Name: Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas ((about 3 large bananas or 4 smaller bananas)); ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce; 2 tablespoons salted butter, (melted); ½ cup sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt ((I use Morton's iodized table salt for this recipe)); ¾ cup whole wheat flour; ¾ cup all-purpose flour

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A perfect loaf of healthy whole wheat banana bread comes together with one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep!

Front shot of a stack of four thick slices of healthy whole wheat banana bread.

Video: How to Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
Directions
Serving Suggestions
Preparation and Storage Tips
Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe
Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe Variations

If you love easy banana recipes, try our popular banana nut bread, this chocolate chip banana bread, some zucchini banana bread, Hawaiian banana bread, and a loaf of buttermilk banana bread!

Truly amazing! The best banana bread I’ve ever had.

– David

Video: How to Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread

A Healthy Banana Bread Recipe that Actually Tastes Delicious!

My friend Kristin makes the best healthy banana bread, so of course I had to ask her for the recipe! Every mom needs a staple go-to easy banana bread recipe that she can turn to whenever she has overripe bananas sitting on the counter. This particular recipe is simple, it’s kid-approved, and it yields a perfectly moist loaf of bread every single time. Unlike other “healthier” baked goods that tend to come out dry, dense, gummy, or flavorless, this whole wheat banana bread is absolutely perfect.

Horizontal side shot of a sliced loaf of healthy banana bread on a white table.

Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success

Use a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. This gives you the extra fiber and benefits of the whole grains, but also yields a loaf with a moist, tender crumb. The best of both worlds! You can sub with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour for the regular whole wheat flour.
Don’t have whole wheat flour on hand? Substitute with additional all-purpose flour.
There’s only ½ cup of sugar in the entire loaf, so it doesn’t taste overly sweet. The rest of the sweetness comes from the natural sugars in the fruit.
Use just a tiny bit of butter for flavor and fat, but otherwise use the banana and applesauce for moisture.
Don’t have applesauce? Use an equal amount of yogurt instead.
You’ll need a total of 1 ½ cups of mashed banana measured after mashing. This is typically about 3 large bananas or 4 smaller bananas.
Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.

Wet ingredients for banana bread in a white bowl.

Stirring together whole wheat banana bread in a white bowl.

Directions

This healthy banana bread just gets better as it sits! Go ahead and bake a loaf in advance — the flavors come together and the bread becomes more moist as it rests. You’ll wake up to a delicious morning treat. You’ll find the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview with a few tips:

Stir together the wet ingredients.
Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
Sprinkle in the dry ingredients.
Stir or whisk just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix the batter. The key to keeping a quick bread moist is not stirring or beating the batter too long.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. I like to use a nonstick baking spray to ensure that the bread comes out of the pan very easily.
Bake the bread in a 350 degree F oven. The total baking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use (and on your individual oven). You’ll know that the bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. I find that 50 minutes is perfect in my oven. If the top of the bread starts to get too dark before it’s cooked through, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5-10 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely before slicing.

Side shot of stacked slices of the best whole wheat banana bread recipe.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the bread warm, at room temperature, or even straight from the refrigerator! It’s a great option for breakfast or snack when paired with a mug of hot coffee or tea, or with a cold glass of milk.

Banana bread with whole wheat flour is delicious on its own, but you might also enjoy individual slices with butter, cream cheese, almond butter, or peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. Add some yogurt or eggs and fresh fruit on the side for a perfect morning feast, or offer it in the bread basket at dinner alongside savory options like Crock Pot ribs, Mississippi pulled pork, marinated flank steak, or oven bbq chicken thighs.

Overhead shot of a slice of whole wheat banana bread on a blue and white plate.

Preparation and Storage Tips

How to Store: Always wrap your loaf in plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. It does not need to be refrigerated. The bread will stay fresh at room temperature on the counter for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To Freeze: This loaf freezes nicely. Let the bread cool completely, wrap tightly, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
To reheat the banana bread, microwave individual slices for 10-15 seconds, or just until warm.

Sliced loaf of whole wheat banana bread on a blue and white tray.

Fantastic recipe. I used brown sugar and replaced applesauce with equivalent quantity of yogurt. Thank you for sharing.

– Rosita

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Watch How to Make It

Prep: 10

Cook: 45

Total: 55

Servings 12 slices

Calories 137.6 kcal

Author: Blair Lonergan

A healthy and easy breakfast or snack that comes together with about 10 minutes of prep!

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Ingredients

1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas or 4 smaller bananas)
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt (I use Morton's iodized table salt for this recipe)
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 ½-inch by 4 ½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, applesauce, and melted butter.
Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract to the banana mixture. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture; stir until well blended. Add the whole wheat flour and the all-purpose flour, stirring or whisking just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent the top of the loaf with foil if it starts to get too dark before it's done baking. My loaf is typically done within 50 minutes, so check it early.
Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for about 5-10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan. Cool completely on the wire rack before slicing and serving.

Notes

If you don’t have applesauce, you can substitute with an equal amount of yogurt.

If you don’t have whole wheat flour on hand, substitute with an additional 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 137.6kcalCarbohydrates: 27.7gProtein: 2.7gFat: 2.6gSaturated Fat: 1.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.7gCholesterol: 20.7mgSodium: 55.2mgPotassium: 141.9mgFiber: 2.1gSugar: 13g

Keyword: banana bread with whole wheat flour, healthy banana bread, whole wheat banana bread, whole wheat banana bread recipe, whole wheat banana loaf

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Author: Blair Lonergan