Healthy banana bread is a necessity during quarantine. Banana bread is one of the top Googled recipes now during this time of confinement due to COVID-19.

Here’s a healthier version of banana bread from Cookie and Kate:

What makes this a healthy banana bread?

  • This banana bread recipe is made with 100 percent whole wheat flour, unlike traditional banana bread recipes that call for refined flour and lots of processed sugar.
  • This banana bread is naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup, which offer some trace nutrients that white sugar does not.
  • This recipe calls for a reasonable amount of good-for-you oil rather than whole sticks of butter (choose from olive oil or vegetable oil).

Healthy Banana Bread

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil
  • ½ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
  • ¼ cup milk of choice or water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
  • 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  • In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well. Then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk.
  • Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Use a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok. If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
  • Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
  • Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Without add-ins it will take 55 minutes. If you have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes.
  • Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing. You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread from the pan.

Banana Bread Variations & Tips

  • Add some other ingredients, such as chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins, chopped dried fruit or slices of bananas.
  • If you prefer spelt flour, I’ve heard that works well in place of the whole wheat. 
  • You can make muffins, too.
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Following a special diet? With a couple of minor tweaks, you can make this bread vegan or gluten free.

STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: This bread is moist, so it will keep for just two or three days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for five to seven days, or in the freezer for up to three months or so. You may want to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices. Let them rest at room temperature or lightly toast them.

Click here for full healthy banana bread recipe.