Healthy Banana Bread

Moist and naturally sweet banana bread made with whole wheat flour and zero refined sugar.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Banana bread is the kind of recipe that has been rescuing overripe fruit for generations. This version is a bit lighter: whole wheat flour for fiber and a nutty flavor, coconut oil instead of butter, and honey or maple syrup as the only sweetener, along with the sweetness of the bananas themselves.

The most important ingredient is the bananas. They should be properly overripe, with peels that are speckled brown or even black. The riper they are, the sweeter and more fragrant the bread will be, and the less sweetener you will need to add.

It is a one-bowl recipe, and you don’t need a mixer. The only care it needs is a light hand with the flour. Whole wheat flour can make a dense loaf, so stir only until it is combined.

Read this first

1. Use very ripe bananas, with brown spots all over.
2. Mix the flour in gently, and stop as soon as it disappears.
3. Let the loaf cool before slicing.

Prep time: 15 mins · Cook time: 50 mins · Serves 10

Ingredients

• 3 Overripe bananas
• 1/3 cup Melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup Honey or maple syrup
• 2 Eggs
• 1 3/4 cups Whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp Baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Look for: A greased pan, ready, and the oven at 325 F.
2. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Whisk in melted coconut oil, honey, and eggs. Look for: A thick, smooth, golden-brown mixture that smells strongly of banana.
3. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently fold in the whole wheat flour. Look for: A thick, lumpy batter with a few streaks of flour.
4. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Look for: A deep golden top that has cracked slightly, and a clean toothpick.
5. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Look for: A loaf that releases easily and holds its shape on the rack.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 220
• Fat: 10g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Carbohydrates: 31g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 12g
• Protein: 5g
• Sodium: 150mg
• Cholesterol: 35mg

Notes

• Storage: Keeps at room temperature, wrapped, for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to a week.
• Freezing: Freezes well, sliced and wrapped individually, for up to 3 months.
• Bananas: The more overripe and spotted the bananas, the moister and sweeter the loaf will be.

Cook It With Me

Heat the oven and prepare the pan

Preheat the oven to 325 F and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. You can also line it with parchment, leaving an overhang, so the loaf lifts out easily.

Mash and whisk

In a large bowl, mash the 3 overripe bananas until mostly smooth, leaving a few small lumps if you like. Whisk in the 1/3 cup of melted coconut oil, the 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup and the 2 eggs until combined. If your eggs are very cold, the coconut oil can clump. Use room temperature eggs, or let the oil cool a little.

Add the dry ingredients

Stir in the 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt. Then add the 1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. A few streaks are fine.

Bake

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent it with foil.

Cool

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing, for clean slices.

The Ingredients, One by One

Overripe bananas

Three bananas, about 1 1/2 cups mashed. The darker, the better. If yours aren’t ripe, bake them in their skins at 300 F until black, about 20 minutes.

Coconut oil

Melted. It keeps the bread moist, and adds a very mild coconut flavor. Cool it slightly so it doesn’t cook the eggs.

Honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup sweetens the bread. If your bananas are very ripe, you can reduce it a little.

Eggs

Two eggs bind the batter. Room temperature eggs mix in more easily.

Whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cups gives a nutty flavor and extra fiber. It absorbs more liquid than white flour, so don’t overmix.

Baking soda

It reacts with the acidity of the banana and honey to lift the loaf. Check that it is fresh.

The Technique Behind It

Why overripe bananas

As bananas ripen, their starch turns to sugar and they become softer and more aromatic. That gives the bread natural sweetness and moisture.

Why not overmix

Mixing develops gluten. In whole wheat batter, too much mixing gives a dense, tough loaf.

Why cool before slicing

Hot banana bread is very soft and steamy inside. Cooling lets it set, so it slices cleanly.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Underripe bananas The bread is bland and starchy.
• Overmixing It turns dense.
• Opening the oven early The loaf can sink.
• Slicing hot It is gummy.
• Overbaking It dries out.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Loaf is dense	Overmixed or underripe bananas	Fold gently and use riper bananas.
Loaf sank in the middle	Underbaked	Bake until a toothpick is clean.
Loaf is dry	Overbaked	Check at 50 minutes.
Top is too dark	Oven runs hot	Tent with foil.
Loaf is gummy	Sliced too soon	Let it cool completely.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Whole wheat flour	Fiber and flavor	All-purpose flour or a mix of both works.
Coconut oil	Moisture	Melted butter or olive oil work.
Honey	Sweetness	Maple syrup or brown sugar work.
Eggs	Binding	Flax eggs work.
Add-ins	Variation	Walnuts or chocolate chips work.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: It improves after a day.
• Counter: 3 days, wrapped.
• Fridge: Up to 1 week.
• Freezer: Freezes whole or in slices for 3 months.

What to Serve With It

Serve warm with butter, nut butter or cream cheese. It is also good toasted, with a drizzle of honey.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.