OMG guys, I cannot describe to you how happy I am with this Healthy Banana Bread! I will try, but I am not sure it will do it justice. It is; moist, sweet and I really had to hold myself back from eating it all. My family thanked me for my sacrifice.
I have been lucky enough lately to have a glut of overripe bananas to use for baking. I say in luck because bananas are pretty hot property around here. And they have been integral in replacing an added sugar in a lot of my recent recipes such as my Strawberry and Coconut Cookies and these Apple Oat Cookies. And because this Healthy Banana Bread is also completely added sugar free I think it is worthy of the title ‘healthy’ but given banana bread is still a discretionary food maybe I should have called it ‘healthier’ rather than healthy. But everything in moderation right?
Not only is this amazing Healthy Banana Bread completely free from added sugar, it is made with wholemeal flour. Adding wholemeal flour instead of refined flour is a great way to get some extra fibre into your diet. And if that wasn’t enough, this recipe for healthier Banana Bread also has a good serve of protein in every slice from the eggs and the ricotta.
I was actually really surprised that the banana bread was sweet enough with just the bananas as the sweetener. I wavered a lot before deciding to test the first batch without adding a sugar replacer such as maple syrup which is what I was thinking of using. And I am glad I didn’t, this Healthy Banana Bread is truly sweet enough without adding sugar. What helped was that the bananas I used were quite ripe, which is important in ensuring the bake is sweet enough.
I used butter in this delicious Healthy Banana Bread because I wanted a creamier taste and texture. Though, I am sure you could try 1/2 cup of your choice of low flavoured oil if you did not want to use butter. Please note I did not test this variation. The ricotta also adds to the creaminess of this Healthy Banana Bread. I really love ricotta in baking and cooking. I think it adds a moisture to this banana bread recipe.
Print
Healthy Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 15 slices 1x
- Category: Baking
Description
This delicious, moist Healthy Banana Bread contains no added sugar and it is sweetened only with fruit. It is a perfect healthier baked option for breakfasts, lunchboxes or snacks.
Ingredients
- 100g melted butter
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 medium banana for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170c and grease and line a 23x12cm loaf pan
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly
- In a large bowl thoroughly mash the ripe banana then whisk in the butter, eggs, ricotta and vanilla until well combined
- Mix in the flour and baking powder and mix together until just combined, taking care not to over mix
- Spread the mixture evenly into the loaf pan, then slice the remaining banana in half lengthways and arrange side by side down the length of the loaf pan
- Bake for around 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean
- Allow to cool slightly in the tin for around 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling further on a wire backing rack
I hope you love this Healthy Banana Bread (or Healthier Banana Bread if you prefer) as much I as do. If you do bake this, share your pictures with me on Instagram or Facebook I would love to see it! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!
Happy baking
Bernadette x
Amazing recipe, I’ve been making it for a few months now for my toddler.
Quick question though. How would you adjust it to make it into a carrot/ricotta cake? 🙂
Hi there – I would need to do some testing with this combination to be able to tell you with certainty.Thanks Bernadette
How can I adjust this recipe to make it gluten free? I have 2 coeliacs in the family.. Often we use almond meal or an all purpose GF flour. Will either if these work? And will it be a direct substitute with the flour?
Hi Rachel, I have not baked much with GF flour. I would be more inclined to go with an all purpose GF flour. I am not entirely sure with the substitution ratio. If the GF flour you use is normally one to one then go with that. Bernadette x
Al fin una receta de pan de banana que no lleva harina de almendras!!
Hola, soy de Argentina… hace tiempo que vengo buscando recetas sin azucar agregado y tambien sin gluten (en lo posible).. recetas bajas en carbohidratos.. Si bien lleva harina integral, no tendría problema en comer una vez cada tanto.. sucede que todas las recetas de “pan keto” llevan harina de almendras y/o harina de coco y aqui en mi pais son muy costosas esas harinas. Muchisimas gracias!
You are welcome! Bernadette x
Did you translate and understand Valeria’s comments?
It says “At last a recipe for banana bread that does not contain almond flour!
Hello, I’m from Argentina … I’ve been looking for recipes without added sugar and also gluten-free (if possible) .. low-carbohydrate recipes .. Although it has whole wheat flour, I would have no problem eating once in a while .. it happens that all “keto bread” recipes use almond flour and / or coconut flour and here in my country these flours are very expensive. Many thanks!”
Hi, I would like to make it for my toddler on the weekend.
Does wholemeal flour means plain flour?
Thank you x
Saho
It is like whole wheat flour – but no leaving agent added. Thanks, Bernadette
Totally delicious, my two and a half year old son loves this and so do I!
Ah yay! It’s a favourite here too! Thanks so much for letting me know, Bernadette x
I have just made the banana bread for my little 19 month old daughter. She has a sweet tooth and loves cake. She is currently sleeping so she has not had a taste as yet. However, I had a little slice and it was very nice. Do you think I could freeze a couple of slices for her packed lunches in the week? Many thanks
Thank you for baking, glad you love it and hope your little one does too! I freeze mine, but the sliced banana on the top gets a little watery however the actual cake part still tastes delicious. Enjoy, Bernadette x
I made this today,I used Greek yoghurt instead of ricotta,it’s tastes lovely,was easy and healthy.☺
Ah thank you so much Julie – it’s a lovely recipe isn’t it? Bernadette x
After ages, it baked so well on time 🤩 However I guess I took more of whole meal compared to bananas and it wasn’t sweet enough 😑. Gotto try again 😎
The key is very ripe bananas to make sure that the bake is sweet enough I think. Hope it works well for you next time, Bernadette x
Hi,
My loaf pan is 21*10cm does that mean I have to bake it longer? As I have tried this recipe but it fell apart while removing it and it wasn’t holding up well together. I let it cool for anout 15min before removing it but when I did remove it the inside was still very hot and it fell apart. What have I done wrong? It tastes amazing though. Thank you.
Hi Grace, was it cooked through? It might not have been quite baked through completely. Also when I have made mine I have not sliced immediately after removing so it was quite cool. This may have been the issue. Glad it still tasted great though! Bernadette x
Hi, I was searching all day for sugar free wholemeal banana bread 🤩. Can i use oil instead of butter? plz advise it’s measurement as substitute in this recipe. Tks a ton.
Yes you can. Try half a cup of low flavoured oil. I would recommend olive oil (low flavour) or coconut oil. Happy baking, Bernadette
Could I use 1 1/2 cups of wholemeal self raising flour instead?
I haven’t tested but I would say that would be fine! Happy baking, Bernadette x
Could I substitute Greek yogourt for the ricotta, and all purpose flour for the whole meal flour? Thank you!
Yes that would be fine, especially with the greek yogurt. I think with the all purpose flour it will work but it may be a little wet as wholemeal seems to make things a little dryer so just check the consistency. Happy baking! Bernadette x
Hello!
Can i substitue Vanilla bean paste for Vanilla essence at all?
Thanks Kate
Yes you can. I’d recommend extract over essence as it’s more similar flavour and you may not need quite as much. Happy baking, Bernadette x
I love banana bread and this loaf does look so moist. My whole family will love this!
It really is, it’s so light and delish. Hope you enjoy! Bernadette x