This post contains affiliate links.
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.
Follow me for more great recipes
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.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
Follow Me
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
I wouldn’t normally comment on recipe blogs, but this was THE MOST PERFECT BANANA BREAD – thank you so much for the recipe. I only had three bananas on hand, but it was still amazing.
So good! I doubled the batch and added fresh blueberries- and went with the applause instead of butter
Made them into large muffins and cooked for 24 mins
I’ve used this recipe a few times and always come out perfect, I’m not a great baker either! I use 1 cup wholewheat flour and 1/2 cup plain flour, I also add a handful of dark choc chips and a big handful of raisins. Cooks for 40-45mins at 175degreesC in a fab oven. Tasty and don’t miss the sugar, do think raisins/currants help though!
Thank you for commenting on using whole wheat flour. I was wondering if it would work and didn’t want to experiment.
My absolute favorite banana bread recipe of all time. It is perfect. I make this weekly and still marvel at how amazing it is.
I love this recipe! Do you think I could substitute pumpkin puree for the bananas for pumpkin bread? Would I need to add more sugar since the bananas are sweeter than pumpkin? I’d like to keep it as “low sugar” as possible. Thanks!
Hi Cary, I’d suggest my Healthy Pumpkin Muffins recipe. https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/skinny-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins/
Carry, I did just that and it was delicious! I substituted ½ cup of pureed pumpkin in place of 1 medium banana, it was a 1:1 ratio of pureed pumpkin for mashed banana. I will do it again. Good luck!
Best Banana Bread recipe I have found – being a diabetic I can eat 1 slice
Also my spouse is low salt and this banana bread is perfect for him without the salt added
I have made it several times and it is delicious. Followed your directions but if I get the inside completely done, the outer part is dry. Would it hurt to bake it at 325 degrees but a little longer? Maybe my oven is too hot. Thanks!
Yes, that would work.
Wow, this hit the spot for sure, totally satisfied my sweet tooth and lower calorie than my usual recipe but just as good! Thanks so much for taking the time to post such amazing, easy to follow recipes!
Mine turned out very dry (perhaps I should have used the applesauce option instead of butter?) flavor could have been better as well.
Bread was delicious and came out fine. Only used three bananas.