Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Your search for the perfect healthy banana bread recipe is over! Made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey, it's decadently fluffy and sweet.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
I have been hunting for the perfect whole wheat banana bread recipe lately. The first was too sweet to stick with me from breakfast to lunch; the second was dry and lacking in flavor.
This banana bread recipe is just right: 100% whole wheat, naturally sweetened with honey, with a light, decadent crumb. Plus it is a cinch to mix together and only requires one bowl. My search is over!
Since I live by myself, I like to bake a big loaf of banana bread and freeze it for later. Once the bread has cooled, I slice it and store the slices in a freezer bag. When Iโm ready to eat it, I just throw a frozen slice in the toaster. My homemade breakfast or snack is ready in minutes!
How do you like your banana bread? For some extra protein, I like to top it with pecan butter or peanut butter. If Iโm feeling indulgent, Iโll add honey, butter, Nutella or maple cream cheese. Huzzah!
Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe
Your search for the perfect healthy banana bread recipe is over! Made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey, this banana bread is decadently fluffy and sweet. You donโt even have to tell anyone itโs healthy! ;) Recipe yields one loaf.
Ingredients
- โ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- ยฝ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
- 1 ยพ cups whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda*
- ยผ cup hot water*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9ร5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs and beat well.
- Stir in bananas and vanilla, then stir in the salt and cinnamon. Lastly, stir in the flour, just until combined.
- Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and swirl with a toothpick or the tip of a butter knife for a pretty marbled effect.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Pedgi at Allrecipes.
Loaf pan recommendations: I love baking bread in my Le Creuset stoneware loaf pan so much that it deserves a mention. I also adore my new turquoise Fiesta stoneware loaf pan. Both are non-toxic, heat evenly and clean easily. Highly recommended!
*Baking soda/water update 10/13/14: After several years of being baffled by the hot water/baking soda trick, I can now definitively report that itโs an unnecessary step. If you prefer, you can just stir in ยผ cup water or milk (any kind) into the oil/honey/eggs and whisk the baking soda in with the spices. Iโm leaving the recipe as is because I know so many of you love it as written!
Need to omit the eggs? Iโve heard from other commenters that flax eggs/chia eggs work well as replacements for the eggs. One commenter even said the bread turned out well when she forgot the eggs!
Want to make muffins? Check out my healthy banana muffins, which are a riff on this banana bread!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Great recipe! Kids love it, we love it, win! I used a combo of whole wheat pastry and white whole wheat flour because I didnโt have quite enough of the pastry. I also baked in a shallow glass dish and liked it better than the loaf (my loaf pan is cheap and terrible). Thanks! I blogged about it here. http://healthykitchenhealthybudget.com/2015/06/29/honey-banana-bread/
Thank you, Molly! So glad you all enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your results on your blog!
Wow, floored that you still respond instantly. Thanks a ton.
I tried this today bread with oil today morning but a couple of things went wrong. First โ Added baking powder instead of the baking soda to hot water. It fizzled up ferociously and I thought it was good and will rise the bread to great heights.
Well, the bread was done in 40 minutes instead of 65 when I inserted a knife โ it came out clean. But it did not rise at all.
And it did not look as brown as yours.
I know the baking powder might be the culprit and I am thinking of omitting the mixing of soda in hot water all together as you commented.
The bread was dense, not fluffy at all. Also it was a tad bit too dry and cracked on the top and sides.
Please suggest what else could be the reason.
Also my pan is 9.5X 5X 2 aluminium loaf pan. Planning to do mini muffins tonight.
So questions:
1. Why was it not as dark brown as yours โ mine was a light beigy shade
2. It was cracked and too dry outside
3. It was too dense and moist and did not rise at all
4. Initially want to try it with sugar instead of Honey. Can I use powdered sugar?
Please help my toddler loves banana bread and while I am good with the apf version, the wholewheat is something I have failed at โ yours is the fourth recipe I tried :(
Hi Etka, sorry to hear about your troubles. This recipe is designed to be made with honey and baking soda, so that could explain it. The honey turns a darker color while baking and the baking soda helps the bread rise.
Erika What coconut oil is to fats, Honey is to sweets. Most honey has itโs own distinct flavor that sometimes comes through in cooking and baking and usually takes a little getting used to but I get Orange blossom honey out of Flagstaff Ariz and Mesquite or Desert wildflower which has a really mild and delicious flavor. The raw and unfiltered costs a little more (donโt know why, as it seems it would take less work) but the health benefits are unreal. I use it in all my breads and make sure I have a few tablespoonsful daily for better digestion and energy. Iโm 85 next month and have no aches or pains except a little discomfort the other day from the extended position I had to be in while assembling a parabolic solar cooker for our back yard. And Kate. I love your site here. Iโm trying some yeast-Honey-Banana-Blueberry coconut oil bread, but having a bit of trouble getting it to rise to the volume my other breads rise to, making it a little heavy. Tasty, but a little heavy. Any suggestions?
Hi Benjy! Iโm sorry I didnโt answer you sooner. So great to hear that honey is helping you stay in good working order! I donโt bake with yeast very often, so Iโm not quite sure what to suggest. Maybe a little more leavener would help, or a lighter flour?
Thanks for your response Kate. It encouraged me to try it one more time and I thot, if it fails this time, I wont try again :)
Voila, it came out perfectly browned and rose beautifully. Love Love Love the texture.
Just that I can have it a little more sweetenend. What do you suggest?
I dont want to add more honey as honey is a humectant and might yield a wetter/gooey loaf.
Can I mix a wee bit of powdered sugar into my dry ingredients before mixing with wet? Do you think will need to add a bit more milk to counter the addition of sugar so that the batter stays to be of the same consistency.
Made mini muffins and a small loaf. My 4 year old came and saidโ Thanks Mom, it was yummyโ. Made it with โIndian Aata flourโ. Mini muffins done in 15 min and Loaf in around 45min. Both at 170 degree Celclius
Hi Ekta, so glad it turned out well this time! I think you could just mix in some sugar (plain or powdered) with the dry ingredients. I donโt think you would need to add any more milk.
any suggestions on how to make this into a healthy chocolate banana bread?
Hmmm, I think you could add some cocoa powder with the dry ingredients and fold in some chocolate chips at the end, too!
Amazingly delish!! Rivals my moms 4H recipe which has been hard to do with low fat, low sugar recipes
Thanks, Heidi!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I first came across it about two years ago when I was doing Baby Led Weaning with my daughter and want some fun recipes that didnโt contain added sugar. Your banana bread recipe remains by far my absolute favorite! Itโs rather rare to have any ripe bananas to be able to cook with (my daughter is a banana-fiend and eats any and all bananas in sight!), but when I do I am so excited to be able to bake this!
Thank you, Alison! Delighted to hear it!
I just made this and loved it. So moist and delicious. My new go to recipe. I am pregnant and really watching my sugar intake so I halved the honey and bumped up the banana by a bit. Perfect outcome!
Thank you, Kari! Glad you enjoyed it!
I wanted to try a whole wheat banana bread recipe so I tried yours and one from King Arthur. We all agreed yours was better, more moist for sure, and had less sugar and used coconut oil. Thanks for the recipe! Yours is the first blog Iโve signed up to follow since I liked so many of your recipes.
Hooray! Delighted to hear that. Thank you very much, Theresa!
I made this banana bread a while back and put it in the freezer in individually wrapped slices. I just took one out for the first time, put it in the toaster, then spread slightly salted Irish butter on it. Wow โ deeeeelicious. Maybe the best banana bread experience Iโve had so far. Thank you!!
Iโve made a double batch of this twice in 2 days! Yesterday I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was amazing. I couldnโt believe how high it rose, especially for a banana bread. Great texture and great flavor.
Today I made it with half the maple syrup because I prefer my banana bread less on the sweet side. And added a cup of toasted chopped walnuts for a bit of crunch and extra flavor. Itโs in the oven as I type, and the house smells amazing.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Amanda! Happy to hear it!
Hello,
I loved your pumpkin bread recipe and I want to try this one now !! Can you substitute whole wheat flour with oat flour ?
Thank you :)
Hi Jessica, Iโm not sure! If you give it a try, please let me know.
Another great recipe from you! I have made this banana bead many times now and I absolutely love it. I usually add about 50g of chopped walnuts for a bit if extra texture.. I love having slices of this in the freezer and just pop them in the toaster whenever I need a treat :) One last tip: making French toast with this bread is ridiculously delicious ;)
Thanks, Marie! Glad you like this one! French toast with banana breadโฆ woah yum.
Have made this recipe about a zillion times and every time anyone one has tried it they have loved it and asked for the recipe !
Yay! Thanks, Seren!
Hello! Iโm new here :) ive baked 2 loafs using your recipe and both have turned out wonderfully! I used half buckwheat flour for the second one and it worked great so next Iโm going to try all buckwheat โ wish me luck!
I was wondering what your opinion on coconut oil is? Of course you use it here so you must like it (and so do I actually) but ive been doing some research and itโs incredibly high in saturated fat. I know the type of saturated fat matters, and itโs not the worst kind, but no long term tests have been conducted on how it affects heart health. Do you use it liberally or sparingly?
Much love,
Emma x
Hi Emma! So glad youโre enjoying the banana bread. Do let me know how the all-buckwheat version turns out! I use (unrefined!) coconut oil pretty liberally. I know it is a different kind of fat that the body burns off immediately instead of storing for later. I generally operate under the assumption that minimally refined, natural fats are pretty healthy. I avoid margarine and trans fats like the plague. Iโm hearing more and more research that saturated fats arenโt nearly as dangerous as we once thought. Hereโs an interesting article on coconut oil (sheโs clearly a fan!).
I made this yesterday and itโs practically gone! So delicious and healthy too! I love being able to feed it to my toddler knowing that it has no added sugar. Thank you for the recipe.
By the way, Iโve tried many of your recipes lately and they are all delicious! Iโm so happy I found your blog.
Thank you, Megan! Delighted to hear that. :)
Kate! I tried to make this recipe today for a small dinner with the friends. As I got an idea of baking something too late I had to hurry up but your recipe was crazy good for my case and I was ready with mixing in 15 minutes. And then I left it for an 1 and a half because couldnโt put in the oven right away. And it turned out to be great. Especially when i was cutting it when it was still warm! It looked amazing! And tasted amazing as well. Everyone liked it a lot. My boyfriend told thatโs a perfect bread, although he is not a fan of things with banana. The only thing I changed was that I added 1/2 of cup of brown sugar instead of honey/maple syrup and I especially like that I use whole wheat flour because itโs the thing about me that I like to bake not only tasty but healthy stuff ( although sugar is not very healthy :) but I had no time and no honey).
And the whole website of yours is just super great and I already tried your falafel and pumpkin pancakes. Very happy that foung your page!
Keep on experimenting and share it!
Hey Alexandra! So glad this bread turned out great for you in a pinch. Yay!
Kate, this was fabulous :) Used chia in place of eggs, 1/4 cup silan instead of honey and we found it to be perfect :) This is going to be a regular in our houseโฆLooking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Thank you, Rebecca! Glad to hear it.
Yum! I just made this and it has the right amount of sweetness, though I added about a half cup extra banana since I had three. Left out the water altogether and it seems fine. Next time Iโll add some walnuts or pecans :)
Thank you, Brook! Happy to hear it.
Iโm new to baking and tried this as i my first banana bread recipe. It came out really well for 1st time baking :) I used Indian chapati flour.
Though the cake didnโt rise that much.
Could you please tell me how much the eggs should be beaten(i beat them with a whisk for around 15-20min).
Hi Neha! Iโm glad your bread turned out well. The eggs donโt need to be beaten long at all, just until theyโre thoroughly mixed up (under a minute). Your bread might rise higher next time with less beating. I hope so!
Hi Neha, when you say Indian chappati flour do you mean โattaโ or whole grain flour? Iโm interested in trying in that way too but havenโt heard of anyone else doing it yet
And thank you Kate for this recipe! I love your cookbook and am excited to now try things from the blog!!
My daughter and I love to bake and have been on the hunt for the best โhealthyโ banana bread recipe and this one is our favourite by far. Thank you. I think our hunt is over :)
Yay! So glad to hear it. Thank you, Heather.
Iโve made this bread a couple times now and it is great. I made it substituting a 1/4 tsp of almond extract in place of the vanilla, which i think compliments the mild sweetness of the bananas. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you, Christa! :)
Thank you for this healthy recipe! It was delicious. I found that I only needed to cook it for 45 minutes though and it came out perfect! Delicious alternative to english muffins for breakfast!
Glad your bread turned out great, Dianne! Thank you for letting me know!
Can you swap the banana for zucchini or do you have a zucchini bread recipe by chance? My son loves zucchini bread but the recipes i use use far too much sugar and i try to omit most of it.
A dear family helped me out when my car battery died last week. Wanted a yeast free bread to make for them and stumbled onto your website. Thank you!!
Iโm glad you got the help you needed! Hope he/she loved the banana bread. :)
I made this bread today and it came out really well. I went for the dry baking soda option and it is lovely and moist. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you, Nex!
This is a great recipe! Thank you!
Iโve made it a few times now. Mostly with bananas but once with pumpkin. I double the recipe and make three smaller loaves. They last about a day each in this house!
Iโve also used buttermilk instead of water as I see some others have posted about.
Love that itโs whole wheat, honey and coconut oil!
Thanks again for a great recipe!
Thank you, Rachel! Your versions sound great!
Light amount of sweetness. Will def save for repeated use. Baked for 65 minutes and it turned out delicious. :-)
Hi Kate!
I made your banana bread at home and it became our favourite! Definitely a keeper. Not too sweet, perfect texture and can be kept for a couple of days.
Thanks a lot for this recipe!
Hi Kate, made this banana bread this afternoon n its a hit. I used coconut milk instead of water. It came out so well, smells great n tastes awesome, not vry sweet, just perfect.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I just tried this recipe! Yum! Iโd like to know the nutritional info if you have it. I donโt see it.
Iโm sorry, I donโt offer nutrition information since home cooking is so variable.
banana bread turned into a disaster, center is just mush no matter how much you cook it, on the outside looks lovely but inside is horrible. Wonโt be making this again I will try other banana bread recipe Do Not Recommend trying this!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Itโs the best thing Iโve made in my kitchen, since I started to have stomach problems and have been on a strict no spice no acidic stuff diet!
Bananas + whole meal + sweetness without sugar = made my day!! Thank you :)
I had a go at this, but ended up with a burnt crust and underbaked middle. My oven hasnโt failed me on other bakes, has anyone else come up against this problem?
I will add that the end result was very yummy, which makes the imperfect finish more frustrating
This was my first attempt at banana bread and it turned out great! Made it for a casual gathering with friends and it was demolished! Love that something so tasty is also extremely healthy!
I used honey instead of maple syrup and also substituded 1 cup of whole wheat flour for oat flour.
Great consistency even though I had to replace the whole wheat flour with gluten free version. The only thing is that my bread turned out to be very salty and Iโm sure I used the right amount of salt. Iโll make this bread again with little bit less salt :)
Hi Kate!
Can you help me with the ingredients in โgramsโ format please?
I just made this, and itโs my new favorite banana bread recipe. Several of my friends have asked that I make it again.
I am 15, and I am going to make this for my friend (she is coeliac and lactose) and I only need to sub the wholewheat to wholemeal and this bread is as good as hers (she couldnt eat the brownies i made) so thank you for this recipe! :), P.S everything i also check if the ingredients were gluten free and dairy free
Hi Kate,
Can you substitute some of the honey for applesauce?
Iโve made this several times, and even though it tastes great it never seems to be the right texture โ more like a bread pudding in the middle (even after an hour and a half) and it never seems to rise properly :-( Iโve tried whole meal flour and strong whole meal flour โ I wonder if I should try self-raising whole meal flour? Iโve also tried cooking in my main over (fan assisted) and the smaller top oven (not fan assisted) โ so I wondered if the temp you gave was fan or non-fan? Iโd really like to get it right the next time coz it tastes so yummy, but itโs so goey (even though skewer is clean when I fetch them out..). Thanks for any help in advance :-)
Hey Laura, Iโm sorry that is happening. You might want to get an oven thermometer to see if your ovens are running at the right temperature. Mine doesnโt have a fan. You might also check that your baking soda hasnโt expired.
Hi Kate, made this banana bread this afternoon n its a hit. I used coconut milk instead of water. It came out so well, smells great n tastes awesome, not vry sweet, just perfect.
Thank you, Camila! Iโm glad.
This was soooo amazing! I doubled it, but I only had 2 eggs, so I used an extra banana instead. I used the maple syrup and added a few carob chips. My kids were raving about how yummy this is. This will be my new go-to banana bread recipe.
Missed the rating before, so doing it now.
Do you think this Would this work ok with a gluten free or coconut flour? Im trying to cut carbs as much as possible!
Hi Sandra, a gluten-free all-purpose blend should work fine, although Iโm not sure it will significantly reduce carbs. You really canโt substitute coconut flour for any other flour; it soaks up all the moisture in the recipe and will have profoundly negative effects on the outcome if the recipe wasnโt designed for it.
Made it today with leftover pumpkin purรฉe and pumpkin pie spice. Canโt wait for it to come out of the oven! Little person licking the bowl as we speak :-)
I used butter and buttermilk. Thanks again for this recipe!
Hope it turned out great! Thanks, Rachel!
Found this whille looking for something interesting to make with a small batch of stone ground Red Fife flour which I had just acquired. I opted for the honey this time, mixed the baking soda into the flour, and used warm whole milk instead of water. At 55 minutes the temperture was 192ยฐF. The only problem is that itโs disappearing very quickly.
Amazing. My family finished 3/4 of it 10 minutes after it came out of the oven. I will have to make another one tomorrow! I used the flax egg suggestion and it was great.
YES so glad to hear they gobbled it up! I hope you got to try some, too :)
This recipe is amazing!! Iโve never baked banana bread before though I love it but was finding it challenging to adapt other recipe for my diet. First attempt was yummy but dry the following day. Tried adding pitted dates and an extra banana (needed extra time in the oven). I also substituted half the flour with almond flour and result. Very yummy! Still moist a day after baking. The dates does make it sweeter but itโs okay, all healthy. I also used coconut oil and coconut milk instead. All in all a great recipe, easy to make and adapt to dietary requirements. Had some with my breakfast this morning instead of my normal bread. Great as a dessert with coconut cream too!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Youโre welcome, Yvonne! Iโm so glad you persisted and found a variation that works with your needs & tastes.
Wonderful recipe!! Made this with chocolate chips and walnuts. The coconut oil, honey and whole wheat made me feel better about indulging in this lovely baked good. Looking forward to checking out some of the other recipes on this site. (Also, traditionally I use over-ripe bananas, which worked well)
Best ever recipe, Thank you!
Youโre welcome, Linda!
This is such an amazing banana loaf! I tweaked it slightly and added some dried ginger, cloves and chopped almonds, as well as used aquafaba instead of the eggs. So good!
Yum! Sounds well-spiced and delicious, Stella.