Ripe bananas are so naturally sweet I actually use them as the sweetener in some recipes like smoothies and pancakes. Maybe it is my new and improved palate, but I cannot imagine needing a full cup of sugar in addition to three super sweet ripe bananas! Our whole wheat banana bread recipe brings out the best natural flavor the fruit has to offer, packed with nutrition and perfect for making ahead of time. For the version with chocolate chips, make this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread or this Almond Flour Banana Bread!
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Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe With no Added Sugar
So here is my version of banana bread, which of course calls for 100% whole-wheat flour and a mere quarter cup of honey. And don’t feel confined to the “loaf” shape…these are great as muffins, mini-muffins, or small loaves as well. Also, feel free get creative with add-ins like nuts, raisins or other dried fruit. Enjoy!
Making Banana Bread With Yogurt
It might sound odd if you haven’t tried it before, but using a banana bread with yogurt recipe yields a wonderfully fluffy and tender loaf that doesn’t rely on processed ingredients for texture or flavor.
If you’ve got a serious sweet tooth, you can make this banana bread with yogurt and applesauce to bring in some extra sweetness without having to resort to using sugar. (Homemade applesauce is a lot easier to make than you think, too!)
Try our Banana Bread Bars as well!
Can You Substitute Honey for Maple Syrup in This Banana Bread Recipe?
Instead of using honey, and of course sugar in conventional banana bread recipes, you can absolutely substitute in favor of maple syrup if you prefer. Thankfully, it’s incredibly easy to make the swap! Maple syrup is typically as sweet as honey and sugar, so you can usually get away with a 1:1 ratio, for this whole wheat banana bread recipe we’d recommend 2 Tbs of syrup in place of honey if you prefer!
Whole-Wheat Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 bananas (ripe, mashed)
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup coconut oil ((or another mild oil of your choice))
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl mix mashed bananas with yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake large loaf for 40 – 50 minutes or until it comes clean with a toothpick.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
[Entered into Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday]
Izzy says
I tried this recipe yesterday using organic walnut oil (made sure that the cooking temp was below the smoke point). It was delicious! And my little guy loved it too. Thank you for your awesome recipe. It's a very good breakfast/snack idea.
Rita t. says
I've been adapting regular recipes as I go, trying to make them healthier. I dont even have white flour in the house anymore. So glad to see one written out exactly the way I like to bake. I always substitute half the oil or butter for applesauce,( I like grape seed oil). Yogurt could be substituted with sour cream or sour milk. Makes for a moist loaf/muffins.
Mandy says
This looks delicious, and I know my kids would gobble it up! I have everything on hand but the yogurt, is there anything I could substitute? Going back to the store is not in my budget this week!
100 Days of Real Food says
Hmmm...I'm not sure what the best substitute would be. It is only 1/4 cup so maybe something like sour cream would work?
Sweet Melissa says
Awesome recipe! I added 1/2 tsp nutmeg and used greek yogurt.
Lea says
I just ate a warm one from the oven. I made muffins...cooked for about 16 minutes. I used whole wheat pastry flour (they were nice and light) and coconut oil (I couldn't taste coconut at all). The oil liquified super-fast in the toaster oven. They are yummy as-is, but would also be delicious with cinnamon, added fruits/nuts. Thanks!
Dani M says
This is super tasty! I made a loaf last night before bed and this morning when I got up Hubs and the kids had eaten half of it! Thanks for the great recipe, we'll use it often!
Morgen Lacroix says
I just made these as mini muffins for our 17 month old. Bananas are his favorite food. I added fresh blackberries from our backyard and 1/3 cup of ground flax seed. I also used the same spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) that I use to make gluten free banana bread for my husband. What a wonderful little treat!
Marina says
This recipe is so good! Goodluck to me to loose my "baby weight" with this one lol. Didn't have 3 bananas only 2, but even with two bananas and some dried cranberries it came out so delicious. Can't even compare with the other recipes I tried before. I am happy to find this recipe and will use only this one from now on. Also your blog is such a delight to read and is very informative.
Jo says
This recipe was great! Thanks! Is there a way to make it a little less dense?
I added some 85% chocolate chunks from Lindt along with some walnuts. What a treat for breakfast!
100 Days of Real Food says
100% whole-wheat breads are usually somewhat dense...you could try experimenting with a pastry or "white whole-wheat" flour (which is still whole grain, but made from a lighter variety of wheat)
Stacy says
This has been my go-to recipe for bread and muffins probably since you posted it. I am baking it right now with zucchini, homemade plain yogurt, farm eggs, raw honey and coconut oil. The remainder of the recipe was intact. Verdict in the morning after the children eat them for breakfast. Thank you.
100 Days of Real Food says
Love to hear the variations! Thanks for leaving a review.
WV Whit says
I made them with the applesauce and extra yogurt instead of honey added in some chopped almonds and dried cranberries. They are ok but they don't really taste like banana and are kind of bland. Guess they need the honey or something to sweeten them. Any suggestions on making them taste more like banana? Maybe banana yogurt?
100 Days of Real Food says
Were you bananas super ripe? That can make a big difference.
Kristy Kelley says
I have a question about the banana bread. What type of oil is the best for this kind of baking? Besides vegetable or canola! :)
100 Days of Real Food says
Try it with coconut oil...that would be a great unrefined substitute that works well with baked goods!
kristel says
Sounds great! I'll be saving up my ripe bananas in my freezer to make this soon!
Barely says
Made this last night as directed, it is really good! Love the addition of yogurt as I've always got extra around. The only thing I may do different next time is add some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, I found this bread to be just a bit bland but it might have been because I only had 2 ripe bananas and one almost ripe.
Thanks for the great recipe and all the amazing work you do!!
Laura says
I've made this recipe twice now, and it's delicious!
Paula says
I made this recipe this morning for the first time, exactly as written, and it turned out great! It is nicely sweet with the honey and 3 bananas. I was excited to use home-ground flour for the first time in the recipe too. I recently got a Vitamix blender with a dry grain blade option, and I ground organic hard white wheat berries. Such a nice feeling to use whole grains of wheat, just like I remember my grandpa used to harvest from his fields!
Lynn says
made this today, I enjoyed it but the real test was the kids..... no comments from them, meaning they didn't even notice it wasn't my usual recipe (white flour, 1 c. sugar...)! Of course, I did add my usual 1/3 cup chocolate chips or they would've been tipped off... everything in moderation. ;-) Thanks for sharing. I'll be making this one from now on.
100 Days of Real Food says
That's great! Little by little put less chocolate chips in and maybe one day they won't notice when they are no longer there :)
Patsy says
I made this bread today and it is good.
Coach Factory says
i really like your post
Lyn @ Life Lyn Style says
Just made this for the second time. I added raisins and cinnamon. Yum! Next time, I will use applesauce instead of oil and make muffins. I think I'm also going to try pumpkin instead of bananas soon.
shana m. says
Just took 2 beautiful loaves of wonderful smelling bread from the oven!
anjelina says
simply wonderful and mouth watering Banana Bread
CIndy says
This recipe sound wonderful, I can't wait to try it!
One question... one of my daughters is extremely lactose intolerant. The alternative yogurts are not only pricey and full of too many ingredients to list, they also don't taste very good. Do you have any ideas for alternatives?
100 Days of Real Food says
Hmmm...it might work with some extra oil instead. It's worth a shot although I have not tried it myself!
alex says
i only have strawberry yogurt...is that okay to use instead of plain?
100 Days of Real Food says
Well, strawberry yogurt is full of sugar (or sometimes high-fructose corn syrup) as well as artificial food dyes. So I think it would be best to avoid that type of yogurt all together! Definitely stick to plain if you can and flavor it yourself
April says
I just put this in to bake-- can't wait to try it! In the meantime I wanted to ask if the consistency of the batter was supposed to be thick and sticky? It dropped into the pan like a ball of sticky pizza dough!
100 Days of Real Food says
That sounds a little thick...did it turn out okay?
Angel Brondel says
Mine came out thick as well but the bread is still yummy. I'm not sure how to fix the thinkness issue without messing it up... Maybe add some applesauce?
Shari says
That looks delicious! My housekeeper just made me some banana bread today, in fact. She was gone by the time that I woke up, but the house was filled with the delectable fragrance of baking banana bread.
I'm wondering - with your recipe, could you substitute agave nectar? Same amount or different?
I'm new to blogging as well as to whole foods, so I just found your blog but I love it already!
100 Days of Real Food says
I wouldn't recommend agave...honey and maple syrup seem to be a little "safer" as far as ensuring they are the most natural alternatives.
Shari says
I would love to know more! I am very new to this, but I really thought that agave was a safe alternative for sugar.
Emili says
Agave is highly processed to the point that it's eerily similar in composition to HFCS. Raw honey or pure maple aren't processed in the same way, and they bring natural vitamins and minerals to the food to boot.
Sarah says
using agave instead of sugar, you must use 1/4 less, for example, 1 cup sugar = 3/4 c. agave.
Kim says
YUM. I just made this today. I subbed 1/3 cup of organic, unsweetened applesauce for the oil and added some chocolate shavings (probably defeats the purpose). It was a huge hit!! Thanks for posting this.
100 Days of Real Food says
That's good to know about the applesauce!
Kathryn says
I can't agree more...most bnb recipes call for entirely too much sugar! BTW, you can roast the bananas in their skins at 350°F for 15 minutes for a more intense banana flavor.
Richelle Luchkowec says
I love to get ripe bananas on the clearance shelf at my local grocery store. They're cheap and perfect for baking. Thanks for the recipe...I can't wait to try it!
Tajah says
Thankyou for posting this.
I happen to have a bunch of overripe bananas that I was planning on baking with. I think I will try your recipe.
Mary says
Sounds wonderful! I will use kefir in place of the yogurt for a little bit extra benefit. I haven't tried grapeseed oil, though... I'll put that on the list. Now... if we can just keep enough bananas around to make the bread. :)
lakesidemama says
I made these tonight. Didn't have bananas so I subtituted apple sauce and added a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans. They are yummy!
100 Days of Real Food says
Good to know...I love recipe variations!
Marishannon says
I love whole wheat banana bread! I don't put anywhere near that much sugar in mine either...but I must admit the super sweet banana bread still appeals to me :)
Eating Poorganically says
I saw them making a recipe for Banana Bread on America's Test Kitchen where they used 6 bananas and reduced them down by heating to take out the moisture while retaining the sweetness. The result was a sweet, flavorful bread without the extreme heaviness that you'd get from using additional whole bananas. I think I might try that trick with this recipe! :)
Sallie Manning says
I just made this and it is so good!! Quick question...I noticed that you used grapeseed oil in this recipe. I used Canola since we did not have that kind. Do you use Canola anymore? I use olive oil a good bit and have used coconut oil a few times, but I usually use Canola oil when baking. Next time I am at Earthfare I will pick up some grapeseed oil. Are there any other oils you use? Thank you!
100 Days of Real Food says
I am trying to move away from Canola...will be doing a post on the details soon! Grapeseed seems to be a good replacement for baking so far.
Heidi says
I just made this and used coconut oil. It turned out great, you just have to make sure your ingredients are room-temperature before adding the oil or it will solidify and not mix well.
I have never liked banana bread....the loaves I've always tried are too cake-y or oily, and way too sweet. This recipe, however, is awesome! I'm not sure there will be any left by the end of today!
Marlana says
Add 2tsp of cinnamon for an extra layer of flavor..
Stephanie says
WHat kind of whole wheat flour did you use? Pastry, bread, regular? I wonder what differences it would make in the density of the loaf to play around with different ones. hmm... yum! Thanks for the recipe! Do you think they could be made into muffins? I was just wanting to make some banana nut muffins for breakfasts and all the recipes are so sugary.
100 Days of Real Food says
I would not recommend pastry flour and instead would go with regular whole-wheat flour. And they can definitely be made into muffins...we've already done that (with raisins added) and my girls scarfed them down!
Jenn says
Just wondering why you don't recommend whole wheat pastry flour? I use Bob's Red Mill for all my baking (where texture is an issue). I've used it in all my recipes instead of regular white or all purpose flour cup for cup. I've never had good luck substituting whole wheat in regular recipes. It's made from whole grain... just wondering! Also, do you add flaxseed meal to your baking? I add it to most of my cookies, quick breads, etc. and the kids seem to miss it if I don't add it anymore.
100 Days of Real Food says
I've been grinding my own wheat lately so I really only use one type of flour (red wheat), and it works for just about anything! Before I was grinding it myself I used King Arthur Whole Wheat or White Whole Wheat which worked great for me. Also I only use flaxseed meal in our granola.
Sarah says
How do you grind your own wheat?? I have been wanting to do this for a long time now but don't know what you need for this. Where do you get your red wheat from??
Celena says
Sarah, Grinding wheat is super easy. It's an investment initially, but very worth it. You can purchase wheat usually in bulk bins, through co-ops, or online. On Amazon.com, you can find hand crank grinders for around $100-150. I had the Wondermill Jr. at first. Grinding by hand is slow and hard work. About 5 months ago we splurged and bought a Nutrimill (about $250) and it grinds so much faster. Before, it would take about 10 minutes to get MAYBE 1 cup. Now, I can grind 5 cups in about 90 seconds. Also, I strongly recommend the hard white wheat instead of red wheat, the flavor is more mild (you can usually barely tell you're eating whole wheat!) and produces less dense baked goods and breads. Hope that helps!
Kristin says
Can't wait to try this!
Claire says
Thanks! Thrilled to transition to a more nutritious version of a bread I love to make.
Jennifer says
This looks fabulous. I will have to try.
wendy says
Thank you! How timely for me - I was going to look online today for a whole-wheat banana bread recipe. I came to your blog first, and there it was waiting for me!