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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
This banana bread was SO good!! It’s the first “healthy” banana bread recipe I’ve tried that I’ve loved and I’ve made a lot! This is amazing banana bread, period, regardless of healthy factor, nobody would ever be able to tell this was better for them!
My mom has a delicious recipe for banana bread and it’s what I grew up on, but it’s most definitely not a healthy one and I always feel guilty eating more of it than I should. I love that this recipe is one I can indulge in and not completely blow my relatively healthy eating plan or feel guilty about enjoying, this one is my new go-to!
10/10 moist low calorie banana bread. I made mine gluten free by substituting the flour with all purpose gluten free flour and a bit of xanthan gum. Turned out so yummy.
I question the 1 Tablespoon vanilla. Usually in most baked goods it’s 1 teaspoon.
This recipe is excellent! The best banana bread I’ve ever made, everyone who tried it loved it and couldn’t believe it was a healthier recipe. I used white whole wheat flour, applesauce, and in place of the white sugar I did a splash of maple syrup. Sprinkled the top with walnuts and shredded coconut before baking (to prevent the toppings from burning, I covered the loaf with tinfoil after it had baked for about 30 minutes). Will definitely be making this recipe again!
I made this a few weeks ago and really liked it. This morning did a half batch since I only had 2 bananas and baked in two mini loaf pans. Realized after they came out of the that I forgot the butter. Still tastes just fine!
Can you use different type of flour IE almond
We havne’t tested this recipe with alternate flours but some other followers have and reported success with 1:1 flour. You can search the comments here!
This is the best healthier banana bread recipe ever. Hands down!
We made it with almond flour and it was a bit mealy and crumbly, but I have no doubt it would have been excellent with regular wheat flour. Added chopped walnuts and a dash of nutmeg. Perfect blend of sweet and spice.
Loved this banana bread recipe! Easy to make, moist and not too sweet. Will be s staple recipe in my household!
Delicious even with making lots of substitutions…
Vegan and Gluten free version
Used :
4 frozen bananas (thaw b4 cooking)
Truvia brand “ brown sugar “
Flax egg (1tbs ground flax + 3tbs H20)
Dolcedi ( liquid sweetener made from apples (from Italy/available online) for granulated sugar
Applesauce as written into wet ingredients)
Gf all purpose flour
Used the same amounts as original recipe