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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
This recipe hits EVERY TIME!!! Even cooking this at high altitude and accidentally throwing the dry ingredients with the wet before mixing, still came out great. I also added in walnuts and choc chips! So yummy!!!!
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
Applesauce listed next to the butter, can be used instead of butter.
I have made lots of banana bread in my 49 years of marriage but when I found this recipe is now my go to recipe. Not only is it a healthier version but taste great also. Happy I found this recipe.
I have made this recipe about once a week since coming across it on Pinterest! It comes out great every time and is now my “go-to” banana bread recipe! We watch our 1 1/2- year old grandson four days a week and I love that there isn’t much sugar in it! It is his snack-time favorite!
Very good! I made one as written and one gluten free, substituting coconut sugar. Thanks!
Super late to the baking game but had some left over bananas so thought I would give this a go. Came out really well! I used a silicone mould and it popped right out. As others commented, it’s quite sweet, but that suits me fine. Great recipe!
Just tried. Very nice tasting, but i also had the same problem as previous commenter. Not done at 35 minutes, brown on top, Left in for additional 10 minutes, finally took out cut in half, and bottom still seemed not quite done. Covered and left 10 more minutes. Tasted good but not evenly cooked. I did use a metal pan. I will try again.
On another note, my usual banana bread recipe usually takes 50 to 60 minutes! However this one is lightened up so I guess should take less.
Made this today, delicious but extremely sweet. I thought that 3 tbs of sugar is a lot so I skipped the brown sugar and added 2 tbl of granulated sugar and one tbl of honey instead but it is still quite sweet. Cannot imagine how sweet it would be with the original recipe. But it came out nice and delicious even if it´s a bit sweeter. Thank you!
I am going to try this recipe but leave out the sugars an replace butter with EVOO for a more healthier version ☺️ my banana’s are extremely ripe an should be sweetened enough. I will share my results after baking the Banana Bread. Thank you fir share this delicious recipe ☺️ 🍞 🍌
I only have three bananas, will it still work? Do I need to substitute for the missing banana?
It will still work fine :-), or for a little extra moistness you could add a few tablespoons of applesauce or sour cream/plain yogurt.
So delicious! Can this fabulous banana bread be frozen and then defrosted to eat a few days later?
Many thanks
Yes, it freezes really well!
Amazing! Will definitely make these often…I added a handful of chopped walnuts and scooped it into muffin tins…(made 14 muffins) and baked for 30 minites…excellent!