Description
This Healthy Banana Bread recipe is a wholesome and delicious treat made with whole wheat flour, ripe bananas, and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. Moist and flavorful, it’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or any time you want a nutritious homemade bread without refined sugars or flours.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (fluffed, spooned and leveled; or weigh out 230g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1.5 cups mashed banana
- ⅓ cup oil or melted butter (ghee or coconut oil recommended)
- ½ cup mild honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 5×9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal later. Gather all the ingredients to streamline the baking process.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a large measuring jug or bowl, thoroughly mash the bananas until smooth with no large chunks. Whisk in the oil (or melted butter), honey (or maple syrup), eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is glossy and well blended.
- Combine Batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold using a spatula just until the dry flour disappears with a few small lumps remaining, which is preferable to avoid overmixing. Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top evenly.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 45–55 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a tester or toothpick into the center; it should come out clean. Once baked, allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment overhang and transfer onto a cooling rack. Let it cool for another 20–30 minutes before slicing to maintain texture and flavor.
Notes
- Fluffing and spooning the flour before measuring ensures accurate measurement and a lighter texture in the final bread.
- Mashing bananas thoroughly helps achieve a smooth, moist bread without large banana chunks disrupting the texture.
- Do not overmix the batter to prevent a dense bread; small lumps in the batter are ideal.
- Check the bread starting at 45 minutes to avoid overbaking, which can dry the bread out.
- Cooling the bread properly before slicing helps the bread set and retains moisture.
