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]
Bonnie says
Making this recipe today and it smells sooo good in our house! I am glad to have found a recipe that uses all whole wheat flour instead of just a mix of white/wheat. We are trying to phase out the white flour from our cooking/baking!
Renee says
My whole family loved this. I was shocked my husband liked it so much because he doesn't always love snacks that aren't super sweet.
Sarah says
Do you have any oil suggestions besides coconut? I'm trying to like it, but I've never been a fan of the taste or the smell.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Sarah. Here are a couple posts that might give you some guidance: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. Also, Deliciously Organic has a great post on butter: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/hashed-browns/. Hope those help. ~Amy
Bridget says
I omitted the oil altogether and used all natural applesauce. I used 1/3 cup + 2 TBS to ensure it was moist enough. It came out great!
Suzi says
I love this recipe.i made it as it was stated. I also made another one with one banana and added two cups of blueberries and some walnuts, my father in law is on dialysis and can't have too much banana. Both of my in laws loved it. Thanks for the recipes.yum yum
Amanda Melroy says
I made these last night. Living in Colorado at such a high altitude I always have trouble with my baked goods rising. This recipe worked perfectly. I made them into muffins. Delicious!
Cathrine says
Hello, I am new to baking with Coconut Oil. Bought it, but was surprised at how firm it is. Did I get the wrong kind? Might work well for pie crust, but I'm not sure how to blend it into such a soft dough. Do I heat it up? HELP!
Cath
ps I'm LOVING your site. Thank you!
Sara says
Hey, coconut oil solidifies at room temperature (unless it's really warm in your house), so just measure it out and then heat it up in the microwave for 20 seconds or so, and it will melt :) I was surprised by that too the first time I used it!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Welcome to the blog, Cathrine! Coconut oil should be melted for soft doughs. Her is a link that will help explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. Good luck. ~Amy
Tera says
My boyfriend and I love this banana bread! I made it twice, once following the recipe and once with applesauce instead of oil (1 to 1 ratio) and it tastes equally delicious.
jessi says
What baking time would you suggest to make this in muffins? I have made the bread before and we love love it!!!
Lysep says
I would use the timing from any other muffins... 15 minutes?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jessi. Try 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy. ~ Amy
Erika says
Thanks for all the great recipes! Would you mind posting the calories in this? I want to make sure I'm getting enough :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
HI Erika. Sorry, we do not provide nutrition information on our recipes. ~Amy
Amanda says
I made this yesterday but the batter was very dry and heavy (for lack of a better term). Is it supposed to be that way? My children loved it though, even though the loaf was a little dry for my taste.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amanda. Several readers have had luck with adding an additional banana or a single serving of applesauce. Goodluck. ~Amy
Courtenay says
I love this recipe. Most recently I replaced the oil with cinnamon applesauce and we all loved it. Great with butter or with cream cheese for kids lunch! Thank you Lisa for all the great ideas and recipes.
Laura says
Hi there
I love this recipe! Would it work in a bread machine?
Many thanks!
Lysep says
that was my question too... I wonder how long you would put it on for...
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Laura. I have not tried myselfy but our reader Andrea says: "I did. I mixed the ingredients on the “dough†setting, and after ~15 min I switched the setting to “bakeâ€. I also added walnuts, a hint of cinnamon and almond extract. It tasted wonderful, the only complaint I got from my husband was that it was too “denseâ€. I don’t know if baking it in the oven would make the dough rise more and the bread “fluffierâ€." Hope those comments are helpful. ~Amy
Laura says
Yes, thank you Amy! I will give it a try.
KaraL says
Just what I was looking for for a Valentine's Day breakfast treat. Will be using the heart shaped muffin tins. Thanks!
Tamara Harden says
For anyone wanting to omit eggs (vegan), you can use flax as an egg substitute. For each egg, use 1 TBSP ground flax to 2 1/2 TBSP water, let sit for a bit to gel up. Adds extra fiber, as well!! Also, another tip, when I have ripe bananas that I can't eat up in time, I mash up 3 together, and put them into a ziploc & plop into the freezer. When I want to make banana bread, I just grab the bag out of the freezer.
Jmagee says
What did you do instead of the yogurt? We try not to use dairy products and eat primarily vegan, but we also live on an island and cannot get a lot of the substitutes for dairy products. What could I use instead? The recipe looks great & I'd like to adapt it
Tamara Harden says
Jmagee, you can use silken tofu, or soy yogurt (don't know if those items are available in your area).
"Another popular yogurt substitute for vegans and lactose intolerant individuals is silken tofu. The product contains no dairy and can be hand whipped or blended in a food processor to attain a similar consistency to yogurt. Health food experts recommend pureed tofu as a substitute for yogurt, cream, eggs or buttermilk. There is also a special blend available in stores that is specifically suited for baking."
Brooke says
thanks for the tip!!
Ann says
Oh my! This is so good! I used Siggi's Icelandic coconut yogurt. I'm going to try this as muffins too!
Aynsley says
Just a couple of quick question:
-I just mash up a bunch of bananas and then store them so about how many cups is 3?
-and can I use plain non fat greek yogurt?
Thank you so much for your help!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Aynsley. Gosh, I'm not sure how much that is, maybe 1 1/2 cups? In terms of yogurt, greek yogurt is fine, but, whole milk, not low fat. Jill
Alise says
This was great. I was nervous b/c we just started cutting back on the sugar, but my kids loved it. Toward the end of the loaf I was afraid that we would have to waste the last 4 slices, but we made it into french toast this morning & it was great.
Caroline says
Question about the coconut oil...I warmed it up to melt it and when I added it to the banana, yogurt, honey, eggs, mixture, it started to solidify again, giving me little clumps. Any tips to keeping it from clumping?
Kim says
This happened to me as well when I made the waffle batter. I just put my mixing boil over a pan of simmering water briefly until the oil melted again. It was then good to go the entire time I was making the waffles! I have also read other comments where they have baked with the little bits of oil and the recipe has still turned out ok.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Caroline. Yes, I add all of my ingredients and I then add the coconut oil last...I stir as I pour it in and that seems to do the trick! Jill
Danielle says
I apologize, typing with a little one around! Lol without* the honey! Many thanks
Sue says
I ran out of honey once and tried it with none and they are still great! Now when I make them I always use no honey!!
Danielle says
Hello great recipes! Would this still be just as good with the honey?!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Danielle. I'm not sure I understand your question...did you mean without the honey? I have not tried that, but, it may still work but just not be as sweet. Jill
Cassandra says
LOVE this! So easy to bake and delicious. I have made these into whole muffins each time-it makes 11 or 12 full muffins. I love the combination of banana and coconut oil. My daughter has these or the eggs cups every weekday for breakfast at daycare.
Ruthie says
I just made this recipe into muffins. I forgot to put in the eggs and they were still really good.
Jenny nicoll says
Great recipe, I just a dozen mini muffins and a loaf with this batch. My 18month old LOVES the mini muffins. I will be making more tomorrow to freeze for future use;) I added pecans and shredded coconut to ours and will add hemp seeds tomorrow
Joyce says
The recipe sounds great, I will be making this today. Can I use greek yogurt instead of the plain?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Joyce...yes, you can use the Greek yogurt...just make sure it is not low-fat. Jill
Andreea says
Can I make this recipe in the bread machine? Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Andreea. I have not tried it and I'm not sure it would need to be done in the bread machine. It doesn't require kneading or rising, so, I think just mixing it by hand and baking it in the oven would be your best bet. Jill
Andreea says
I actually gave it a try last week :-) I mixed in ingredients on the "dough" setting, and after ~15 min I switched the setting to "bake". I also added walnuts, a hint of cinnamon and almond extract. It tasted wonderful, the only complaint I got from my husband was that it was too "dense". I don't know if baking it in the oven would make the dough rise more and the bread "fluffier".
Sarah says
Whole wheat flour should not be over mixed, just brieflt stirred until moistened. overmixing is what leads to it being very dense. Putting it in the bread machine sounds like it would overmix.
Lysep says
unless you mix it by hand and then cook it in the bread machine...
Jean Anderson says
I have a recipe for Banana bread that uses butter and I have found over the years that we prefer butter to oil in our banana bread recipe. I would like to try the above recipe but with butter instead so what would the amount of butter be?? The recipe I use has us melt it.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jean. I would probably melt it then and use the same amount as the oil. Jill
Sheena says
Ohh and almond extraction (halved) instead of vanilla
Sheena says
Mmmmm made this with flax eggs, ricotta instead of yogurt ( didn't have any), applesauce instead of oil, and a little more than 1/4 of the flour I used quick oats bc I didn't have enough ww pastry flour. Still great!
Meghan says
I have a jar of cocounut oil sitting on my counter that I have yet to use. I think this recipe would be perfect for my first attempt at cooking with it. My question is what is the conversion factor of solid to liquid? Do I need to use 1/3 solid oil and melt or melt to 1/3 liquid cup? Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Meghan. You should melt the coconut oil first before using it. Jill
Leeann says
I am wondering if using plain greek yogurt will be ok instead of using regular yogurt - I only have greek yogurt on hand at the moment so I was wondering if it will still work in the recipe?
Amy D. says
Leeann, Greek yogurt is just "regular" yogurt with some of the whey strained off to make it thicker. It works just fine in this recipe (it's what I use, too). Hope that helps! (^_^)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Leeann. I have not used it but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Jill
Audrey says
I just baked this recipe (used canola oil) and it turned out great! It is very moist, tastes healthy, and has just enough sweetness. I will no longer use the recipes with white flour or white sugar. Thank you for the great recipe!
Kristen says
This is the best banana bread I have ever had! I love the nutty taste of the whole wheat. This is much healthier than any other recipe I have ever tried. My family and I are tempted to eat it all in one sitting!
melissa says
Just made this and it came out wonderfully! I love my mom's white flour, white sugar recipe but I think this is just as good. I didn't find it bland or lacking in banana flavor at all. I think I'm going to be making this recipe a lot.
Barbara says
I just made the recipe as stated and it came out dry.
I did not over mix. Any suggestions to make it lighter for the next time....I always have bananas that need to be used up.
Thanks and keep up the good work with the blog!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Barbara. Some have added an extra banana and reported that that has helped. Hope you'll enjoy it next time. Jill
Andreea says
For me, 4 oz. of plain applesauce (one of those individual cups) did the trick. Hope it helps!
Tera says
I used applesauce instead of oil (1 to 1 ratio) and this bread turned out so delicious!!
Julie says
Just made this, and it's great! I made mine is an 9X9 glass pan, and it was done in 30 min. Thanks for a great recipe!
sonia says
Has anyone tried this recipie on a bread making machine?
Andreea says
I did :) I mixed the ingredients on the “dough†setting, and after ~15 min I switched the setting to “bakeâ€. I also added walnuts, a hint of cinnamon and almond extract. It tasted wonderful, the only complaint I got from my husband was that it was too “denseâ€. I don’t know if baking it in the oven would make the dough rise more and the bread “fluffierâ€.
Jennifer says
I am confused by "bake a large loaf". Can you tell me what size bread pan is this recipe suppose to be for? Thank you :-)
Julie says
She means an 8x4 loaf pan. It also works great in a 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jennifer. The recipe makes a 2 lb. loaf. Jill
Holly Shields says
I meant "too" dry.
Holly Shields says
This is turning out to dry for me. How can I add more moister or less dense? I just don't like the texture. Can I add more bananas to moisten it up? I don't think I am overmixing it.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Holly. Yes, I would add another banana. Jill
Andreea says
I suggest adding 4 oz. of plain applesauce (one of those individual cups).