Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe

A delicious whole wheat banana bread recipe that is healthy and easy to make with common pantry ingredients. No oil, no butter, no eggs or dairy and refined sugar free! The natural sweetness of this vegan banana loaf comes directly from pure wholesome maple syrup and the bananas themselves (WFPB recipe).

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Hearty, comforting and so delicious packed with a handful of toasty nuts for the perfect crunch in every bite, this healthy banana bread makes the perfect nutritious breakfast or snack. The recipe that checks all the boxes and of course it can be enjoyed as a guilt-free healthy dessert too. A vegan whole food plant based recipe so good, It’s bananas!

About the Bananas

You want 3 large ripe bananas here. Roughly mash them with a fork but try not to turn them into complete mush, it’s nice to have some texture throughout the loaf.

Whole Wheat Flour vs Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Both healthy options you can use here and it will be delicious. The pastry flour has a milder flavor with a lower protein content yielding a lighter crumb while the regular whole wheat yields a heartier texture with a nuttier flavor profile. I like to mix whole wheat and spelt flours for a more unique flavor when I have both in the pantry. Best thing to do is experiment with ratios as you go. If an even lighter texture is desired you can swap 3/4 cup of the whole wheat flour for unbleached all purpose flour, however my goal was to keep this loaf 100% whole grain.

The Wet Ingredients

I started with my homemade cashew milk mixed with vinegar or lemon to yield a buttermilk flavor. To this I added vanilla for complex flavor and sweetened with pure maple syrup. The ground flax seed here is used as a binder in lieu of an egg but the texture will still hold together nice without it. Lightly stir in the mashed banana then pour over the dry mix to finish your batter. Easy as Sunday morning!

On Storage

For the first day I keep the bread at room temperature on a cutting board so it’s available for anyone to help themselves to a fresh slice. Any leftovers I slice into thick slices and wrap individually in parchment paper or a compostable ziplock bag and store on the counter. This way it’s super convenient to pop one in the toaster before you head out the door in the morning. Anything you don’t plan to eat within a couple of days just pop in the freezer for up to 4 months and straight into the toaster oven when you crave a slice.

Vegan Desserts

• Date Nut Bread Recipe
• Black Bean Brownies
• Chocolate Sweet Potato Bread
• Vegan Salted Caramel Cheesecake
• Poppyseed Lemon Loaf
• Gooey Vegan Brownies
• Vegan Ricotta Apple Pie
• Fabulously Nutty Cookies
• Best Vegan Christmas Cookies.

How To Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread

5 from 2 votes

Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Bread (WFPB Recipe)

A whole wheat banana bread recipe that is healthy and easy to make with common pantry ingredients. Hearty, comforting and so delicious packed with a handful of toasty nuts for the perfect crunch in every bite. No oil, no dairy, no eggs and refined sugar free, the prefect sweetness of this vegan banana loaf comes simply from pure maple syrup + the bananas.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup cashew milk (oat milk or your favorite unsweetened plant milk)
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
• 3 large bananas
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans + a few for garnish

Instructions

• Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 350”F.
• In a medium bowl combine the milk with the vinegar. Add the vanilla and maple syrup then stir in the flax. Set aside.
  3/4 cup cashew milk, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
• Peel then roughly mash the bananas. Lightly stir them into the wet mixture.
  3 large bananas
• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and cinnamon.
  2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pour the wet mix over the dry ingredients and using a spatula fold them until combined trying not to overmix. Add the nuts and fold again.
  1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
• Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and garnish with some walnuts on top.
• Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 70 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool off for 10 minutes before moving the loaf from the pan.
  

Video

Notes

• The Bananas - You want 3 large ripe bananas here. Roughly mash them with a fork but try not to turn them into complete mush, it's nice to have some texture throughout the loaf.
• On Storage - For the first day keep the bread at room temperature on a cutting board so it's available for anyone to help themselves to a fresh slice. Any leftovers at the end of the day just slice them into thick slices (with a sharp serrated knife) and wrap individually in parchment paper or a compostable ziplock bag and store on the counter. This way it's super convenient to pop one in the toaster before you head out the door in the morning. Anything you don't plan to eat within a couple of days just pop in the freezer for up to 4 months and straight into the toaster oven when you crave a slice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy banana bread, vegan banana bread, whole wheat banana bread

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 168kcal

Author: Florentina