One-Bowl Healthy Banana Bread (No Refined Sugar, Dairy Free)
- By Amy Dong
- Published Feb. 6, 2018
- Updated Aug. 17, 2022
This One-Bowl Healthy Banana Bread is better for you and doesn’t sacrifice one ounce of flavor! It’s a supremely moist banana bread that’s loaded with only the good stuff you want. Here’s a healthy banana bread recipe you’ll feel great about.
Super Moist, Healthy Banana Bread
This moist banana bread recipe is busting at the seams with all the good stuff you want, and none of the bad stuff you don’t.
Our gathering of peeps unanimously agreed that this healthy version could easily claim a Best Banana Bread title.
You know we don’t really do healthy baking if it sacrifices texture or flavor. A healthy banana bread recipe doesn’t have to hold back on any of that. This moist banana bread is loaded with tantalizing flavor, with a tender crumb that will have you baking triple batches…
How to Make Healthier banana bread recipe:
- Replace butter with extra virgin olive oil or melted unrefined coconut oil (I usually go for EVOO because I love how healthful it is and you really can’t taste it in the finished product.)
- Replace all sugar with raw, unfiltered local honey. You can also use pure maple syrup if you prefer, but honey is my favorite.
- Replace any dairy milk with coconut milk or almond milk
- Replace white flour with white-whole-wheat flour, which is basically whole wheat flour with a milder texture
- Include ground flaxseed meal, which is great for Omega-3, fiber, and antioxidants
- Add cinnamon because it’s super yummy and good for you
Use the ripest bananas ad mini chocolate chips
Oh, and we add 3 whole super ripe bananas. The riper the better. Ignore the ones I pictured here; they’re all I had, since I used up my super ripe ones. Definitely use ultra ripe bananas that are covered in brown spots.
The mini dark chocolate chips are absolutely {kind of} optional. My Biggest Little made us toss those into this banana bread, which I honestly didn’t need any arm twisting to agree to. Feel free to use nuts or dried blueberries for an even healthier treat.
So. Start saving those bananas. If need be, stick a note on them that prohibits anyone from touching or eating them until they’re ripe for the baking.
You [and your peeps] will thank you.
More to Bake and Eat
- Strawberry Banana Bread – the addition of strawberries brings amazing tenderness and flavor to this banana bread
- Banana Pudding Cake (5-Ingredients) – this super easy banana cake is a hit at all the gatherings and potlucks
- Gluten-Free Banana Bread with Coconut Oil – here’s a banana bread that gluten-free and dairy-free eaters can enjoy
- Moist Zucchini Bread – make the best zucchini bread with these tips
You may really like this one, too:
Did you make this?
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One-Bowl Healthy Banana Bread (No Refined Sugar, Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil or melted unrefined coconut oil
- ½ cup raw, unfiltered honey
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 medium-sized very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cups mashed)
- ¼ cup coconut milk, or almond milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 TB ground flaxseed meal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp table salt
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
- Optional: dark mini chocolate chips, nuts or dried blueberries work well, too
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F with rack on lower middle position. Lightly grease 9x5 inch loaf pan with EVOO or coconut oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the first 6 (wet)ingredients. Stir with a hand-whisk until fully incorporated. Add remaining ingredients except for flour. Gently whisk to combine well. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the flour; fold repeatedly until flour is just combined, with some small lumps remaining (do not over mix the flour.) Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Use rubber spatula to completely transfer batter into the greased loaf pan. Bake about 50 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached. Let bread cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Run a thin, sharp knife along edges carefully and remove bread from pan to slice.
Notes
* If preferred, you can use all purpose flour or whole wheat flour. Note that whole wheat flour will result in somewhat of a more "textured" bread than the white-whole-wheat.
