A delicious loaf of banana bread with no added sugar. This fruit-sweetened banana bread is great for breakfast or a snack, served with butter or your favorite nut butter. Plus, there’s a gluten-free and vegan option!
This banana bread is one of the most popular recipes on Nourished by Caroline and it just got a makeover! Don’t worry, it’s the same recipe that you love.
If you’ve been making this recipe for years, you’ll notice that I added new photos, including many step-by-step photos (something that had been requested!). I also added a few extra notes to the recipe to make it easier to follow.
If this recipe is new to you, I hope you’ll love it! See why it’s been a favorite on the blog since I first posted it in 2017.
It turns out that banana bread can be perfectly sweetened with bananas only. Now, I should specify that this bread is NOT sweet enough to be considered dessert for most of us. It is however, perfectly sweetened to be eaten at breakfast or as a snack with a thin (or thick) layer of sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, almond butter, jam and/or margarine/butter. Think of it as eating a sweeter version of toasts in the morning. I must say, it’s also delicious eaten on its own and it does taste sweeter once it’s cooled off – It’s still delicious eaten warm with melted butter.
Ingredient Substitutions and Add-Ins:
The best part about this recipe, other than the fact that it’s sweetened with fruits, is that it’s highly versatile! Here are several variations that have been tried with success:
- All-purpose white flour
- Spelt flour
- Light buckwheat flour
- All-purpose whole wheat flour
- All-purpose gluten-free flour
- With oats
- Egg-free (vegan)
- Using olive oil or avocado oil
- Using melted coconut oil
- With or without walnuts
- With or without chocolate chips
Each variation had slightly different results, but all were perfectly delicious! The only noticeable difference was that the egg-free version, the buckwheat version and the all-purpose gluten-free version all rose a little less. Really, it’s not a big deal and it tastes just as good to me and my recipe testers (my old roommate and Shaun of course). My go-to version nowadays is the vegan option with whole wheat flour and olive oil, but it all depends on what I have on hand.
If you’re wondering: Yes, I tried all of these variations and yes, I made this recipe more times than I can count.
How To Make Fruit-Sweetened Banana Bread:
Here are the simple steps to help you make a delicious fruit-sweetened banana bread.
- Getting Ready
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a loaf pan with oil or butter/margarine or line with parchment paper.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients
Add the mashed bananas, milk, oil, vanilla and egg (if using) in a bowl and stir until combined.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to a different bowl (or you can make this a one-bowl recipe). Stir to combine.
- Combine
Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Don’t overmix!
- Bake
Transfer the mixture to the grease loaf pan. You can also top the loaf with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or a sliced banana if desired. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Fruit-Sweetened Breakfast Banana Bread FAQ:
You can easily make this recipe into 12 muffins! Simply bake them 20-25 minutes at 350°F. Every oven is different. You can check the muffins after 18 minutes. They’ll be ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You can also try these lightly sweetened chocolate chip banana muffins.
Yes! To make this recipe vegan, replace the egg with 2 additional tablespoons of milk. You don’t need to use a flax egg as the bananas add the needed moisture.
Yes! Replace the flour with the same amount of light buckwheat flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour. I recommend using this 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
More Fruit-Sweetened Bread and Muffin Recipes:
- Fruit-Sweetened Apple Muffins
- Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Almond Flour Muffins
- Fruit-Sweetened Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins
- Fruit-Sweetened Carrot Cake Loaf
- The Healthiest Banana Bran Muffins
And if you want a sweeter muffin recipe, check out these chocolate chip banana muffins.
Fruit-Sweetened Breakfast Banana Bread Video:
Fruit-Sweetened Breakfast Banana Bread
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large overripe bananas (1 3/4 cup), mashed
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk)
- 1/4 cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg (see notes for vegan option)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups spelt or all-purpose whole wheat or white flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9"x5" loaf pan with oil or butter/margarine or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash your bananas. Whisk in your milk, oil, vanilla and egg.
- Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix all together. Don't overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the mixture to your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. The bread should be firm on the outside, yet moist on the inside.
- Let it cool 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
If you make this banana bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
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