Best Ever Healthy Banana Bread Recipe
User Reviews
4.9
Best Ever Healthy Banana Bread Recipe
Description
The Best Ever Healthy Banana Bread starts with mashed ripe bananas mixed with eggs, maple syrup, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract for moisture and flavor. Whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt are whisked separately and folded into the wet mixture with melted butter or coconut oil to preserve tenderness without overmixing. Optional walnuts and chocolate chips can be added for texture and bursts of chocolate.
Baked in a buttered and parchment-lined loaf pan at 350°F until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, the bread offers a soft crumb and balanced sweetness. Whole wheat flour gives a hearty but soft texture distinct from breads made with only white flour.
To add depth of flavor, browning the butter before cooling and adding it to the batter is suggested. Banana slices can be arranged on top before baking for appearance and added banana flavor. This banana bread suits a snack or breakfast with mild sweetness and moist crumb.
Ingredients
- 3 banana very ripe large, mashed, about 1 1/3 cup mashed banana
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup 104g, do not use honey
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain or vanilla, whole milk or 2% is best, 113g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour, 198g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter melted and cooled; can also use olive oil or melted and cooled coconut oil; 85g
- Optional add-ins:
- ½ cup walnuts chopped, or pecans; 56g
- ½ cup chocolate chips dairy free if desired; 90g
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips for sprinkling on top; 24g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan with parchment paper and grease the inside of the pan to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl mix together the mashed banana, eggs, maple syrup, greek yogurt and vanilla extract to a bowl until well combined. (OR if you prefer, you can add all the wet ingredients to a blender to combine -- I prefer to mix in a bowl.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix!
- Next, mix in the melted and cooled butter (or coconut oil). At this point you can fold in an of the following: ½ cup chopped walnuts or ½ cup chocolate chips (or both!).
- Add banana bread batter into prepared pan. Optional but not required: split a banana down the middle vertically then add on top of the batter or just add banana slices on top, side by side. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Once bread is cool, cut into 12 slices. Serve with nut butter spread on top for a healthy snack or breakfast on the go.
Notes
- You may substitute 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour with all-purpose flour if desired.
- Browning the butter before adding it to the batter develops a nutty flavor—heat until amber and aromatic, then cool before use.
- Optional toppings include laying banana slices on top of the batter before baking.
- Use plain or vanilla Greek yogurt; whole milk or 2% yogurt works best for moisture.
- Follow the full post for additional customization tips and baking details.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 178 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 178cal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 28.4g | 9% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 5.8g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 4.2g | 21% |
| Fiber | 3.4g | 14% |
| Sugar | 9.9g | 20% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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