This No Sugar Added Banana Bread is the most simple, healthy banana bread recipe ever, with only 3.5 grams of natural sugar per slice from bananas! If you have ripe bananas sitting on your kitchen counter, this is the banana bread recipe you need.
It’s amazing to see how easily you can make this banana bread without any eggs, dairy, or butter. I’ve made dozens of different versions from Spelt Banana Bread, Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Oatmeal Banana Bread, or Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread.
It only requires simple ingredients and ripe bananas to add a natural sweet banana flavor to your bread.
You don’t need any egg replacer, not even a flax egg. The bananas bind the banana bread batter so well on their own. They also add a natural sweetness to the bread without added sugar.
What Is No-Added-Sugar Banana Bread?
No-sugar-added banana bread is a vegan banana bread recipe naturally sweetened from banana puree. There’s no sugar added, not even refined sugar-free sweeteners like maple syrup or coconut sugar.
As a result, it’s a low-sugar banana bread that is perfect if you are trying to decrease added sugar in your day.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You don’t need sugar to make banana bread, and no, you don’t need overripe bananas ever. Any yellow bananas can create the most delicious banana bread.
The darker the bananas, the sweeter the bread will be. But, if you crave moist banana bread, and your bananas are simply yellow, the recipe works like a charm.
All you need to start with this sugar-free banana bread are:
- Ripe Bananas – Or yellow bananas. As mentioned above, the darker spots on their skins, the sweeter the banana bread will be. However, if you only have yellow bananas, you can achieve decent results with another recipe. It won’t be as sweet, but the texture will be as amazing.
- All-Purpose Flour or white whole wheat flour to add fiber and make a healthier banana bread recipe.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – to give them the soft and airy texture you like.
- Melted Coconut Oil, light olive oil, or avocado oil.
- Vanilla Extract – for flavor.
- Cinnamon – for flavor.
Optional Add-Ons
If you like adding nuts and seeds to your bread, you can fold in 1/2 cup of:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Shredded coconut
- Sunflower seeds or hemp seeds for protein
Stir them until well incorporated.
How To Make No-Sugar-Added Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch x 6-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
- First, peel the bananas. You can keep the banana peels to make my banana syrup or compost them.
- Place the ripe banana pieces in a large mixing bowl, and using a fork or potato masher mash the banana into a banana puree. You can also use the paddle attachment of your stand mixer to mash bananas very quickly. Mix on medium speed – speed 5-6 of a KitchenAid.
- Next, add the remaining wet ingredients: melted, cooled coconut oil vanilla extract, and stir to combine evenly.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
- Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to bring the banana bread ingredients together.
- Fill the loaf pan with the banana bread mixture. You can sprinkle extra nuts on top of the bread at this stage or keep it plain.
- Bake the banana bread on the center rack of the oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool down for 10 minutes in the loaf pan, then pull the pieces of hanging parchment paper to release on a cooling rack.
- Cool completely before slicing the banana bread.
Variations
You can add some flavors and texture to this recipe by stirring some of the below in the batter:
- 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or seeds – the best are walnuts, almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds.
- 1/2 cup of shredded vegetables – like carrots or drained zucchini.
- Sugar-free chocolate chips or cocoa nibs.
You can also add some toppings on top of the banana bread batter, just before baking. I like to sometimes peel a ripe banana, slice in half lengthwise and add both halves on top of the brad.
Press it to seal it in the batter. After being baked, the banana caramelizes, adding moisture and extra sweetness to the bread.
You can also sprinkle sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or unsweetened desiccated coconut on top of the bread. These deliver crunch and a lovely roasted nutty flavor on top of your bread.
Storage Instructions
This no-sugar-added banana bread recipe is stored for up to one week in an airtight container, preferably in the fridge.
You can also freeze the bread on its own or in slices. Make sure you place the banana bread in an airtight container or Ziploc bag before placing it in the freezer. Thaw the frozen banana bread at room temperature the day before.
Serving
This banana bread is lightly sweet, and if you want to keep the recipe sugar free, I recommend you serve the slice with:
- Nut Butter – Spread some peanut butter or almond butter on top of the bread slice.
- No Sugar Added Chia Seed Jam – my baby jam made entirely from fruits and chia seeds for a low-carb sugar-free jam.
- Sugar-Free Syrup – Some natural sugar-free syrup made from Monk fruit tastes amazing on this bread.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some ingredients substitutions ideas if you needed. Keep in mind that this banana bread is already naturally nut-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.
- Gluten-Free – I didn’t try all-purpose gluten-free flour in this recipe, but it should work well. However, since it’s an egg-free banana bread, you might notice a denser, gummier texture when using gluten-free flour.
- Oil-Free – You can replace the oil with nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Since these options are less moist, you will need an extra 2-3 tablespoons of dairy-free milk, or the bread come out dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are my answers to your common questions about baking this banana bread without added sugar.
Yes, you can thaw frozen bananas overnight in the fridge.
They will release lots of juice and liquid. Discard them before mashing them into a banana puree. Then, use it in the banana bread recipe.
Yes, a classic banana bread recipe contains about 1/2 cup of added sugar.
However, you can make banana bread without added sugar, but still, one slice will contain 3.5 grams of natural sugar from the fruit itself.
If you used yellow bananas instead of black-skinned bananas, then the crumb is not very sweet.
You can add unrefined sugar to boost its sweetness naturally or a few drops of stevia to keep it sugar-free.
The oil in banana bread makes the crumb fluffy and moist.
You can also add a splash of dairy-free milk – 2 or 3 tablespoons increase the moisture in the bread.
You don’t have to cover banana bread when baking, except if your banana takes longer than 45 minutes to set and the top starts to darken too fast.
In this case, foil the pan with a large piece of foil to prevent the bread from turning dark, and allow the center to cook gently.
Not really. The fridge tends to dry baked goods if not stored in a sealed container.
The best way to keep your banana bread moist is to wrap the bread in a clean kitchen towel at room temperature.
Or, if stored in the fridge, keep it whole, not sliced, and place it in an airtight cake box.
Bananas deliver flavors when they are ripe. It means when the color of their skin turns darker, with black spots on them.
If the banana skin is green to light yellow, the bananas taste floury. They are tough, not soft, sweet, or flavorsome.
More Banana Bread Recipes
Below are the most banana bread recipe suggestions for you to try.
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No Sugar Added Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Mashed Banana - note 1
- ⅓ cup Melted Coconut Oil - note 2
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ cup All-Purpose Flour - note 3
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Optional
- ½ cup Chopped Walnuts - or Pecan
- 2-3 tablespoons Plant-Based Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some pieces hanging out on the sides. Slightly oil the paper and pan with oil spray. Set aside.
- Peel the bananas and mash them in a large bowl using a fork or potato masher. Measure the exact amount, packing the banana puree into measuring cups. Set aside in the mixing bowl.
- Stir the oil, vanilla extract until well combined.
- Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the batter is consistent. If too dry, this can happen if you haven't measured the amount of banana in step 2, then add the optional plant-based milk. Stir to incorporate.
- Fold in chopped nuts if desired, and stir to incorporate.
- Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool down for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack for 2 hours before slicing.
Storage
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or up to a week in the fridge in a sealed container. Freeze slices, or entirely, wrapped tightly in foil or in zip-lock bags, and thaw the day before at room temperature.
Hi, I looooooveee the recipe. So perfect without any difficult ingredients. Question: have you ever used oat flour to make this recipe? Will it be a good substitute and what would be the measurement? Thank you.
Thank you!!
It’s now my go-to banana bread recipe, having made it for myself, neighbors, and friends many times.
I plan to experiment with sourdough starter, but in case you have suggestions or have also tried it, will you advise on the adaptations that you’d make?
I haven’t tried yet with sourdough, but I’m really looking forward to hearing from you!!
I just tried the thumbprints and I think they will be gone by the morning! Excellent recipes!!!
Thank you ! I am so happy to hear that
this was excellent. I baked and shared with neighbors. A simple keeper. No eggs even, which I tend to run out of just when I need them!