This healthier banana bread is refined sugar, oil or butter free. This banana bread uses greek yogurt, honey and the sweetness of ripe bananas! This healthy banana bread has been tested gluten free too!

Healthier banana bread sliced on wood platter.

When I started blogging I didn’t really have an interest in making “healthier” recipes. I am pretty sure my thought process was if the original recipe tastes good (butter, sugar & all) why mess with a good thing?

Healthier banana bread sitting on wood platter with knife

But I had to learn that healthier doesn’t mean bad or tasteless. It actually means getting creative and informing yourself about healthier ingredient swaps.

Because I love quick breads and muffins, and I probably won’t ever stop eating them, I thought healthier banana bread would be a good place to start!

Healthier banana bread sliced on plate

Our one bowl 10 minute prep banana chocolate chip bread is one of the top recipes on our site, and for good reason (1 bowl and 10 minutes!) so we created a healthier one bowl 10 minute prep banana bread. No chocolate chips this time, but if you’re wanting to add them in, I’d suggest 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips.

If I calculated the calories correct, the whole loaf is about 900 calories! If you slice it into 8 pieces, that’s 112 calories per slice.

Ingredients

  • bananas: sweetness and fat
  • greek yogurt: healthier fat compared to oil or butter. Adds protein and moistness.
  • honey: natural sweetener compared to sugar
  • vanilla: flavor!
  • egg: leavener and binder
  • all purpose flour: gives structure – you can also use whole wheat flour or gluten free flour
  • baking soda & baking powder: leavener
  • cinnamon: a pinch of warm, cozy flavor

How to Make Healthier Banana Bread

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth.
  3. Add in the greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla, mix.
  4. Stir in the eggs.
  5. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl.
  6. Gradually mix in the flour until no streaks remain.
  7. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Healthier banana bread sliced on wood platter

Can You Make Banana Bread with Fresh Bananas?

Typically I like to make banana bread with overripe, super spotty and brown bananas. When bananas reach that state in my house, I usually stick them in my freezer to keep them for later.

But maybe you don’t have overripe brown bananas on your counter or in your freezer. So

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas in the Oven

Keep the bananas in their peel, place on a baking sheet in a 300ºF oven for 20-30 minutes, until the peels become black and shiny.

How to Freeze Banana Bread

To freeze the whole loaf: allow it to cool completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place the wrapped bread in the fridge overnight.

To freeze individual slices: allow the loaf to cool completely and slice. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap then in aluminum and place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place a slice in the fridge overnight. Or unwrap and microwave for 30 second intervals.

More Quick Breads

Healthier Banana Bread

4.30 from 117 ratings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 12 slices
One bowl healthier banana bread recipe with no sugar, butter, or oil!
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Ingredients

  • 3 ripe spotty brown bananas
  • ½ cup greek yogurt, plain or vanilla
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour or whole wheat **can be made gluten free too!
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth.
  • Add in the greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla, mix.
  • Stir in the eggs.
  • Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl.
  • Gradually mix in the flour until no streaks remain.
  • Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

This recipe turned out great using gluten free flour! We love King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. 

How to quickly ripen bananas in your oven

If you don’t have brown spotty bananas to use up on your counter, here’s how to ripen yellow bananas in your oven. Keep the bananas in their peel, place on a baking sheet in a 300ºF oven for 20-30 minutes, until the peels become black and shiny.

How to freeze banana bread

To freeze the whole loaf: allow it to cool completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place the wrapped bread in the fridge overnight.
To freeze individual slices: allow the loaf to cool completely and slice. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap then in aluminum and place inside a ziplock bag. To thaw, place a slice in the fridge overnight. Or unwrap and microwave for 30 second intervals.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Beth
Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 191mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 64IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1mg
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