A naturally sweetened, wholesome treat, this Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread is packed with flavor. Perfectly moist and subtly spiced, it’s a healthy twist on your favorite loaf!
Start your day off right with a wholesome twist on a classic loaf! This Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread recipe is made with ripe bananas, hearty whole wheat flour, and naturally sweetened with golden honey. The result is a moist, tender loaf with a subtle nuttiness and just the right amount of sweetness, making it ideal for breakfast, snacks, or even a light dessert.
If you are wanting to add more whole wheat to your baking, you have to check out my Healthy Whole Wheat Bran Muffins, Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins, and Neapolitan Pizza and Honey Whole Wheat Dough.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Whole Wheat Banana Bread
- Naturally sweetened, so there’s no sugar needed!
- Stays fresh and moist longer than regular banana bread.
- Freezes well for make-ahead breakfasts or snacks.
Recipe Ingredients
Honey – Brings natural sweetness and a light floral touch, while keeping the bread moist.
Bananas – Sweet and creamy, they make the bread tender and full of flavor.
Whole Wheat Flour – Adds a nutty flavor and hearty texture.
For a full list of ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below.
Variations
Eggless Version – Substitute eggs with flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water per egg) for an egg-free alternative.
Mix-Ins – Add chocolate chips, raisins, blueberries, craisins, or chopped walnuts/pecans for extra flavor and texture variety. If you want more banana flavor, mix in some chunks of banana before baking.
How to Make Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly spray or butter/flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set the greased loaf pan aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the honey and oil. Add the banana and vanilla, mixing until combined. With mixing speed on low, add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
Step 3: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. With the mixing speed on low, gradually alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the yogurt, mixing until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX!
Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place it in the oven, and bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating halfway through. (Note: You may need to let it bake a few minutes longer, but at high altitude, mine took 42 minutes.) Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
FAQs
Brown, spotty bananas bring the sweetest flavor and softest texture. If fresh ones aren’t available, frozen bananas work too—just drain any excess liquid before mashing to keep the wet ingredients balanced.
Yes! To make muffins, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Storage Information
To STORE this Honey Banana Bread, let the bread cool completely, then wrap cooled banana bread in plastic or aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week or FREEZE for up to 3 months.
REHEAT frozen bread by first thawing it on the countertop for about 20 minutes; then wrap it in a paper towel and microwave for a few seconds, or warm it in a toaster oven.
Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey*
- 1/3 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil**
- 3 very large ripe bananas or 4 medium - (1 ½ cup mashed)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat flour - regular whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly spray or butter/flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set the greased loaf pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the honey and oil. Add the banana and vanilla, mixing until combined. With mixing speed on low, add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. With the mixing speed on low, gradually alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the yogurt, mixing until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX!
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place it in the oven, and bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating halfway through. (Note: You may need to let it bake a few minutes longer, but at high altitude, mine took 42 minutes.) Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
This banana bread tastes lightly sweet and not sugary, which makes it easy to eat more than one slice. ❤️
This is a moist, tasty banana bread. And, I appreciate that the ingredients are healthy. The next time I will try substituting applesauce for the oil.
Hi Tatiana, thanks for your review and your suggestion for subbing applesauce instead of the oil.
So moist and tasty! I think the greek yogurt is the magic ingredient! Oh, and I can’t make banana bread without adding walnuts–just too darn good.
We LOVE walnuts in our banana bread too! 🙂
This was fabulous!!! I put it in a round cake pan an decreased the time of cooking to 35 m and it made for a perfect cake for my one year old!!!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thanks Justina! I plan on using it as the base of a cake for my one year old too! Glad to hear it was a success 🙂
Hi, can I use regular plain yogurt instead of greek and do you bake in conventional or convection setting?
Definitely! And just conventional, although you could probably do it on convection too (it may bake a little quicker though). Hope that helps, enjoy!