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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!
Looking for more bread recipes? Try my Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, Artisan No Knead Bread, or Skillet Cornbread!
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.
Storing and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Banana bread will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days.
To Freeze: Cool completely and then store in an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Variations:
- Healthy Banana Muffins: Follow my instructions HERE!
- Mix-Ins: Feel free to stir in ¾ cup of you favorite chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or raisins, at the end, before adding the batter to the pan.
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Healthy Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 bananas, , about 1 ⅓ cups, mashed (320 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, (15 ml)
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar, (38 g)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, (25 g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, (2.6 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, (4 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, (5 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, (2.5 g)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (white or white-whole wheat) (180 g)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, , melted (or substitute applesauce) (28 g butter or 30 g applesauce)
Instructions
- 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.
- In a separate small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir to combine.
- 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.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 few minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe January 2017. Updated January 2021 and January 2022.
Process photos by Nikole from The Travel Palate
Delicious!I have made it 4 times in 3 days! We just can’t get enough!!!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!!! I make it as muffins and I add walnuts. I make this EVERY weekend so we have them for lunches for the week. My whole family LOVES them!
Hi, did you add applesauce as listed in the ingredients list?
How long did you bake the muffins?
I don’t see applesauce in the ingredient list
Holy Smokes! This is sooooo good! 🙂🙂
I just sampled it and dang I can’t wait to make more.
The only tweak I made was applesauce in lieu of the butter/oil. My kids will never know its sugar free and loaded with good stuff. Even at high altitude it is perfect!!
I will never use another receipe for 🍌🍞Banana Bread!!!!
This recipe is delicious but it definitely does not make anywhere close to 12 slices meaning its higher calories per slice than it suggests. I got 8 slices the size of the ones in the video. Easy to make though and tasty and quick.
My 10 year old boy and I made this banana bread. I was attracted to the recipe because of the low amount of sugar. I believe that bananas are sugary enough. I doubled the recipe (good thing because it went fast) and used 1 tbs of almond extract and 1 Tbs of vanilla extract instead of 2 TBS of vanilla only. Living on Maui, we get our fair share of banana bread….I would put this up to Auntie’s any day! Really delicious! Thank you for sharing
This is the best banana bread recipe out there! I keep coming back to it time and time again. The other recipes have way too much sugar and butter in them. I’ve also made this recipe with 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, and it turned out really good. My husband is Swiss and he had never tasted banana bread before I made this for him, he loves your recipe!
Hello!
Just a quick question
Must recipes call whipped butter and sugar.
Why do you call for melted?
What is the difference?
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try this recipe
When melted, butter no longer contributes to the consistency of the bread, only the taste. I prefer the consistency and taste of the bread using melted butter.
I skipped the butter altogether, because my guy is obsessed about oil and especially butter, and added a handful of porridge oats and nuts. Came out a bit more bready but still heavenly. Thank you!
I made this banana bread today and it was a hit! I had just put it in the oven when I saw I had forgotten to add the melted butter! I pulled it out and mixed the butter in while it was in the already greased and floured bread pan. I crossed my fingers! 45 minutes later I pulled it out of the oven and it was beautiful! It slid right out of the pan to cool.
I had added a cup of chopped walnuts and a 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips. Also, I only used three good sized bananas. I was making it for a friend that wanted to try the chocolate chips in it. It was really good and a perfect texture and moistness.
Thank you I’ll be making this again!
Amazing recipe! Super enjoyed the moist texture and the fact this recipe used a lot less sugar and butter than other recipes i saw! Thank you for sharing!! 💯
Can we add protein powder to this recipe
Sure!
I didn’t change anything, I just added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. This is absolutely delicious!!! I cooked it for 40 minutes and it came out perfect! I will definitely make this again!!!