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Healthier Banana Bread with Coconut Oil and Honey

Name: Healthier Banana Bread with Coconut Oil and Honey
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup melted virgin coconut oil; 1/2 cup honey or pure maple syrup; 2 eggs; 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas); 1/4 cup milk; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour; 1/2 cup mix-ins like chopped nuts (dried fruit, fresh banana slices, or chocolate chips (optional))

4.50 / 5 ( 10 Reviews )

5 Comments Jump to Recipe

Healthier coconut oil banana bread that you can feel good about eating.

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Sliced loaf of banana bread with bananas

I have been enjoying this healthier banana bread recipe regularly for a few months now and I really love it. I try my best to make my bananas last longer, but I must say, with this recipe, ripe bananas are like a treasure! 😉

I’m not the only one enjoying it either, this coconut oil banana bread has become a family favorite at my house for sure. One of my kids asks for a slice of it at every meal and snack!

This bread is not dry or too heavy either. It is moist and still has that classic banana bread flavor. Plus, you don’t have to feel guilty if you eat a couple of slices too many!

Healthier Banana Bread Ingredients

I love that this yummy quick banana bread is without refined flour or sugars! The coconut oil is a great addition in there too.

With the whole wheat flour, it tastes a little bit healthier than some other banana bread, but it really is quite good! It’s also sweetened with just bananas and honey.

P.S. Some honey is sweeter than others. I’ve been using raw local honey that is pretty sweet, so I use a scant 1/2 cup of it in this recipe. How much you use just depends on how much you want the honey flavor to come through in the bread.

Substitutions & Options

Even though I usually use whole wheat flour, I have used the white whole wheat and organic all-purpose in this recipe before and it all works. In fact, the white whole wheat or all-purpose will result in less of that whole wheat flavor in the banana bread, which some may prefer. 😉

There are a few other options in the recipe, so I’ll just give you a rundown of what I normally do… whole wheat or organic all-purpose flour, scant 1/2 cup honey, cow’s milk, and no mix-ins. Of course, you can add things like chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, and dried fruit to your banana bread if you’d like.

Also, if I have enough ripe bananas around, I usually double the recipe to make two loaves at one time. It’s more convenient and it gets eaten up fast.

How to Make This Healthier Banana Bread Vegan or Gluten-Free

This recipe is pretty versatile! You can make it vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, or egg-free.

To make it vegan, use the maple syrup instead of honey, replace eggs with flax eggs, and use non-dairy milk or water.
For gluten-free, I have heard that the Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free baking flour works well in this recipe. You could also try our homemade gluten-free flour. (The dairy-free and egg-free variations are mentioned in the vegan instructions.)

This recipe is TERRAfit-friendly! Just keep the serving size in check and enjoy!

How to Make Banana Bread with Coconut Oil

Banana bread in loaf pan

Step 1. Get Everything Prepared

Of course, start by gathering all of your ingredients, preheating your oven to 325 degrees, and preparing your pan (a 1lb loaf pan). I like to cut a piece of parchment paper for the bottom of the loaf pan, and then I use nonstick cooking spray.

Note: Want to make banana bread muffins? This recipe makes enough batter for 11!

Step 2. Create the Batter Base

Mixing milk, mashed banana, and other ingredients

Start by whisking the coconut oil and honey together, then add the eggs. Beat well. Next, whisk in your mashed bananas and milk.

Note that the coconut oil may solidify a bit when you add the colder ingredients (like the milk). You can remedy this by leaving the bowl on the stove for a few minutes, warming it for about 10 minutes in the microwave, or warming the milk before you add it.

Now you’re going to add your baking soda, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk those into the batter.

Step 3. Add Flour

Adding flour to batter

You can put your whisk away at this point! Stir in the flour with a mixing spoon, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding mix-ins, do that now too. Gently fold them into the batter.

Here’s how your finished batter should look:

Fully mixed batter

Step 4. Pour the Batter

Almost done! You can now pour your finished bread batter into your prepped loaf pan, or into 11 lined muffin cups.

Banana bread batter in loaf pan

Step 5. Bake Your Banana Bread!

It will take around 55 to 60 minutes for your healthy banana bread to finish if you’re baking a full loaf. When a toothpick is inserted into the center of the loaf, it should come out clean.

If you’re making banana bread muffins, it should only take around 23 minutes at 325 degrees.

Once finished, let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Then, slice and enjoy!

Storing Tips:

You can store your banana bread at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, in the fridge for 5-7 days, or you can slice it and freeze for a few months.

Healthier banana bread sliced

Don’t you just love banana bread?

Something about the smell that fills the house while the bread is baking is just amazing. And cutting into that first, steamy slice, is even better. Be sure to experiment with and enjoy this healthy recipe! Banana bread with coconut oil is the way to go 🙂

Question: Do you put anything on top of your banana bread? Some people put slices of banana, others spread butter or even peanut butter on top. What do you do?

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Coconut oil banana bread