Healthy banana bread (no refined sugar)

Soft, fragrant and naturally sweet, this healthy banana bread revisits the classic with no refined sugar or butter. Very ripe bananas provide all the sweetness, while rolled oats and a little wholemeal flour give the structure: you get a tender, comforting loaf, perfect for breakfast or teatime, with no guilt. Ideal for using up overripe bananas and treating young and old.

Preparation: 15 min  |  Cooking: 45 min  |  Servings: 10  |  Difficulty: Easy

Calculated per serving from the Anses Ciqual 2025 values for each ingredient, based on the quantities in the list. Household measures (spoonfuls, pieces) use average weights. 137 kcal · 5 g protein · 22 g carbohydrate · 2 g fat

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 150 g wholemeal flour
• 80 g rolled oats
• 1 plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Mash the bananas with a fork, add the eggs and yoghurt and mix well.
3. Fold in the wholemeal flour, rolled oats, baking powder and cinnamon, without overworking the batter.
4. Pour into the tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes (check with the tip of a knife).
5. Leave to cool slightly before turning out and slicing.

Nutritional benefits

This healthy version of banana bread replaces the sugar and butter with the natural sweetness of bananas (rich in potassium) and the body of the yoghurt, which clearly cuts added sugars and saturated fat. The wholemeal flour and rolled oats provide fibre and slow-release complex carbohydrate, for steadier energy than a classic loaf: a filling snack rather than a sugar bomb. The eggs add protein. A homemade teatime treat that is nutritionally far better than industrial cakes.

Variations and substitutions

• Vegan: replace the eggs with 2 tbsp soaked chia seeds and the yoghurt with a plant-based yoghurt.
• Gluten-free: use a gluten-free flour blend and certified oats.
• Higher in protein: add a scoop of protein powder or some walnuts.
• Indulgent: a few dark chocolate chips or diced apple.

Storage and making ahead

Banana bread keeps for 3 to 4 days wrapped at room temperature and freezes very well sliced: take out a slice the night before for a ready-made breakfast. It is even better the next day, once the flavours have developed.

💡 Good to know

The riper and more spotted your bananas, the less sugar you will need: that is the secret of a naturally sweet banana bread. Ideal for not wasting forgotten bananas.

Read also

Discover more healthy & balanced recipes · recipes for children · vegetarian recipes.

The foods in this recipe: bananas · eggs · wholemeal flour · oats · plain yoghurt.

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