Crowd-Pleasing, No Sugar Added, Whole Wheat Banana Bread & Muffins
This is seriously the most amazing banana bread you will ever have and it has no added sugar as well as some pretty wholesome ingredients! It is my a staple in our house and one of my go-to’s for potlucks and parties. Everywhere I take it, it’s a huge hit!
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I’ve never been much of a baker, which has to be exact in your measurements and all, but this I can do. I will admit that no two loaves are ever exactly the same. The texture and taste tend to vary based on the size and ripeness of your bananas and the variety of your add-ins. Most often I will bake a loaf, slice it, and then freeze it for easy weekday breakfasts.
Hubs loves this as a PB&J and it is also a nice side to a veggie omelet.
It is only recently that I have started making muffins. We bring 2 dozen to church each Sunday to give church goers a healthy alternative to donuts. It was a kind of a pain until I started using a silicone muffin pan. It’s amazing what a difference the right equipment makes!
We like to do both muffins and bread. Muffins are a great grab-and-go snack or brunch-friendly take-a-long but the bread is our favorite because it stays so moist. And, I have been known to just eat the tops of the muffins. Not cool.
In case you are wondering why there are three empty muffins tins in the picture above…
This happened…
Twice.
Crowd-Pleasing, No Sugar Added, Whole Wheat Banana Bread & Muffins
Recipe type: Baked Good
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 extra-large, ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 heaping cups)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup add-ins (optional, see below)
ADD-INS (optional)
- Diced apple
- Raisins
- Shredded carrots
- Dried cranberries
- Chopped walnuts
- Chopped pecans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium-sized bowl mix together dry flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl mix together banana, egg, and oil.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until thoroughly mixed.
- Add in mix-ins.
- Spray a loaf pan or muffin tin generously. Unless you are using a silicone pan!
- Bake loaf for 45-60 minutes or muffins for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then cool on a rack.
Notes
As you notice, the cooking times vary greatly. This will depend on the size of your bananas and the type and quantity of your mix-ins. Just keep an eye on it, watching for the dough to pull away from the sides of the muffin pan. A little bit undercooked us better than dry.
Brandice Lardner is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Amazon #1 Best Selling Author, Homeschool Mom, and Jesus Girl whose mission in life is to help women ditch the diet mentality and find peace with food and their bodies so that they are better equipped to do the great things God has called them to do.
This bread is the best. So delicious, and way healthier than sugar-added banana bread recipes. Definitely a hit at our family pot lucks! 🙂
Yes, it is super predictable what will be served at our get-togethers 🙂
I only have gluten free all purpose flour, would that work?
Hi Carmen! As long as you follow the package directions, you should be good to go. For example, if it says 1:1 ratio or otherwise, just follow that 🙂
I’m definitely trying these! Do you think butter will work okay in place of the coconut oil?
Absolutely! We have used butter several times but the coconut oil has a sweet taste, so it works really well with the no added sugar recipe. The butter gives a more savory flavor. Which works well too!
Do you know what the nutritional value is to one slice of this bread?
Sorry, Shannon, but I have not calculated it. I use so many different add-ins each time, it would be difficult to know.
What if we do not add baking powder and baking soda.. can we still bake the bread.. ( because planning to make for my 8 months old)
Thanks in advance ?
Hi Parvi! I’ve never tried this recipe without the baking soda or baking powder. These elements help the bread “rise” and have a “bready” feeling to it. It may work but I suspect that the texture may not be that great :/
You should experiment with a small amount. In the Victorian era and before, we did not have any good leavening agents so an old trick is to whip up the egg whites into a meringue and add it last. The bubbles will work as a leavening agent. You must work quickly once the whites are incorporated.
Using no salt, baking soda or powder is an excellent idea as they contain sodium which in amounts greater than 1500mg per day is bad for you.
I love your cake n this cute baby too
Thank you, Judy!
Oh my gosh I just made this and am so pleasantly surprised (I never have much luck with wholemeal flour) and I usually always add some form of sweetener honey or maple syrup. But this will definitely be my go to recipe now, I added 1 apple and it gave it the perfect sweetness. I cooked mine for 1hr 10 min I just kept an eye on it, no problem at all. Great recipe :).
Hi Sarah! I’m glad you liked this as much as we do. It’s so fun to play around with different add-ins. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of nuts/seeds so that it’s really filling.
So glad I found your recipe! I’m always searching for a good recipe that uses whole grain products and little or no sugar. I have to admit that I didn’t think it would turn out with enough sweetness to satisfy my taste but it was delicious! Looking forward to sharing this with my diabetic mom. Thank you! 😊
So glad you liked it! I made it the other day with 1/2 an apple and shredded and drained zucchini. It came out super tasty. Hope she likes it too!