Home > Breakfast > Healthy Banana Bread Healthy Banana Bread January 22, 2020 | 94 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Healthy Banana Bread is filled with good-for-you ingredients. This recipe uses everyday products and does not have any refined sugars or butter. Have more overripe bananas? Try these Healthy Banana Muffins or Banana Pancakes next! Healthy Banana Bread At the start of the week, I typically buy about 20 bananas. We go through bananas like crazy at my home! My kids love them as snacks or cut up in their oatmeal, I freeze them to use in an Açaí Bowl or this Blueberry Smoothie, and my husband loves them in this Chocolate Protein Shake. If we have any leftovers at the end of the week, my kids beg for a baked banana treat. They’ll usually request these Banana Cupcakes, but after I made this bread a few weeks ago, they’ve consistently asked for it. Score! This bread is packed with good ingredients — protein from the eggs and Greek yogurt, vitamins and nutrients from the bananas, a boost in good cholesterol and energy from the coconut oil, and antioxidants from the honey. Below I’ll share how easy it is to make this bread (only one bowl!) and then share some tips and variation ideas. Skip to the end for how to store this bread and the full recipe! How to make Healthy Banana Bread The descriptions below correlate with the photo collage above this text. Whisk together honey and coconut oil. The coconut oil needs to be melted, but not hot or it will clump. Melt the coconut oil and allow it to cool before adding to the honey. If the coconut oil ever does solidify and begin to clump, microwave the bowl for about 10 seconds or let the bowl stand in a warm place for a few minutes (such as on top of the oven). Stir in the eggs. Make sure to use large eggs, not medium or jumbo. Add in the yogurt, mashed banana, and vanilla extract. Use a good, full-fat yogurt for the best flavor and texture. I highly recommend Greek Gods® honey vanilla yogurt in this recipe (not sponsored). Stir. Mix until wet ingredients are combined and smooth. Add in cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. To keep this bread simple, we only use one bowl and add the dry ingredients in stages, beginning with these three. Stir until incorporated. We want to make sure those three ingredients are very evenly dispersed. Add in flour and chocolate chips. If you want to add in chocolate chips or nuts (it’s optional), add them right on top of the flour and gently toss them to coat in the flour before mixing into the batter. This helps ensure even dispersion of chocolate chips so they don’t all sink to the bottom. I highly recommend miniature chocolate chips and if using regular-sized ones, you’ll want to toss them in flour separately before adding them to the batter. Stir. Gently stir everything together until all ingredients are incorporated; avoid over-mixing. Transfer the batter to a pan and bake. Tips Use very ripe bananas. The riper the banana, the sweeter and more moist the bread. I wait until my bananas are pretty much brown all over. Avoid low-fat Greek yogurt. Use a good, flavorful, full-fat yogurt for the best flavor. Don’t over-mix. If you over-mix, you’ll end up with a dense loaf of Healthy Banana Bread. Mix until ingredients are just combined. Generously grease the bread pan. I like to grease the bread pan with nonstick spray and then lightly dust with flour. Wait about 10 minutes after baking to invert it onto a cooling rack. QUICK TIP Mash bananas thoroughly (and quickly). To make sure the banana is mashed really well and you don’t end up with big chunks of banana, mash the ripe bananas with a hand or stand mixer. Peel the bananas, break them into large chunks, and beat them with the mixer until well-mashed. Healthy Banana Bread add-ins Miniature chocolate chips: To keep things on the healthy side, I’d recommend adding miniature dark chocolate chips. Dark chocolate has healthy fats and lots of antioxidants. Chopped nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans would be great in this bread; use small pieces and toss with the flour before adding to the batter. The flour helps keep the nuts suspended in the batter, rather than sinking to the bottom. Raisins: Regular raisins, golden raisins, dried cherries, or dried cranberries would all be delicious. Again, toss with flour before adding to the batter. Spiced banana bread: Leave out the add-ins and amp up the spices. Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to this batter or give it a fun flavor twist by adding a teaspoon or two of pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice. Storage Notes Can I freeze this banana bread? Yes! Freeze the freshest bread you have. If you just baked it, allow the bread to cool completely before freezing to avoid soggy bread or mold. To freeze: Freeze individual slices of bread, completely sealed in plastic wrap and then stored in a large freezer-safe bag or container. Bread freezes safely for 3 months. Individual slices of this healthy banana bread defrost at room temperature in under 10 minutes and take slightly longer to defrost in the refrigerator. How long will Healthy Banana Bread last? Bread will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge (wrapped tightly and stored in an airtight container). After 3-4 days, this bread is more prone to molding because of how moist the bread is. Do I need to refrigerate Healthy Banana Bread? After 1 day at room temperature, I recommend wrapping individual slices and refrigerating them. Warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. More healthy recipes Healthy Fruit Tart Recipe Greek yogurt Healthy Blueberry Muffins Healthy No-Bake Cookies Peanut Butter Protein Shake Healthy Zucchini Bread FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Healthy Banana Bread 4.58 from 26 votes - Review this recipe Healthy Banana Bread is filled with good-for-you ingredients. This recipe uses everyday ingredients and does not have any refined sugars or butter. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Healthy Banana Bread 4.58 from 26 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Healthy Banana Bread is filled with good-for-you ingredients. This recipe uses everyday ingredients and does not have any refined sugars or butter. Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack Cuisine American Keyword healthy banana bread Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 50 minutes Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes Servings 12 slices Calories 139kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $4.98 Ingredients▢ 1/3 cup melted coconut oil▢ 1/2 cup (185g) honey▢ 2 large eggs▢ 1 packed cup (245g) mashed very ripe bananas (~2 large bananas)▢ 1/4 cup (53g) full-fat honey vanilla Greek yogurt (I recommend Greek Gods)▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract▢ 3/4 teaspoon fine salt▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda▢ 1 and 3/4 cups (220g) white, all-purpose flour▢ 3/4 cup (115g) mini chocolate chips, optional▢ 1 tablespoon old-fashioned oats, optional InstructionsPREP: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x5-inch bread pan and lightly dust with flour. Tap off excess flour over the sink and set the prepared pan aside .WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/3 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup honey. Add in the 2 large eggs and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until well mashed and broken down (Note 1). Pack mashed bananas into a 1-cup measuring cup and level the top. Add to the wet ingredients along with the 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and combined.DRY INGREDIENTS: On top of the wet ingredients, add the 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir. Add in the 1 and 3/4 cup flour and the 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (if using) right on top of the flour. With a wooden spoon, gently stir the chocolate chips to get coated with the flour and then mix the flour into the rest of the ingredients. Do not over-mix; stop as soon as the flour is fully incorporated.BAKE: Using a spatula, scrape all the batter into the prepared 9x5-inch pan. Bake in the fully preheated oven for 50-65 minutes or until very lightly browned on the edges and a toothpick comes out clean (or with few moist crumbs) from the center of the pan.COOL: Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack. When fully cool, cut into slices and enjoy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Enjoy slices warmed in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Bread freezes and thaws well. Recipe NotesNote 1: Bananas: To quickly and thoroughly mash bananas, remove the peels, break into a few pieces, and then beat them in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until well mashed. Note 2: Sugar: While this recipe contains no added sugar, if you add chocolate chips to the batter, keep in mind that most commercial brands contain sugar. Nutrition FactsServing: 12slices | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.6g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 6.8g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 117.9mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 14.5g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I have a bread baking right now, but I wish it was this one! Banana and chocolate? What’s better! Love these photos too! Pinned! Reply
I love baking with Greek yogurt, Chelsea! This bread look amazing! I love how moist it looks, and those chocolate chunks are just calling my name. Pinned! Reply
YES to baking with Greek yogurt – I love the stuff and always sub it for sour cream. But eating plain greek yogurt – YUCK. This bread looks so moist and delicious! All that chocolate – yum! Where did you get that white cutting board? So cute!! Reply
Mhmmm I must agree, melty chocolate is the best! I can totally imagine myself heating up a big slice in the morning to have with my coffee. Pure bliss, I tell ya :D. Great recipe and GORGEOUS photos! Reply
Anddd I totally just accidentally rated this 4/5 when I meant to give it a big happy 5/5. Feel free to delete my last comment to get rid of it! Gah- I’m sorry! Reply
I absolutely love the styling in these photos, Chelsea! Also really loving the Greek yogurt and those chocolate chunks! Sometimes I really enjoy a cup of plain vanilla Greek yogurt, but I bet it’s a million times better in this bread! 🙂 Reply
I love the moistness Greek yogurt gives, and everything with oats makes me happy! Great recipe! Reply
Wow! This bread looks incredible Chelsea and sounds so tasty! Pinned! I have some bananas in my pantry that are going to be smashed really soon!! YUM Reply
GOrgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I’m a -huge- fan of baking with Greek yogurt, and I’m currently working on a muffin recipe myself. But gah! You can never go wrong with bananas and chocolate. Definitely pinned! Reply
Ohh I absolutely adore baking with greek yogurt! It makes alllllllll baked goods so darn perfect! I’m sure this bread tasted delicious! It looks so moist and fluffy – what a fabulous breakfast! x Reply
Oh I really want to try this, it looks fantastic! Love all those big chocolate chunks on top – yum! Also your photos are absolutely stunning! Reply
This looks delicious, I love banana bread and with the inclusion of oats and chocolate I think I’d find it hard to stop at one slice. Pinned! Reply
AMAZing! What’s not to love here? Can’t wait to try it. I’m sure it will be a winner with the whole family! Happy Monday! Hope it’s great! Reply
I have become a HUGE fan of oat breads recently and I love that you put greek yogurt in yours! Also bananas. Also just everything about this bread. 😀 Reply
Awe man! Just made it and it’s yummy! I didn’t have old fashioned oats so I used quick cooking and it worked great! I divided between two glass loaf pans and baked for 45 minutes. Thanks for sharing! Reply
I just made this recipe for my Mom and I to have tea and a healthier banana bread together during the Downton Abbey marathon. I chose to use blueberries instead of chocolate chips and it was absolutely delicious! Also, I used Chobani 100 calorie vanilla greek yogurt rather than the plain greek yogurt that the recipe calls for. The loaf itself looked beautiful and lived up to my expectations (if not exceeded them!) We’ll definitely be making this recipe again, thanks! 🙂 Reply
I just made this bread and while it was good warm, I don’t know how great it will be cold. It browns very fast, so the tip on tinfoil tenting is definitely necessary. If anyone is wondering if it tastes “healthy” – it does, but is tasty fresh out of the oven. Definitely moist, but just not as tasty as good old banana bread! (Its more like a cake in a loaf pan) Reply
I went on a hunt on Pinterest for banana oat bread and came across your post. This is EXACTLY what I’m looking for! And I love baking with greek yogurt. Thank you thank you thank you, I will be trying this today! Reply
I LOVE it!!! I changed the recipe a teeny tiny bit… I cut the recipe in half…I only had 2 bananas, and it’s only me and my husband in the house and we have no resistance to sweets. So I used smaller tins and cooked for only a half hour. I accidentally poured in a little more vanilla than the recipe called for, and I love chocolate so in he half recipe I used a full half cup. This is seriously the best banana bread I’ve ever had! I don’t really like banana bread usually because it tastes to me like over ripe bananas but the chocolate is the perfect thing to counter that! Reply
Hi, I am just wondering if this lovely looking cake is at all healthy? By any chance would you know the nutritional content please? Reply
Here they are! 🙂 Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 12 Calories 164 Total Fat 3.11 g Saturated Fat 2.08g Monosaturated Fat 0.81g Polysaturated Fat 0.22g Total Carbohydrate 29.6 g Fiber 1 g Sugar 15.9 g Protein 3.6 g Cholesterol 3.03 mg Calcium 49 mg Iron 1.07 mg Potassium 127 mg Sodium 178 mg Zinc 0.5 mg Thiamin 0.14 mg Riboflavin 0.16 mg Niacin 1.04 mg Folic Acid 24.1 Ug Vitamin B6 0.05 mg Vitamin C 0.7 mg Vitamin B12 0.14 Ug Vitamin A 30 IU Vitamin E 0.06 mg Vitamin K 0.5 Ug Points 3 Points Plus 4 *The nutritional values are determined by the total ingredients divided by the number of servings for each recipe. Serving sizes may vary. The formula used here for points was obtained from public sources and is an empirical match to Weight Watchers calculators, but it is not an “official” Reply
I made this recipe yesterday and really loved it. It was super easy to make, and it was very tasty. I was skeptical, as some of the “healthy” recipes I’ve made in the past aren’t very good. My husband REALLY liked it, so it passed the test! I will definitely be making it again. Oddly enough, I preferred it cold, but my husband liked it warm/toasted. I didn’t have problems with it browning too quickly. I pulled it out around 52 minutes. I don’t mind if it’s a little undercooked. Thanks for a great recipe to add to my baking repertoire! Reply
YAY! So glad to hear it passed the “husband test” and you enjoyed it! Thanks for your kind comment Stephanie! Reply
Everyone who had a sliced loved it and devoured it in under 30 minutes!!!! Does anyone know the nutrition facts per slice? Reply
This was very good! My kiddos loved it! I used fresh ground wheat for the win! 🙂 Also, I used mini chips because that’s what I had on hand. YUMMY! Reply
Would this last for a week if I wrapped it up really tight? My husband is deployed and I wanted to send him some. Reply
Unfortunately I don’t think it will. Healthy baked goods don’t taste too great after a couple of days in my opinion. Reply
Made this and froze some. really good and stops me craving something sweet! Do you know how many calories are in each slice though please? Reply
This was delicious. The yogurt really made it. I loved the texture of the bananas and oatmeal instead of the fat in other recipes. Reply
Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 12 Calories 164 Total Fat 3.11 g Saturated Fat 2.08g Monosaturated Fat 0.81g Polysaturated Fat 0.22g Total Carbohydrate 29.6 g Fiber 1 g Sugar 15.9 g Protein 3.6 g Cholesterol 3.03 mg Calcium 49 mg Iron 1.07 mg Potassium 127 mg Sodium 178 mg Zinc 0.5 mg Thiamin 0.14 mg Riboflavin 0.16 mg Niacin 1.04 mg Folic Acid 24.1 Ug Vitamin B6 0.05 mg Vitamin C 0.7 mg Vitamin B12 0.14 Ug Vitamin A 30 IU Vitamin E 0.06 mg Vitamin K 0.5 Ug Points 3 Points Plus 4 *The nutritional values are determined by the total ingredients divided by the number of servings for each recipe. Serving sizes may vary. The formula used here for points was obtained from public sources and is an empirical match to Weight Watchers calculators, but it is not an “official” Reply
Creamy is the perfect word to describe this bread! Delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Reply
I’ve finally found the ONE, so good! I dared to try it with GF flour (Cup4Cup) and even my husband loved it. You’re photos sold me on trying yet another banana bread recipe, it came out perfectly, thankyou thankyou! Reply
YAY! So glad to hear it worked so well with the GF flour and came out perfectly — so great to hear! Thanks for the comment 🙂 Reply
I’m sorry, I’m a little confused by your question; I think you are asking how much should you use if you use milk chocolate chips? Then yes it would be the same 3/4ths a cup. Please let me know if I misunderstood your question!! Hope that helps! Reply
Delicious! I decided to bake one this morning even though I didn’t have enough ingredients (greek yogurt, chocolate chips & oatmeal). So I just used what I have in my kitchen: Turkish labneh to replace greek yogurt (same volume), omitted chocolate chips (replaced with chopped almonds as topping & my last half cup of instant oatmeal. Sorry for tweaking your recipe! Nevertheless, it came out perfect. Husband-approved as well. Thank you! Reply
Yeah!! So great to hear!! And I’m so glad you were able to make some changes to what you had and it still worked out well 🙂 Thanks for the sweet comment! Reply
Hello, This recipe looks delicious. I have had banana chocolate chunk muffins for an occasional spoil day breakfast and I would love to make the chocolate banana combination in the form of bread and a healthy one too with healthy ingredients :). I have never had Greek yogurt. I usually use the regular kind like plain yogurt 0 percent or 2 percent in fruit smoothies so I am wondering if this kind of yogurt would work for this recipe too as I have used it to bake a cake before? Thanks:) Reply
I think I will just try it out and see what happens. If anyone has tried this recipe with plain 0 percent or 2 percent yogurt (not Greek yogurt) please let me know if it worked and how it turned out. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks! 🙂 Reply
I printed your recipe to try, I like that there is not fats used. Looks forward to taste testing!! Have a great week! Reply
I made this bread last night, following the recipe, just added some pecans on top. The bread came out tasty, but very very very dense. Any thoughts? Reply
So glad you enjoyed it! But yes, it shouldn’t be dense! A bit denser than a regular banana bread because there are healthier ingredients and no oils, but not too much. Here are a few thoughts: did you overmix the dough? Over-mixing will make the gluten in the flour start to activate resulting in a tougher or denser baked good. Next, did you pack in too much flour? I recommend spooning and leveling flour because otherwise when you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour you are pressing in way more flour than needed. And did you change/substitute or eliminate any of the ingredients? This could cause a denser bread. Particularly, what flour did you use? A white all-purpose flour should create a much lighter bread. Whole wheat flours will create a much denser bread. I generally use a white whole wheat mixed with white flour. I would recommend trying just white flour. And finally, one other trick I’ve recently started to use with healthier baked goods: remove 1 tablespoon of flour per cup of flour and replace it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. This will make it less dense as well. Hope all these tips help you troubleshoot and when you try this again you will be completely satisfied with the taste AND texture! 🙂 Reply
I personally haven’t, but if you read the other comments, I believe a few people have and had success 🙂 Hope that helps! Reply
This is my favorite banana bread recipe!! So good, and healthy! Wondering if I can make it into muffins next time or if I need to change anything? Have a great week! Reply
Oh yay! So great to hear that 🙂 I’ve actually never tried making this bread recipe into muffins, but I bet it would work! I’d try 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Good luck 🙂 Reply
Wanted to thank you for this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and it’s delicious. The dog I was watching once even hopped up on the counter to eat half of it. That was a sad time for me, but just whipped up another one. Going to make it again now. Many thanks! Reply
Hey Lia, it means so much to me for you to come and thank me!! I appreciate it! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe and thanks for sharing the story of your dog, made me laugh!! Have a good one 🙂 Reply
I’ve not tried either in this recipe, but doubt either would work unfortunately. 🙁 Especially coconut flour since it is especially absorbent of liquid, this bread would be ultra dry. I’ve tried doing all oat flour and it didn’t work, which is why I don’t think almond flour would be great. Reply
This is a really tasty recipe! I made it tonight with my three-year-old and I’ve already had three slices! I’m hoping to be able to freeze a few slices to save for weekday breakfasts on-the-go. How does this bread taste after it’s been frozen and thawed? Our loaf was a little dense/chewy, but I think I over mixed, and scooped too much flour into my measuring cup. I’ll definitely make it again the next time I have over-ripe bananas! Reply
Yay! So happy to hear that! Thank you Lisa 🙂 I unfortunately have never frozen it so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would be great! And yes, the less stirring the better 🙂 You also may have had a little too much flour in, perhaps a little looser measurement (don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup) will help 🙂 Reply
Just made this and it turned out great! I made them as muffins so I can just easily grab one before heading out the door, and the shorter baking time was a bonus too 🙂 I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup white, and I only had egg whites so I just used a 1/2 cup of those. So yummy and definitely so much better warm! Thanks! Reply
Yum! This is so delicious. I made it even healthier by skipping the chocolate chips (added cinnamon and chia seeds instead), swapping the brown sugar for sweetener, and swapping out 1/2 of the flour for almond meal. It worked great! Reply
Made this last night. I omitted the chocolate chips and topped with some homemade granola. A bit chewier/gummier than regular (butter/oil) banana bread, but this satisfied my craving and kept me somewhat healthy. Thanks! Reply
Found you by Googling the ingredients I had on hand for banana bread! Only swap was orange extract as I did not have vanilla, and the bread is delicious and gorgeous. Thank you Chelsea! Reply
Hi! Would it work to use parchment paper, rather than spraying the pan? will this change anything? #bakingnewbie Reply
I just stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, and I’m so glad I did! I used 1 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat, and it was a perfect density! I also only had about 1/4 cup of brown sugar on-hand, so I added 1/4 cup of honey, and it was the perfect sweetness! My husband loved this, and I don’t think he realized it was a skinny version. 🙂 I baked for 40 minutes, then foil-tented for another 12! Thanks for the recipe! Yum! Reply
Did the recipe change? This used to be my go to banana bread recipe, but I’ve been without an oven since fall, and when I visited my saved tab the recipe seems different. I don’t remember coconut oil or honey being in the original recipe and I do not have coconut oil on hand, so I am quite disappointed. Reply
Hey Heather! No, are you maybe thinking of this Banana bread with Greek yogurt? Both pretty healthy/similar. Reply
Yes, the recipe changed — or at least, the recipe located at this URL is different than it used to be (I had the same experience as Heather, this used to be my go-to, but I took a baking break for a while, and when I came back to it via browser bookmark, the ingredients were different). Reply
Hey Sheila! I updated this recipe to make it more consistent and delicious! I hope you enjoy! 🙂 Reply
Is the batter supposed to be so thick, like cookie dough? Every banana bread I’ve made has always been more runny. I used a browner whole wheat flour…hmmm Reply
It’s a fairly thick batter, but shouldn’t be thick like cookie dough. I’m sure the whole wheat flour is making a difference Reply
