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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
Made this with my three year old while dad and brothers weren’t around – needless to say we couldn’t wait until they got back to try it! Delicious! And low enough in calories to justify eating it for breakfast! Couldn’t find our loaf tin so used a square cake tray, worked perfectly!
Tasted AMAZING!!!
I’m not seeing the nutritional label. Can you repost please?
Thank you 🙂
Thanks for pointing that out–I’ve added the full label 🙂
Much appreciated!
hi, how long will this bread last if i keep it in the refrigerator?
It should keep well for about 1 week in the fridge 🙂 Enjoy!
Just made the skinny banana bread this morning; came out delicious and moist. Added some chopped walnuts for some crunch; thanks for the recipe! ?
BEST “SKINNY” RECIPE I’ve ever tried! The bread is moist, delicious and super easy to make!
I searched for “easy, healthy banana bread recipe” and found this. Baked and just ate 4 pieces! Oops! Absolutely wonderful! I think it tastes a little like soft “Cinnimon Teddy Grahams”. (That’s a compliment.) Freaking delish! My fam felt the same too 😉
I’m watching my cholesterol. I’m planning on substituting applesauce for butter, but wondering if I can use egg whites instead of a whole egg? Is so, how many egg whites? Thanks!
Hi Colleen, applesauce is a great substitute for the butter. I haven’t tried this with just egg whites–the denseness and tenderness of the cake will probably be effected, but I think it would work fine! Others have also had success using flaxseed instead of the egg. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Do you have a recipe for skinny pumpkin bread?
Hi Deb, I have a recipe for skinny pumpkin muffins that you could bake in a bread loaf instead : https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/skinny-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins/ Enjoy!
Was looking for low calorie options for the foods my boyfriend loves, this recipe definitely tops the cake. So much flavor and the texture is perfect. Loved making this!
I am trying to cut sugar so I made this and loved it! I tweaked it a bit because I found it too dry for my family. We use 6 medium bananas and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (low sugar) and love it!!! Even my pickiest eater loves it!!