Whole Wheat Banana Bread
This whole wheat banana bread recipe is perfectly moist, lightly sweetened, and full of flavor! You can make this healthy banana bread plain, with chopped walnuts, or even with chocolate chips. I love spreading vegan honey butter over each slice. All this happiness? It begins with ripe bananas.
We’ve had a bounty of ripe bananas in this house and I had to do something about it. The thing is, I’m kind of a banana freak. It’s my absolute favorite snack. And once they start to turn brown, I’m more than happy to make some banana bread.
How to Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Now that we’ve discussed what’s in (and not in) this recipe, let’s talk about my favorite part, how to make it.
- Pulse the bananas, oil, sugar, vinegar, and water with a food processor, leaving some banana bits.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Chop the toasted walnuts and fold them into the flour mixture. Stir until the nuts are coated.
- Make the batter by stirring together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and cool before slicing and serving warm.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Because whole wheat flour doesn’t develop gluten the same way that all-purpose flour does, this recipe doesn’t require an egg substitute
- Ripe bananas add the perfect flavor, density, and moisture
- Apple cider vinegar activates the baking soda causing a chemical reaction (you can hear it bubbling when you combine the wet and dry ingredients). This creates lift, resulting in a moist crumb.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Ripe bananas — Use 3 to 4 ripe bananas, depending on their size. See my tips below if you don’t have ripe bananas.
- Vegetable oil — We’ll use just a bit of vegetable oil for the moist texture.
- Whole wheat flour — I used basic whole wheat flour, although you could use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Coconut Sugar — I buy coconut sugar at the health food store (Sprouts) although I have also found it in the health food section of my local grocery store. It’s reported to be a healthier sugar which is why I’m using it here. It also yields a caramel flavor I love. You can substitute maple syrup.
- Walnuts — I toasted whole walnuts in the oven for around 5 minutes (don’t bake them too long or they’ll burn). Then I let them cool and chopped them. I find toasted walnuts yield the most flavor. If you don’t want a nut bread, simply leave them out or substitute dark dairy-free chocolate chips.
Ingredient Spotlight
What are the best bananas for banana bread? You should be using bananas with lots of brown spots. To be honest, the browner the better! Overripe bananas will add a nice banana flavor and moist texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this whole wheat banana bread:
Step One: Prepare the Wet Ingredients
In a food processor add bananas, oil, sugar, and water. Pulse this in short bursts until everything is combined, leaving some banana chunks.
Step Two: Prepare Dry Ingredients
Next, stir together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl.
If using them, chop the toasted walnuts and fold them into the flour mixture.
Step Three: Make the Batter
Pour the banana mixture in with the flour mixture and stir it all together. Stir until you don’t see clumps of flour.
Marly’s Tips
Have your oven preheated and prepare the baking pan before combining the wet and dry ingredients in this recipe. You’ll want to get the pan in the oven quickly once the batter is prepared.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven and allow it cool before slicing and serving warm.
New to Vegan Baking?
The idea of making cookies, cakes, or muffins without eggs or dairy can seem like a hill too tall to climb. But with the simple tips in my Guide to Vegan Baking, you’ll be baking like a vegan pro in no time!
Storage Tips
Transfer the bread to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Because banana bread is moist it can go bad quickly at room temperature. If it’s not overly warm in your kitchen it should keep up to 3 days at room temperature. You can also freeze banana bread. Place either the whole loaf or individual slices in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months.
Why is whole wheat banana bread healthy?
Whole wheat is healthier because it includes the bran. That bran has fiber, and we all know the benefits of added fiber in our diets. That’s one reason banana bread made with whole wheat is healthier than a typical recipe.
What if you don't have ripe bananas?
If you have unripe bananas, there’s an easy trick to get yellow bananas ready for banana bread — bake them! Place unpeeled, individual bananas on a baking sheet and bake for around 30 minutes at 300°F. The banana skins will turn black, indicating they’re tender and sweet inside. Remove the pan from the oven. Once the bananas are cool enough to touch, you can peel and use them to make bread.
How to Mash Bananas
Here are three ways to mash bananas for banana recipes:
- Fork — Place peeled bananas on a plate and use a fork to mash away.
- Mixer — Add peeled bananas in a mixing bowl and use a mixer on medium to medium-low speed.
- Food Processor — Place peeled bananas in a food processor bowl and pulse in quick bursts until the bananas are pureed.
Be sure to leave some texture of the bananas because that will increase the banana flavor in your bread.
Favorite Banana Recipes
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Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas about 1 ⅓ cups, mashed
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup coconut sugar (see noes)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup walnuts toasted*
Instructions
- Situate the rack in a lower position in the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Spray a standard 10×5 loaf pan with vegetable spray.
- In a food processor, add the bananas, oil, sugar, vinegar, and water. Pulse until combined, leaving some banana chunks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Chop the toasted walnuts and fold them into the flour mixture. Stir until the nuts are coated. Add the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool before slicing and serving warm. Refrigerate any uneaten bread in an airtight container. Individual slices can be frozen by placing them on a tray and freezing, then transfer frozen pieces to a freezer bag. Stored correctly, they will keep up to 2 months in the freezer.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
Sugar
This is a minimally sweet recipe. You can add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar for a more traditionally sweetened banana bread.Flour
Use any of these flours:- Whole wheat flour
- White whole wheat flour for a lighter loaf
- Whole wheat pastry flour for a lighter loaf.
Quantity
- Use 2 smaller loaf pans but be sure to reduce the baking time. These make great gifts to give out.
- Make two full-sized loaves by doubling each ingredient as written (no adaptations necessary).
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2020 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
Finally, a whole wheat banana bread recipe that has that great traditional texture and flavor. I put the AVC in with the wet ingredients and that must have been the right thing to do, since it baked up wonderfully. Just for the record, I doubled the recipe and it worked very well.
Thank you, Marley, I’ve been waiting a long time for a really good banana bread recipe like this. I can’t stop eating it!
Hi Kat! You just made my day. I feel like we’re kindred spirits here — both of us see the value in a really good banana bread with whole wheat flour. I agree with you that the texture needs to be right. Thanks for the doubling tip. I’ll add that to the notes too so others will have that as well.
I definitely want to try your recipe but I have a question too. I have a family favorite banana bread recipe that does call for 2 eggs. If I remove them from the recipe do I need to add something in their place? If you are able to let me know that would be great. Thanks!
Hi Lydia. I’m taking a guess here because I haven’t seen your family recipe or tried it, but I think you would be safe to try it without the eggs. The way I look at it, the eggs in banana bread serve two purposes: 1) binding and 2) moisture. You’ll achieve the binding thanks to the flour and moisture thanks to the bananas. Let me know how it goes!