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]
nicole says
Can I use agave instead of honey?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hello Nicole. Agave is not an ingredient we use. This helps explain why: http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/.
Pamela Dockham says
May I ask what is the calorie break down of the recipe is please? Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. We really do not focus on calories. This post helps explain our philosophy of not getting bogged down by numbers: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
DORENE WATSON says
Could you make this recipe in a bread machine? I'm looking for a healthy bread recipe to throw
in my bread maker the night before for breakfast the next day....
Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi. We've not tried but this might help: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/bread/converting-your-favorite-recipes/.
McCall says
I feel silly having to ask this... When you bake with coconut oil, do you melt if first or leave it in its solid state?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. You melt it for most baking. :)
Amber says
I've tried many banana bread recipes and have never even liked it. Every recipe I've tried making or tasted (made by someone else) has always been too dense and WET.
I made this recipe last night, baked it in 3 mini loaf tins, and it is delicious. The texture is lighter and not wet. I put chocolate chips on one loaf for my daughter and she was so pleased. I will definitely use this recipe from now on.
Hawaiimom says
This recipe is amazing! I followed exactly. Baked in muffin tin for 20 min. Made 15 big muffins.
Doesn't taste as whole-wheaty as I thought they would. Nice and light.
Will be making a ton and freezing them for a quick snack addition to lunch or breakfast
Pam says
I've made this a few times, and the batter always comes out insanely thick. I have to more than double the yogurt and add water to make it workable. Why is mine so thick?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. It does make a thicker batter. When you add water does it still bake up nicely?
Stephanie says
Hi there,
I just made this for the first time last night and my batter was also insanely thick. I had to add 1/4-1/2 cup of water just to be able to incorporate the flour. The bread has a great flavor, but turned out very dense and barely rose at all. I opened a fresh can of baking powder, so I know that was not the cause. I'm guessing I probably over mixed it because I had to work so hard to incorporate it. But still, the batter should be pour-able, correct? This was more like the consistency of a bread dough that needs to be kneaded first. Do you have the net weight of the 2 1/4 cups of flour? Maybe my measuring was off.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
We don't typically weigh our ingredients. Did you perhaps pack the flour?
Annerys says
I made this two days ago. I added cinnamon (because I love cinnamon)
It was delicious! I felt that I was eating something healthy. My mom wanted to eat all of it. Thank you for the recipe!
laura says
Do you have baking recommendations if i decided to do these as muffins or mini muffins? Love your recipes - stocking my freezer with some favorites before I have a baby in a few weeks and could do the loaf but thinking the mini muffins might be nice to be able to pull out a few at a time! (I'm assuming these freeze well - I have done your pumpkin-spelt in the freezer before and they were great!)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Laura. You should not need to adjust the temp but the baking time should be shortened to 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Wayne says
Do you know the nutritional value of the whole wheat cake?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Wayne. We don't provide the nutrition break down of recipes. Our focus is on helping people eliminate processed foods. This post helps explain our philosophy of not getting bogged down by numbers: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
corie rae says
I am new to cooking, so sorry if this is a dumb question, but when you say vanilla in your ingredient list, did you mean vanilla extract? I cannot wait to try this!
Amy says
Yes - vanilla extract
Deborah S says
I am not a baker and I am just starting to get into wheat flour and less sugar... today was the first I have ever even bought wheat flour! I made this recipe today into mini-muffins for my daughter. It is great! She is a picky eater and she ate two of the muffins for lunch. :) Thanks! Will be trying other recipes!
charlotte says
hello I'm just about to make this but I'm wondering if oat flour will work just as well as whole wheat flour? thank you :-)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Charlotte. Sorry, but we are rarely able to answer recipe questions in real time. Did you give it go? We've not tried this one with oat flour.
Pam says
I am wondering the same thing!
Leah Mitchell says
We are making this as I type! Want to know of estimate calorie count. Thx
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
HI there. We can rarely respond to questions in real time. Sorry. Also, this post helps explain why we don't include calorie info and such: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Sarah says
This is my absolute go-to banana bread recipe. The first time I made, I didn't have ay yogurt at home, so I used organic peanut butter instead. It turned out wonderful and I always use this since then :) cinnamon and chocolate chips are also wonderful additions! Cheers xoxo
Avis says
Hi Karen, I was wondering if I could use buttermilk instead of yogurt? I have some buttermilk I'd like to use up before it spoils. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
karen says
Have you or anyone used gluten free flour in this recipe.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Karen. I have used a store-bought gluten free blend. It worked well.
Genna says
I just made this today, almost exactly as written, and with the coconut oil. I did add a handful of semisweet chocolate chips and some pecans. It came out great!! I've never used whole wheat flour or coconut oil before. Thanks for the recipe.
Janice says
Hello!
Thank you for the recipe .... I just wanted to know what do you do with the leftover loaf ..... Do I refrigerate it or something?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Janice. To keep it fresh beyond a day or two, I would freeze it.
ileana says
Why use plain yogurt? Just curious.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. Flavored yogurts usually pack a long ingredient list that includes added sugar.
Mercy says
Waoh, I tried this recipe this morning and was rewarded with a great looking and yummy yummy banana loaf. So simple to make, I can make it every day. Thanks for sharing your heart in this journey of healthy living.
Jess says
I am nursing a baby who cant do even a little dairy. Any ideas to replace the yogurt? Other then that this looks awesome we love banana bread in our house!
Brittany says
Sub yogurt with applesauce
Elizabeth says
I don't usually bake with coconut oil. Does it need to be melted for this recipe? I may just substitute butter and see how that goes.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. This will help: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/.
Pam says
Any way to convert this recipe for a bread machine? Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Pam. This might help: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/bread/converting-your-favorite-recipes/.
Esther says
Do you happen to know the nutritional values on this recipe?
Thanks
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Esther. We do not provide nutrition information. This post will help explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Alyssa Schock says
Made this banana bread tonight and it turned out very yummy. I took a picture to post but don't think I can here. I'll save it as a reminder for myself!
Brenda Trombley says
I don't have any yogurt on hand - what could I use instead? Also, I have coconut oil but have never baked with it. Do I measure the 1/3 cup of solid or melt it then measure 1/3 cup. If I melt too much can I put it back in the container?
Brittany says
I melt the coconut oil in a glass measuring cup. If I go over I pour enough out back into the coconut oil container. It will solidify again once cooled. When I don't have plain yogurt I use sour cream, just did I it today.
Renae says
I love this recipe but wonder how you would modify to substitute the wholewheat flour for coconut flour?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Renae. Not sure because that is not something we have tried. It is certainly more complicated than a 1:1 trade. :) This might help: http://nourishedkitchen.com/baking-with-coconut-flour/.
Amanda says
http://noshon.it/tips/gluten-free-baking-substituting-coconut-flour/
When substituting coconut flour for all purpose or whole wheat flour, use the same amount of flour but add 1 extra egg (on top of what’s called for in the recipe) for every ounce of coconut flour. On average, 1/4 cup of coconut flour is equal to 1 ounce.
Aarika says
Just wondering if you have a recipe for whole wheat banana bread in the bread machine??
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. I'm sorry. We do not but this might help: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/bread/converting-your-favorite-recipes/.
Sarah says
I just cannot seem to get my banana loaf moist! I don't know where I'm going wrong! We don't have the White wholewheat flour here in the UK so I stick to plain wholemeal. Can you recommend any kind of tweak that will make it more moist? I am not a natural cook so don't want to ruin a good loaf by tweaking myself! Thanks
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Sarah. You could go a little heavier on the yogurt.
MICKEY says
I have vanilla greek yogurt. would that work?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. Sure you can but the vanilla will alter the flavor outcome somewhat. :)
Carrie says
What brand of coconut oil do you use in your recipes? I even wanting to try cooking with it but not sure which to choose.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Carrie. You can see Lisa's oil here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. :)
Niki Stinnett says
I only have greek yogurt, will that work?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Niki. Greek yogurt is fine.
Lacey says
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! It's healthy and super yummy!! I was wondering if there was something I could use to substitute the honey so my 10 month old could enjoy it for a tasty snack too??
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. You could sub with maple syrup.
Denys says
I made this today. I didn't use 1 and a half chips flour and four bananas. Turned out wonderful. My daughter is not even two yet and is really enjoying it. Thank you
Denys says
That should say I did use...
Brenda says
Made this yesterday. Turned out good but not a lot of flavour. I am going to try it again with more Banannas, and also add some cinnamon and nutmeg. 😄
Lara says
i made this today: it turned out wonderfully delicious. It even had a bit of a crispy crust. I added some cinnamon for flavor and used very big eggs. What a great recipe!
Michelle says
This bread was easy to make and turned out great! I added walnuts and topped it with chia seeds.
Trudy says
Has anyone tried this recipe using applesauce instead of eggs?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Trudy. I've used flax eggs and replaced the butter with applesauce (to make them vegan)in many sweet bread and muffin recipes but not this one, in particular.
Nicole says
I made the banana bread the other day. It was very dense and did not have a lot of flavor. Wondering if the pumpkin bread recipe would work with the bananas. They love that one. Make it once to twice a week.
Melanie says
Hello!
I have had great results with this recipe, but this morning I decided to modify it a little...and the result was delicious and moist. I have been trying to incorporate more quinoa into my baking and I thought I would share this in case others are also interested in doing so. I substituted one of the cups of whole wheat flour with 1 cup of cooked quinoa. All I did was add all the wet ingredients, along with the cooked quinoa, into a blender. Then I added the contents of the blender into the dry ingredients (I also added cinnamon) and mixed. The muffins are deliciously moist! This recipe made 16 muffins with 2 Tbs in each muffin cup) and I baked them for 21 minutes.
I have also had great success following this recipe but substituting the half the whole wheat flour for oat flour. Simply put the oats in the food processor until it becomes a flour! So simple.
Thanks for all your great recipes!
Ammara says
my bread was tasteless and it was not sweet at all.
i used organic honey
Emily says
I also ended up with a tasteless, dense loaf. I can't see us using organic honey as a reason for the lack of flavor. Do the bananas need to be overly ripe? Is there anyway to make it more airy? I feel like banana bread batter is usually more fluid than this. Should I have added more yogurt?