This Healthy Banana Bread has everything you expect from a traditional banana bread but it’s made with simple and wholesome ingredients like Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and olive oil for a healthier twist. You’ll end up with a delicious and moist loaf that’s perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. This healthy banana bread recipe also comes together in just one bowl so no stand mixer required!

slices of banana bread on platter with cup of coffee

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

If you’ve ever made my Brown Butter Banana Bread then you know that my standards for banana bread are high. The loaf needs to be moist, tender, perfectly sweet, and of course full of delicious banana flavor. No matter the version, whether it’s a gluten free banana bread or a peanut butter banana loaf, I have strong feelings about my banana bread. I knew if I created a “healthier” banana bread then it had to be absolutely delicious and this recipe is perfect!

You might be worried about making a healthier loaf or banana bread but don’t be! I’ve got you covered and I’ll walk you through everything you need to know in this post, including ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I promise you’ll get a tender, moist, and flavorful banana bread every single time!

Watch How to Make This Healthy Banana Bread

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Healthier Banana Bread Ingredients

Flour: we’re using whole wheat flour for the base of the banana bread batter. You may have heard (or experienced) that whole wheat flour can be a bit more dense or dry but don’t worry, I’ve made sure that this recipe has the perfect ratio of wet to dry ingredients so you get a moist loaf.

Ground Cinnamon: this is a must have in any good banana bread recipe! it adds great flavor and amplifies the sweetness of the bread.

Greek Yogurt: whole milk Greek yogurt helps keep the banana bread nice and moist while also adding a bit of protein. The protein is an added bonus, we’re mainly concerned about the texture, ok?

Olive Oil: instead of butter, olive oil helps to add richness and moisture to the bread. Be sure to use an olive oil that you like the taste of as you’ll be using a good amount in the batter.

Mashed Banana: the riper your bananas the better! Ripe bananas have a higher sugar content. So, they are sweeter and perfect for making banana bread. If you can, wait until your bananas have plenty of brown spots before using them to make a fresh loaf. And if you have one, use a potato masher to mash your bananas. It works so well!

Maple Syrup: instead of traditional granulated or brown sugar, we’re using maple syrup! Be sure to use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup.

Eggs: you’ll need a few large eggs to help bind everything together.

Vanilla Extract: another must in every good banana bread recipe! It adds so much delicious flavor to the loaf.

Mix-Ins: I add dark chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, but you can omit them if preferred.

How to Make a Healthy Banana Bread with Whole Wheat Flour

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

Step Two: Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl, and stir until well combined.

Step Three: To a separate mixing bowl, add the Greek yogurt, olive oil, mashed banana, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.

Step Four: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, and stir until well combined.

Step Five: Next, fold the chocolate chips and walnuts into the batter.

Step Six: Transfer the banana bread batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the extra chocolate chips evenly on top.

Step Seven: Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the bread begins to brown too quickly, you can tent it lightly with a piece of foil, and continue baking until the center cooks through.

Step Eight: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, slice, and enjoy!

banana bread batter in loaf pan with chocolate chips

Tips to Prevent Sticking

There’s nothing worse than ruining a beautiful freshly baked banana bread loaf when trying to remove it from the pan. We’ve all been there! However, I’ve got a few tips and tricks to ensure it never happens again.

Parchment paper. Cut a thick strip of parchment paper, and place it in the bottom of a well-greased loaf pan before pouring in the batter. Once the bread has cooked, you can lift the bread out by using the “handles” of parchment paper.
Non-stick loaf pan. If you are really concerned, you can also look for a pan that is non-stick which will make it fairly easy to remove the bread.
Neutral oil. Be sure to grease your pan well with either butter or a neutral oil (I love avocado oil) to ensure that nothing sticks.

Can I Turn This Recipe Into Healthy Banana Bread Muffins?

Yep! You sure could! Transfer the batter to a lined muffin pan, filling each cavity about two-thirds of the way full. Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until the muffins have risen, are lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

How to Store

You can store your bread on the counter, tightly wrapped, for 3-4 days. If you need it to keep for a bit longer, I recommend storing the bread in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

How to Freeze

If you want to freeze your healthy banana bread, here are a few of my favorite tips to keep it fresh.

Slice the bread before freezing unless you know you are going to serve and eat the entire loaf at one time.
To freeze the loaf, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place the wrapped bread in a freezer-safe storage bag. When you are ready to eat, remove a slice of bread, or the entire loaf, from the freezer and let it thaw on the countertop.
If you would like, you can reheat a slice of bread in the oven at 350 degrees, wrapped in foil, for a few minutes until warmed through.

Healthy Banana Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 8 slices 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

This Healthy Banana Bread has everything you expect from a traditional banana bread but it’s made with simple and wholesome ingredients like Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and olive oil for a healthier twist. You’ll end up with a delicious and moist loaf that’s perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. This recipe also comes together in just one bowl so no stand mixer required!

Ingredients

Scale

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (roughly 3–4 large overripe bananas)
1/2 cup maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
2 large eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (plus more for the top)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
To a separate mixing bowl add the greek yogurt, olive oil, mashed banana, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
Next, fold the chocolate chips and walnuts into the batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the extra chocolate chips on top of the batter.
Bake the banana bread at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center, comes out clean. If the bread beings to brown too quickly you can tent it lightly with a piece of foil.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to continue cooling completely. Once cool, slice and enjoy!