stupid asking this can u sub an xtra large egg in a recipe for a large one? Also could I sub brown sugar with stevia blend for the sugar? I’m on WW. We buy xtra lg eggs at home.

    Reply

  27. Thank you, Lauren, for this terrific recipe. Family loved it! I substituted 1/3 oats for the flour and used coconut oil instead of butter. It still turned out so well. We can’t wait to try your other recipes all of which look fantastic. You are an amazing lady to be able to do all of this with three young children. They and your husband are lucky indeed!

    Reply

  28. I tried this recipe and it’s simply the best. I’ve used many other recipes but this will become my go recipe for banana bread. I used coconut oil instead of butter, added one scoop of chocolate flavored plant based protein powder, and used 2 tablespoons of stevia brown sugar in lieu of the 3 tablespoons of regular brown sugar. I also added about one tablespoon of vanilla flavored Greek yogurt and a handful of walnuts. I baked the bread for 45 minutes. It turned out very moist and very flavorful. I used 4 bananas as was called for in the recipe.

    Reply

  29. Lauren, I just made this bread and it is fabulous!! I had plenty of ripe bananas BUT I Absolutely love your tip about ripening bananas in the oven. I did it and it worked like magic.
    To my bread I added some Nancy’s Not fat vanilla yogurt. 3 Tbls for a little protein, plus I was out of vanilla. I added banana chunks ( the banana I ripened in the oven) to the batter. I also toasted some walnuts for a topping and drizzled a few TBLS of melted butter, with cinnamon and a few tsp of sugar over the walnuts! So I made it a little less skinny but hey artistic license right? It’s delicious! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  30. LOVE LOVE LOVE ***** I made one loaf exactly as you described and made muffins too. It lasted one day and one night in my house. This was the best recipe ever and I didn’t know how to add the butter so I just mixed it – I will melt it next time or just use olive oil or coconut oil. USE ALL 4 BANANA’S it makes a huge difference in taste and texture. Just enjoy the taste — you won’t miss the sugar — I didn’t tell my family it was low sugar and it was devoured fast.

    Reply

  31. I am wondering what (if any) difference it would make if I used salted butter in lieu of unsalted butter? Personally, I’m not keen on unsalted butter so I would likely not ever have it in my pantry.

    Based on the consistent 5-star rating, I am going to also rate this 5 stars! Having a SKINNY recipe in which to use my seemingly endless supply of well-ripened bananas is worth at least 4 stars; if it tastes as good as everone says, it will be a 5+++ star rating by me 🙂

    Reply

  32. I have made this twice over the last few days and this will now be my go-to recipe! I did find the recipe too sweet for my taste, so I made it today with no sugar at all and it came out perfectly sweet using 4 large over ripe bananas. I also sprinkled crushed walnuts on top today and it added a nice crunch. The kids and hubby love it as much a I do. So fast and easy to make which is an added bonus! This recipe is a winner.

    Reply

  33. This turned out great! I swapped the egg for a flaxseed egg and the butter for 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to make it vegan. It was delicious, my kids and I loved it! Thank you!

    Reply

  34. I made this recipe as is, except added two eggs because my 3-year-old grandson was intent on cracking two eggs, and it was perfect! I’ve enjoyed reading the comments about how others have modified the recipe, so may play with it next time. I was worried that it might not be sweet enough but my husband said it was perfect. Thank you VERY much for this recipe.

    Reply

  35. Good recipe. Had to adjust slightly. 1/2 tsp of cinnomon and added 1 more 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Baked for 50 minutes at 350. Turned out perfect. The Parchment on bottem worked great!

    Reply

  36. Added a handful of dark chocolate chips…AHHH-mazing!!! It is so crazy moist, which many banana breads are not. Loved it! Thank you

    Reply

  37. I would give it more stars if I could. This bread is absolutely delicious!!! I added some walnuts to it and I love it!!! I am the only one who has had a chance to try it because I am the only one home right now!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It will now be my go to for Banana Bread!!

    Reply

  38. I’m not a huge banana bread person but my family loves it. This was delicious. I could have eaten the whole loaf in one sitting.

    Reply

  39. I added one tbsp of dark rum and 1/2 cup walnuts. Super yummy. I’m going to use coconut oil next time in place of the butter.

    Reply

  40. My resolution this year is to learn to back, so far I’ve made a chocolate cake, a plain cheesecake, and now your skinny banana bread. It turned out AMAZING!
    Thank you so much for this recipe and the calories are perfect 2.5oz and 137 calories ❤?❤???

    Reply

  41. je viens de le faire à l’instant et il est DELICIEUX ! “j’ai pas pu attendre qu’il refroidisse entièrement pour le goûter….” MERCI pour cette belle recette 🙂

    Reply

    • Maybe your oven was too hot? I remember reading that a hot oven will bake the sides first and prevent the batter from rising any further on the sides, while the center continues to rise. I have used water-soaked cloth baking strips wrapped around 9″ x 2″ cake pans to prevent this from happening.

      Reply

  45. Yep, as printed this is an awesome recipe! My go to “healthy” banana bread recipe calls for non-fat yogurt. I didn’t have any and would have to drive 30 miles to get some, so I tried this recipe for my 1st time. Excellent flavor. I did add an extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a 1/2 tsp nutmeg for extra zing.

    Reply

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