This healthy banana bread recipe is made with whole wheat flour, greek yogurt, and sweetened with honey. It’s incredibly moist, fluffy, and lightly sweetened for delicious, guilt free indulgence.
Banana bread is a classic dessert that comes together quickly and fills the house with a warm spiced banana aroma that will have everyone running into the kitchen.
This banana bread is not only delicious, but healthy as well! It has all the classic flavors of banana bread, it’s fluffy, moist, lightly sweetened, and has that warm spiced aroma. But it’s made with whole wheat flour, greek yogurt, honey and infused with spiced sweet banana flavor.
All you need are a few pantry staples and ripe bananas.
WHAT MAKES THIS BANANA BREAD HEALTHY?
- This banana bread recipe is made from 100% whole wheat flour.
- This banana bread recipe is sweetened with honey. No refined sugar!
INGREDIENTS:
- Honey: my choice of natural sweetener. Feel free to use maple syrup instead.
- Butter: add tons of flavor and moisture. Feel free to use coconut oil or avocado oil. Note, that coconut oil will give the bread a slight coconut flavor.
- Eggs: to help combine the ingredients together.
- Greek yogurt: to moisten the bread, and add a boost of protein.
- Bananas: overripe bananas with tons of freckles!
- Vanilla extract: just a splash to flavor the bread even more!
- Whole wheat flour: I use freshly milled white hard wheat. Whole wheat flour is much better for blood sugar stabilization and avoiding a blood sugar crash.
- Baking soda: to help the bread rise while baking.
- Salt: to balance the sweetness.
- Cinnamon: for aromatics and flavor.
- Optional mix-ins: 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fuit, or chocolate chips. Walnuts and chocolate chips are my favorite!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY BANANA BREAD:
Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter and honey and whisk until combined. Next, crack in 2 eggs and whisk again. Lastly, add the greek yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract. Then whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
Make the batter: Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and with a large spoon, stir the mixture just until combined.
Optional: If using, gently fold in your preferred mix-ins.
Bake the banana bread: Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into a greased or lined bread loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55-65 mins.
Rest and Enjoy: transfer banana bread to a cooling rack and allow the banana bread to come to room temperature before slicing.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and honey and wish until combined. Next, crack in 2 eggs and whisk again. Lastly, add the greek yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract. Then whisk until smooth.
- Make the batter: Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and with a large spoon, stir the mixture just until combined. Do not over mix the batter as this can create a dense loaf. If using, gently fold in your preferred optional mix-ins.
- Bake: Pour batter into greased or lined pan and bake.
PRO TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Use very ripe bananas: the riper the bananas, the more flavorful and sweeter the banana bread will be.
Trick to ripen bananas: preheat oven to 350 F. Place whole, unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5-8 mins.
Measure the flour using the “spoon and swoop” method:
- Gently stir the flour it with a spoon or whisk.
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, do not scoop it in.
- Level off the excess with a butter knife.
Don’t over-mix: mix the batter just until ingredients are incorporated. Over-mixing the batter can create a dense loaf.
BANANA BREAD VARIATIONS:
- Banana Nut Bread: Stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts into the batter at the end, before adding the batter into the pan. Walnuts and pecans work great!
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate chips into the batter at the end, before adding the batter into the pan.
- Muffins: To make healthy bananas muffins, grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin, and divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes.
STORING AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:
To Store: Keep banana bread at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Slice banana bread into desires thickness, then transfer into a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the banana bread to come to room temperature before serving.
ENJOY THE BEST HEALTHY BANANA BREAD!
This simple yet healthy banana bread recipe will quickly become a favorite in your household. Give it a try, and let me know how it turns out in the comments below!
MORE RECIPES TO ENJOY:
Healthy Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup Honey
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ Yogurt
- 1 cup Bananas, mashed (about 3 medium bananas)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 cups Whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
- ½ cup Walnuts (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease or line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter and honey and whisk until combined. Next, add in 2 eggs and whisk again. Lastly, add the greek yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract. Then whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and with a large spoon, stir the batter just until combined.
- If using mix-ins, gently fold them in. Do not over-mix the batter.
- Pour batter into your loaf pan and bake for 55-65 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow banana bread to rest in the loaf pan for 5 mins. Then transfer banana bread out of the loaf pan onto a cooling rack. Allow the bread to come to room temperature before slicing.
Notes
PRO TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Use very ripe bananas: the riper the bananas, the more flavorful and sweeter the banana bread will be. Trick to ripen bananas: preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place whole, unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 mins. Measure the flour using the “spoon and swoop” method:- Gently stir the flour it with a spoon or whisk.
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, do not scoop it in.
- Level off the excess with a butter knife.
BANANA BREAD VARIATIONS:
- Banana Nut Bread: Stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts into the batter at the end, before adding the batter into the pan. Walnuts and pecans work great!
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate chips into the batter at the end, before adding the batter into the pan.
- Muffins: To make healthy bananas muffins, grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin, and divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes.
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