Whole Wheat Banana Bread

A healthy whole wheat banana bread recipe that bakes up moist and fluffy. This easy recipe uses less butter than other recipes and makes one delicious loaf of banana bread that is perfect for breakfast or a morning snack. 

What could be more perfect for a rainy day? Or any day, for that matter.

It’s been raining for about two weeks straight, and I figured what would be better for staying inside than soul-warming baked goods.

Everyone has a favorite banana bread recipe, and this one is really something – a nice crust on the outside and soft in the middle. And whole grains to boot! The dietitian in me can’t help but wave a healthy wand over recipes where I can, and this one is no different. Tested and tweaked over the years, this is my go-to for “healthy comfort food”.

This banana bread recipe is versatile too. I love that you can make it with or without the banana topping. You can also swap around your ratios of whole wheat to all purpose flour as long as you have the same total amount for the bread. I’m often likely to run out of whole wheat flour halfway through a recipe LOL!

It’s husband-approved as well – even with less sugar, less fat, and more fiber than your typical banana bread. And using white whole-wheat flour keeps this bread fluffier and less dense than other whole-wheat banana breads.

I love this banana bread topped with almond butter (or any other nut butter, for that matter) for breakfast or a hearty snack.

Whether its rainy or sunny or anything in-between, get your mixing bowl out to whip up this tasty treat.

Bake. Eat. Be Happy!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Yield: 10 servings 1x
• Category: muffins and quick breads
• Method: bake
• Cuisine: breakfast

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Description

A healthy whole wheat banana bread recipe that bakes up moist and fluffy. This easy recipe makes one delicious loaf of banana bread that is perfect for breakfast or a morning snack.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 extremely ripe bananas
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• Optional: add 1/2 to 1 tsp of cinnamon, or other baking spices (I usually use Penzey’s baking spice – I like it spicy, so I typically add about 1 tsp)
• Optional: one banana sliced lengthwise for the top of the loaf and 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar to coat

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 4×8 loaf pan, set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato-masher until few to no lumps remain. Stir in melted butter and buttermilk.
3. Mix in the baking powder and salt. Add in sugar, beaten egg, vanilla extract. Gently mix in flours and wheat germ. Add spices if desired.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
5. Optional banana topping: place 1-2 Tbsp sugar or brown sugar on a plate and press the cut side of an additional banana into the sugar. Place banana slices cut side up on top of the batter in pan.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

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Notes

Use 3 bananas in the batter for this bread. If you have 4 ripe bananas, you can slice the 4th one lengthwise, dust with a little sugar, and place on the top of the batter before baking.

If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own soured milk to replace the buttermilk in the recipe. To do this, place 1/4 Tbsp lemon juice in a measuring cup, then add milk up to the 1/4 cup line. Stir and let this sit for about 5 min before adding to the batter.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 184
• Sugar: 16 g
• Sodium: 183 mg
• Fat: 4 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Carbohydrates: 34 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 23 mg

Keywords: banana bread, healthier banana bread, healthy banana bread, whole wheat banana bread, breakfast, snack, comfort food, cozy food, whole grain