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18 Banana Bread Recipes
January 31, 2017
Updated: April 3, 2018
Banana bread is one of my favorite things to bake in the kitchen. The recipes are forgiving, so they’re difficult to mess up, they’re always a crowd favorite and they’re a fantastic way of using up ripe, nutrition-rich bananas.
But with too many banana bread loaves, you can get fatigued with the same old recipe. So I’ve rounded up some of the best banana bread recipe variations around. Whether you’ve never made a banana bread before, never tried gluten-free banana bread, or you’re ready to spice up your usual, get ready for some of the tastiest banana bread recipes around.
18 Banana Bread Recipes
When you want banana bread flavor without all the hassle of baking, this oatmeal is the answer. Made with gluten-free oats, crunchy pecans and maple syrup, so no refined sugar here. It’s prepared in the oven and makes 6 servings, so you can chow down throughout the week.
Photo: Five Heart Home
2. Carrot Cake Banana Bread with Thick Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Why bother choosing between carrot cake and banana bread when you can have them both? This version keeps things light with whole wheat flour, a lot of applesauce instead of oil and a minimal amount of brown sugar, which you can swap for coconut sugar. The healthy swaps mean you can enjoy this guilt-free.
This moist banana bread recipe is a chocolate dream. Using Greek yogurt adds protein and keeps the bread nice and moist, while honey sweetens things up. With dark chocolate chips mixed throughout and added for garnish, this one is a keeper.
Photo: The Baker Mama
4. Date-Sweetened Banana Bread (Gluten- & Oil-Free)
If you’re looking for a banana bread that’s dairy-free with no refined sugar or oil, this easy banana bread recipe is it. I love that it’s vegan and sweetened with medjool dates. It’s also made with easy-to-digest, gluten-free oat flour so everyone can enjoy.
No flour, no problem, especially when you have chocolate chips in the mix! This banana bread relies on rolled oats instead to form a loaf with a lovely texture.
6. 5-Minute Paleo Banana Bread
Not eating gluten doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this easy paleo banana bread recipe made from almond meal. Using your blender or food processor means this bread goes from the counter to the oven in just five minutes.
Photo: Paleo Gluten Free Eats
7. Greek Yogurt Banana & Oat Bread
The yogurt in this bread adds a light and creamy texture without butter and oil. It also tastes best with super-ripe bananas, which add even more moisture to the banana bread. You can use a mix of white and whole-wheat flours to avoid all-white flour, too. Be sure to serve this bread straight out of the oven!
8. Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Banana Bread
Too many cans of pumpkin taking up pantry space? Add the healthy vegetable to your banana bread instead! This bread has all the spices you think of when it comes to pumpkin recipes, like nutmeg and cinnamon, but also the sweetness of banana bread. It’s also easy to mix in ingredients like chocolate chips, nuts and raisins. Get the best of both worlds when you make this.
Photo: Running With Spoons
9. Healthier Banana Walnut Bread
Enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of walnuts with each slice of this banana bread. Using whole-wheat pastry flour keeps the loaf nice and fluffy, not at all dense. If this loaf lasts past the first two days — doubtful! — pop it in the freezer for later.
10. Healthy Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
What I love about this healthy banana bread is how easily you can jazz it up to your family’s liking. Omit the chocolate chips and add in nuts, sneak in some dried fruit or pop in some blueberries. There are even instructions on making these as muffins! No matter which option you choose, they’ll be a winner.
11. Healthy 5-Ingredient Banana Bread
No long shopping lists here: this is one of the easiest banana bread recipes out there. With just oats, bananas, eggs, maple syrup and baking soda, you can have some of the tastiest banana bread ready in just minutes. This one makes for a great breakfast on the go and tastes even better the second day, as the bananas get even sweeter.
Photo: The Baker Mama
12. Healthy Raspberry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Things are getting fruity with this raspberry bread, as it’s good enough to enjoy as a dessert but healthy enough to eat guilt-free. I love the sweetness from both the raspberries and super-ripe bananas, and the extra texture from the chocolate chips. This one’s sure to become a repeat recipe in your kitchen.
Photo: Baker By Nature
13. No-Bake Banana Bread Protein Bars
These protein bars are the perfect snack to enjoy post-workout. They’re vegan and paleo, but also super tasty! I love that they have protein powder and don’t require an oven. It doesn’t get better than this.
This bread is a bit more crumbly than you might be used to, but because it’s totally paleo and made with almond meal, I don’t mind — and after you taste it, you won’t either. Aside from the bananas, you likely have all the ingredients you need and since this banana bread recipe is whipped up in the blender, you’ll have it on the table in no time.
15. Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Loaf
Peanut butter and bananas are a classic: I can’t believe it’s taken so long to find this combination in a banana bread! Made with coconut flour, natural peanut butter and no refined sweeteners, this is a new classic. Don’t eat peanuts? Sub your favorite nut butter instead.
16. Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Oatmeal Cookies
Enjoy the taste of banana bread in an easy-to-snack-on, portable cookie form. They’re super chewy, chocolatel-y and have a terrific texture from the rolled oats. Hide the cookie jar because these will quickly.
17. Whole Wheat, Refined Sugar-Free Blueberry Banana Bread
Speckled with blueberries throughout, this good-for-you bread is packed with fiber and tons of flavor from blueberries (fresh or frozen!), maple syrup and cinnamon. I love that it has no refined sugar and that it’s so simple to make.
Photo: Kristine’s Kitchen Blog
18. Whole Wheat Strawberry Blueberry Banana Bread
Not only is this colorful bread lovely to look at, but it tastes great, too. You can easily swap in gluten-free flour for the whole wheat to keep it digestion-friendly and, with the medley of berries and the inclusion of Greek yogurt, it’s light enough to enjoy for breakfast. While you can use frozen berries, this one definitely benefits from fresh when they’re in season.
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