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
Just made this banana bread & omitted the white sugar & used the apple sauce instead of the butter- Best banana bread I’ve tasted in a long time!😄
Did you use a 1-1 ratio for the applesauce?
I did and it turned out great.
I LOVE this recipe and have made is several times. It comes out every time! Thank you!
Hello and Thank you! Been looking for a low fat fat free Banana Bread recipe to replace the one that I’d lost! It was from an old OLD Betty Crocker Cookbook. Can’t find the cookbook 😭 but I found this and it’s in the oven right now!!
This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. It’s just as good as the first time, so it’s a keeper! I added walnuts for the extra crunch and flavor. Next time, I’ll try muffins.
I’m happy that I found your recipe – it actually tells us the measured amount of bananas instead of how many to use:)
Thanks, Lauren!
This banana bread recipe is definitely a keeper! Found this while looking for a recipe for my super-ripe bananas and this will be my go-to from now on. I only had 3 bananas but they were large and it worked fine. Otherwise, I made as directed and subbed apple sauce for the butter and it is so delicious!
Excellent recipe and healthy!
Hi Lauren. I have a strange thing that happens to me often when I make bread in loaf pans. I end up with it not being completely cooked, even though it looks brown and tests done with a toothpick coming out clean. I wonder if this is because I use egg beaters instead of eggs? Any ideas?
Great recipe. All of the low sugar recipes I came across subbed the sugar with honey or some other sweetener, but I really just wanted something less sweet. I made it as written and added some chopped prunes at the end. It took about 40 minutes to bake and the texture is perfect.
I made this banana bread and it turned out fabulous and delicious. I did not have any sugar in the house but I did add 4 tablespoons of real maple syrup. I also added 2 chopped dates and a few chopped pecans. Great result!
Hi. I’m new to your site. This banana recipe is something I want to try. I’ve been on the search for a recipe that has the least amount of sugar. Im curious how it would be without any sugar added as my bananas are looking quite sweet with all of the brown spots. Just wondering.
Two woefully overripe bananas saved from the indignity of the compost bin! I halved the recipe and made muffins. I added a couple handfuls of raisins, pre-chopped dates, and a couple shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Perfect-o!