Our Favorite Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread
A delicious breakfast bread that’s made with white whole wheat flour and sweetened with pure maple syrup and banana, so you can feel good about eating it. You’ll definitely want a second slice of this Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread, warm from the oven!
Ever since I first made these light and fluffy Blueberry Banana Muffins, my family cannot get enough of them. On any given day, you’ll likely find a stash of them in our freezer, ready for quick breakfasts and snacks. They’re healthy, yet still taste like a treat. Which is why I love them so much – they satisfy my sweet tooth yet I feel like I’m making a healthy enough choice when I eat them.
Since we loved the blueberry banana combination so much in the muffins, I decided to take a break from my usual Banana Bread Recipe and give a healthy blueberry banana version a go. It was major success on the first try, and we’ve been enjoying loaf after loaf of this bread ever since! So much so that I feel completely justified in calling it Our Favorite Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread.
I made a loaf of this bread the other morning when my parents and brother were coming over for a visit. It literally took me ten minutes (fifteen, tops) to mix up the batter and get the loaf in the oven to bake. The ingredient list is simple, and there’s no need for a mixer. The best part? While this Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread bakes, it makes your kitchen smell absolutely amazing. You will have a hard time waiting to dig in!
Now, on to what makes this bread healthier than the usual banana bread. First off, it’s 100% whole wheat. I try to eat whole grains whenever possible and this bread fits that goal perfectly. I’m also watching the amount of refined sugar I consume, and I’m happy to say this bread is refined sugar free. I’ve used just 1/3 cup of maple syrup in the entire loaf and it is plenty sweet for my tastes. The blueberries and banana help by adding natural sweetness throughout the bread. I love baking with butter (nothing beats the taste of real butter), and I was able to use just ¼ cup because the mashed banana acts as a substitute for the rest of the butter.
Before I popped this Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread in the oven, for a second I though maybe I should add some streusel or a nut topping, you know, to fancy it up for the blog. But I didn’t. Because this is how we really eat. Quick and easy recipes that are healthy and delicious at the same time. You might also try my Healthy Blueberry Muffins.
More Banana Bread Recipes:
Our Favorite Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 3 medium bananas
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the mashed banana and stir to combine. Add the maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove bread from pan to a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Bread is best the day it is made, but still delicious on the second and third day.
I love using maple syrup in place of refined sugars! I even did it on the recipe I put up today 🙂 This looks great!
Thank you, Medha! I’m going to click over to check out your recipe now. 🙂
This looks wonderful! I love the lower amount of sweetener! Delicious and healthy.
Thank you, Kelly! The bananas add so much sweetness that you don’t even miss the sugar!
I’m absolutely loving this bread, Kristine! I’ve been trying to cut back on refined sugar a bit, so this may be happening soon. Love how moist this looks too!
Thank you, Danielle! We are trying to consume less refined sugar too. Thank goodness for maple syrup and honey!
What size loaf pan are you using for this? I used a 9×5 and my loaf was done at 45 minutes.
I use a 9×5-inch loaf pan. The cook time can vary between different pans (glass vs. metal) and oven temperatures can also vary slightly. Using a toothpick to test the center of the bread is the best way to tell when it is done. 🙂
Quick breads are my ultimate weakness, but I guess now they don’t have to be! In love with this yummy banana bread!!
We share a similar weakness! Mine extends to pretty much all breakfast sweets, too. 😉
I am loving blueberries this summer, and I love the looks of your banana bread! I still need to try out this white whole wheat flour, because I love whole wheat flour but it is so gummy sometimes! Looks delicious, Kristine 🙂
Thank you, Denise! I almost always bake with white whole wheat flour these days. I like the King Arthur Flour brand best, but I’m not too picky. 🙂 I hope you can try white whole wheat soon!
Such a hearty combo! However, I don’t think I’ve incorporated often both blueberries and bananas. Perhaps, all its use has been limited to oatmeal:) Love the addition of maple syrup too! P.S. I’d add some herbs like lemon thyme – that would be lovely too. Nice job!
I’ve recently started using blueberries and banana together and I’m loving the combination. I bet this bread would be delicious with lemon thyme!
Dear Kristine, Your bread looks beautiful. I love those beautiful blueberries speckled all around. Save me a slice for this morning. xo, Catherine
Thanks, Catherine! I do need to make another loaf of this bread soon. 😉
Could I use whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat?
Hi Liz, Yes, you can. The flavor of regular whole wheat is a little bit stronger/less mild than white whole wheat. So long as you enjoy the flavor of whole wheat, it will work perfectly!
This bread looks gorgeous, Kristine! Anything that looks like this and is healthier must be good! I love the combination of blueberries and bananas. And I need to bake with whole wheat flour more, so this is perfect!
Thank you, Gayle! I’m a recent blueberry-banana addict and just can’t stop! 🙂
What a beautiful (and healthy) loaf of bread! Love those beautiful bursts of blueberries!
Thanks so much, Sam! You are too sweet. 🙂
I am allll about recipes like this right now. Quick, easy, seasonal, and comforting. And healthy! I love how those blueberries sweeten it all up 😉
It sounds like we are enjoying the same kinds of recipes right now! Between summer and the general business of life these days, quick and easy is a necessity!
I turned this recipe into a bunch of muffins today. My 7 year old approved which is huge because she has the biggest sweet tooth. Great recipe Kristine.
I am SO glad your daughter enjoyed this bread in muffin form! I have a similar recipe that I make as muffins that my kids love. Thanks so much for letting me know you tried my recipe. 🙂
Oh wow! This sounds epic and love the fact it doesn’t contain any refined sugar 😉 Will certainly have to give this a whirl ourselves. (Great pics btw!)
Thanks, Tom! If you try this bread I hope you love it!
Hi Kristine,
Love this recipe. Thank you for sharing. Do you reckon one could use honey instead of maple syrup?
I haven’t tested this recipe with honey, but I think it would work. I hope you enjoy this bread!
Will definitely make these recipes looks so delicious , All y family loves Muffins Thanks oxoxo
I hope you enjoy these, Annette!
Hello Kristine
I’m rearing to go with this recipe. What can i substitute butter with in this recipe?
I haven’t tested this recipe with a substitute for the butter, but I would recommend using either coconut oil or applesauce. I hope you enjoy this bread!
Can I add coconut oil instead of butter?
Yes, coconut oil should work well. Enjoy!
Can I use sugar instead of maple syrup and how much. Thanks so much. I am looking for recipe with whole wheat flour and came across this one
Hi Mannu, I really can’t say for sure how much you would substitute and whether or not you’d need to make any other changes. The maple syrup adds moisture as well as sweetness. I’d recommend subbing honey if you don’t want to use maple syrup.
I am a big fan of blueberry and searching for something like this for my kids, I will surely try this, but don’t know if I can do it perfectly, however thanks for sharing this.
Oh em gee… made this today and the house smells Ah-mazingggg. It’s absolutely delish thank you sooo much for sharing this!!!! ❤️
Hi Amy, I’m so glad you liked this! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
Have made this many times since I found it! Delicious and good for you is a wonderful combination. I always use the King Arthur white whole wheat flour.
I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe! I use KA white whole wheat all the time, too. 🙂
Hello I don’t have maple syrup at the moment ! Can I use Agave? If so how much? Thankyou
I believe that you could use a similar amount of agave.
I was wondering if you can use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes you can, it may make the bread a little denser.
All I have is all purpose flour,, any adjustments?
You can substitute all purpose flour with no other adjustments. Enjoy!
Great recipe. I added some walnuts and used coconut oil instead of butter!
Can you make this with gluten free flour? Thanks!
I have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Oh my word! I’ve been making banana bread for 5 decades. I’ve tried many recipes and this is the best. I’ll never go back to using processed sugar again. I used organic sprouted spelt flour, added walnuts and through in 1 pkg of Umpqua Maple Oatmeal just bc we are moving and I didn’t want it to go to waste. (It’s a Pacific Northwest brand, very healthy). Definitely not necessary here, just an after thought. Also, backed as muffins bc we have an early morning tomorrow.
These ROCK!