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A healthy banana bread recipe that is easy to make and is moist, has no refined sugar, and can be easily made into muffins! This whole wheat banana bread is made with coconut oil and with chocolate chips!
The healthiest banana bread recipe
One of my favorite things in life is having overripe bananas. It’s like they are begging for me to bake with them. I have been trying to come up with fun and creative ways to use them in recipes but everyone needs a banana bread recipe, am I right?
An easy banana bread recipe is a staple in every household. This recipe is so simple to make that I always suggest people start here when they want to create a healthier creation to take somewhere.
If you love banana bread but want to make sure it is a little bit healthier, this nutritious recipe is for you! It is literally meant for mornings when you wake up and want something easy for breakfast and remember that you prepared a big loaf of banana bread to have with coffee!
This banana bread is made with healthier ingredients like whole wheat flour and coconut oil to replace the traditional ingredients like white flour and canola oil.
If you still have more overripe bananas to use, you can bake my Healthy Pumpkin Banana Muffins next.
Ingredients in healthy banana bread
This recipe is healthier than traditional banana bread because of the nutrient value in the ingredients.
- Whole wheat flour – this recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour over white flour for more nutrients. We like to use white whole wheat flour in this recipe, but regular whole wheat flour works as well!
- Baking Soda – The teaspoon of baking soda helps the bread rise so it is lighter and less dense.
- Salt – You’ll need 1/2 a teaspoon of salt to enhance all of the other flavors.
- Cinnamon – The teaspoon of cinnamon makes the bread bolder and richer without adding more sugar.
- Bananas – Super ripe bananas are key for making this recipe perfectly sweet. You’ll need about 3 large bananas or 1 1/3 cup mashed bananas.
- Eggs – Whisk two eggs. They will need to be room temperature for the bead to turn out perfectly.
- Coconut Oil – my favorite oil for baking is coconut oil. It’s a great healthy replacement for butter or canola oil like traditional recipes call for. Use a refined coconut oil to ensure there is no coconut taste if you don’t like coconut! You will use 1/2 a cup.
- Maple Syrup – a touch of maple syrup help adds to the natural sweetness from the bananas, a little goes a long way here! I used 1/2 a cup.
- Vanilla Extract – One teaspoon of vanilla extract balances out the flavors in the bread.
- Chocolate Chips – You only need about 3/4 a cup of chocolate chips to make this taste like the best dessert.
Tools needed to make this recipe
To make a loaf of healthy banana bread, you will need a few simple kitchen tools. I recommend grabbing them before you get started for the smoothest cooking process!
- 9×5 Loaf Pan
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden Spoon
- Parchment Paper
For measuring out ingredients, gather the following sized cups and spoons: 1 cup, 3/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1 teaspoon, and 1/2 teaspoon.
How to make healthy banana bread
This banana bread recipe is seriously easy to make. If you have ten minutes and two little bowls, you can create the most delicious healthy banana bread.
Start out by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and grease the loaf pan or place parchment paper inside of it.
Then, mash the ripe bananas in one of the bowls.
Add in the rest of the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together all of your dry ingredients, then add them to your wet ingredients. Mix until well combined and when combined, add in your chocolate chips.
If you find yourself with ripe bananas or just in the mood to make a healthier version of banana bread, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you!
Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Tips
One of the best tips I have for this recipe and for any banana bread recipe, in general, is to use a potato masher when you want to mash your bananas up! It seriously makes them so mushy and perfect for banana bread and is a lot easier to do than if you were doing it with a fork.
You also want to make sure that the bananas are extra ripe. To ripen your bananas quicker, place them in a paper bag and close it tightly. They should be ready within a day.
Substitution Tip
Throughout this recipe, there are a few ingredients that can be substituted with other options.
Gluten-Free
To make the bread gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
Eggs
I haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs, but if you try it out let me know! I bet it will turn out just fine.
Other Mix-Ins
You can also add in nuts or any other mix-in that you want! Add some walnuts for a richer and earthier flavor.
Storing leftovers
The best way to store leftover banana bread is to wrap it tightly in food storage wrap and keep it at room temperature. If you want the bread to last longer, you can either refrigerate it or freeze it. It will last three days at room temperature or one week in the refrigerator.
When you store it in the refrigerator, keep the air off of it and store it in an airtight container.
To freeze banana bread, let it cool to room temperature. Then, wrap it tightly in plastic food storage wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a resealable freezer-safe food storage bag.
The bread will stay fresh in the freezer for up to six months.
Photos by Moriah Sawtelle and recipe by Erin Antoniak.
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Bananas can take any baked good up a notch. Here are some more ideas to try!
Healthy Banana Bread
A healthy banana bread recipe that is easy to make and is moist, has no refined sugar, and can be easily made into muffins! This whole wheat banana bread is made with coconut oil and with chocolate chips!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)
- 2 eggs, whisked + room temperature
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips with more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare 9×5 loaf pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk mashed bananas and eggs until combined.
- Mix in oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir to combine.
- Add in any mix-ins – chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
- Pour into greased bread loaf pan.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Enjoy!
There may be affiliate links in this post!ย By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat ๐
Abigail says
Wow wow wow. I knew this would not disappoint! This should be everyoneโs go to recipe.
Erin says
Hi Abigail, so happy you loved it!
Suzanne says
Me again! ๐ This time I used walnuts instead of almonds. Gluten-free flour 1-1 as well. amazing. It’s so hard to wait for the bananas to get ripe enough!!
Erin says
Hi Suzanne, so glad you liked it and made it your own!!
Cher says
Made this very easy banana bread today. I baked it in a silicone bread pan and it came out very dark but it was delicious. I would let my fruit ripen more next time to see if I could get the flavor of banana.
Erin says
Hi Cher, so glad you liked it and great idea! Brown bananas are the BEST for the recipe!
Whitney says
Such a great recipe! Perfect amount of sweetness and I loved the texture. I already had all the ingredients on hand so that was a huge plus. My husband said it was a 10/10.
Erin says
Hi Whitney, so happy you both enjoyed it!!
Suzanne G says
I made this last week and in less than 12 hours, it was gone! I used Bob’s gluten-free 1-1 baking flour and almonds. It was delicious!!!!!!!!! My family keeps asking when I’ll bake it again. When the bananas get ripe!!
Erin says
Hi Suzanne, so glad it is such a big hit!!
Selly says
Even though I have been wanting to try this recipe, I was hesitant to make it for my boys because they are very anti coconut. It’s like they have a radar that can detect it in anything. I went ahead anyway, and it was a huge hit! Made 14 muffins and they were all gone in one sitting. Thanks!!
Erin says
Hi Selly, so happy you all loved it!!
Emily says
I made this with all purpose flour because itโs what I had and added blueberries to make it healthy (thatโs how nutrition works, right?!), and it was delicious!!
Erin says
Hi Emily, so glad you loved it and great idea! ๐
Sam says
This is my go-to banana bread recipe! I feel good about the ingredients going into it and my husband loves it. I swear he lets the bananas over ripen in our house so I will make this bread! ๐
Erin says
Hi Sam, so glad you loved it!!
Laura says
This is so good. I make it every time I have browner bananas and it never disappoints. My baby loves this too!
Erin says
Hi Laura, so glad you both love it!! ๐
Meaghan says
Just made this and already went back for seconds (which I never do with dessert!!!) but OMG this was amazing. My boyfriend loved it too and was so shocked when I showed him the recipe. Another ELW amazing recipe – thank you!!!
Erin says
Hi Meaghan, so happy you both loved the bread! ๐
Autumn Eylders says
Iโve already made this three times in the last month, made it for neighbors to introduce ourselves and I canโt wait to hear back on if it was to their liking or not. I thoroughly enjoy everything that Erin has made accessible. I like to add pumpkin seeds, walnuts, blueberries and dark chocolate chunks. Woah โฅ๏ธ So good. My toddler just devours it. I sometimes substitute sugar for raw honey and even cut it in half as the bananas at their ripest have a lot of sweetness to them, trust me itโs enough. Just a heads up.
Erin says
Hi Autumn, I am so glad you love the bread and such great additions! Thanks for sharing! ๐
Marlise Lombardo says
The best banana bread recipe! I made her original version a few months ago and it was out of this world. Just recently tried to make it again but used sugar (instead of maple syrup) and olive oil (instead of coconut oil) because I didnโt have it on hand and it came out just as wonderful. Her recipes are always easy to change up! Highly recommend 10/10!!
Erin says
Hi Marlise, so glad you loved it and made it your own!!
Lizzie says
This is the BEST banana bread! I make it all the time. Recently, I had a ton of bananas to use up, so I doubled the recipe and used a Bundt pan. Baked for an hour and it turned out great! Also added in some walnuts and powdered sugar on top.
Erin says
Hi Lizzie, so happy you loved the bread and made it your own! Great additions!!
krista says
This is a staple in my house – SO good and moist and SO easy to make. It’s great!
Erin says
Hi Krista, so glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Meri says
I have tried a ton of banana breads and this is definitely going to be one of my go-to recipes! I was limited on my ingredient selection so ended up doing 1 cup regular and 1 1/4 cup almond flour (added more than 3/4 cup because of the moisture). I also used 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup creamy almond butter in place of coconut oil. Turned out amazing!
Erin says
Hi Meri, so happy you loved the bread and made it your own! Thank you for sharing!!
KJ says
I’ve made this literally 30 times! Everyone always loves it, I just sub honey and also add in walnuts, chia seeds, some hemp seeds, and whatever other healthy things I can sneak in there. WITHOUT FAIL BEST BANANA BREAD
Erin says
Hi KJ, so happy you love it so much and great subs!!
Lowell says
Really easy, and my kids loved it. Mine came out a tiny bit dry, but my coconut oil was still solid-ish and I’m thinking I might not have pushed it down into the measuring cup completely… will definitely make again.
Erin says
Hi Lowell, so glad they liked it and the coconut oil needs to be melted. Next time use 1/2 cup melted coconut oil and it should be better!
Veronica says
This was delicious! I realized halfway through that I didnโt have enough whole wheat flour so substituted the other half with coconut flour. The texture was a little off due to the mixed flours, but the flavor is amazing ๐ I love that it is on the healthier side. I substituted the maple syrup for honey and it was great! Mine took slightly longer to bake with the coconut flour.
Erin says
Hi Veronica, I am so glad you enjoyed it and made it your own with mixing flours. I hope you can make it again soon!
Jessie Feather says
I love this recipe! I added chocolate chips and some walnuts. Not an experienced baker at all and this was so easy and delicious!
Erin says
Hi Jessie, so happy you loved the bread and made it your own!!
Ally says
Amazing!! Made into muffins, used a large muffin tin and it made 12. Baked for ~25 mins and they came out perfect.
Erin says
Hi Ally, so glad you enjoyed it and great call making muffins!