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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Recipe
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
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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
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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?
Delicious! I used all the ingredients except for the butter. I used a cup of applesauce instead and it came out wonderful. I thought it would be dry but to my surprise the bread was moist. This recipe is a keeper!
Wow, turned out so good! I’ll definitely make it again.
This was so good. SO GOOD! I didn’t have any baking powder so I just used self rising flour. I also used applesauce instead of the butter, as suggested.
Mixed in white chocolate chips and wow. Orgasmically delicious.
I had my doubts, especially when it just wouldn’t bake in the middle, but this is very good. Followed recipe as posted other then it taking 65-70 minutes to bake (no quick bread bakes in 35-45 especially in an electric oven) and it had good flavor, though I wish it had more banana taste (possibly not ripe enough?) or it could be better day two if it makes it that long… four slices gone already lol. It is kind of bready but that could be 5 minutes too long in the oven or that I had it in the pan saw I forgot the butter, added it while in loaf pan and over mixed it trying to incorporate it then. It’s good enough I’m willing to try it again and find out. Anyone try it and cream the butter and sugar vs melting the butter?
Make this all the time. Love it!
This was fantastic! So moist and delicious! I used only three tablespoons of sugar and used stevia drops for the rest. I used whole wheat chapati flour (much lighter and softer than red wheat) instead of all purpose and I also used two tablespoons of homemade Greek yogurt in place of the butter. I eat it like cake! I top it with very thick Greek yogurt mixed with stevia and vanilla and it’s like frosting!! 🤗
I use this recipe every time I bake banana bread
I made this, using the full brown sugar and sugar sub for the white sugar. Used the applesauce instead of butter. Came out very well. I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to bake anymore. But this came out fabulous. And was sweet enough.
I added flaxseeds for fiber since banana bread is carb heavy. I only added 1 tablespoon is brown sugar bc I used very ripe bananas!
Absolutely delicious! So moist and super simple to make. I used whole wheat flour and it gave it such great flavor. I also threw in some sugar free mini chocolate chips. My boyfriend couldn’t stop eating it. Definitely a keeper recipe.
I use it so often that I have memorized the recipe. This is delicious and perfect for my family.