This comforting, warm whole wheat banana bread is very simple to make and is ready in just one hour. My no-fuss, the no-fail recipe uses ingredients that are easy to find or are already in your pantry. It’s also really versatile – you can turn it into raisin walnut bread, banana oat bread, or even chocolate chip banana bread with just a few simple additions. This will definitely be your go-to banana bread recipe!
What to Do With Ripe Bananas?
Bananas are notorious for ripening very quickly and, especially during the pandemic, you might have found yourself with more ripe bananas than you know what to do with. Though there are a lot of things you can do with ripe bananas, I find that this simple, no-fuss whole wheat banana bread recipe is the best choice every time. It’s easy, uses up a lot of ripe bananas, and you can get it done in less than one hour! It’s also a very forgiving recipe and is very open to modifications. I’ll talk about some options for bringing more variety to your banana bread in a bit.
Pantry Banana Bread
My banana bread recipe uses only basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. You’d be surprised how such a deliciously soft and flavorful banana bread can come from such simple ingredients!
Besides the ripe bananas, the stars of this basic recipe are whole wheat flour (my go-to is King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat Flour) and a hint of cinnamon powder. The result is nutritious banana bread with toasty, malty undertones.
What to Add to Banana Bread?
Besides being really simple, this recipe is also very versatile. You can add a variety of optional ingredients to make this recipe really yours. Experiment with different add-ons and see what you like best!
For a great pre- and post-workout banana bread, add roasted oats. Not only do roasted oats add a lovely flavor and chew to your banana bread, but they also make it a great pre- and post-workout snack thanks to the additional fiber and lasting energy oats provide.
Raisins and walnuts are another popular choices for banana bread. The raisins are like little pockets of chewy sweetness scattered throughout the bread while the walnuts add a nice crunch and nutty flavor. I also find that these ingredients work especially well in recipes made with whole wheat flour. For this recipe, I would recommend ½ cup of raisins and 1 cup of walnuts to get the perfect balance of taste and texture.
For the kids or the kids at heart, you can add chocolate chips or a drizzle of Nutella. Besides the fact that chocolate and banana are a match made in heaven (especially when you add hazelnut into the mix), the extra sprinkle of cinnamon powder in the recipe will work fantastically with chocolate flavors. The chocolate chips you bake into the bread will also become irresistibly warm and melty once the bread is ready.
I hope you enjoy the recipe! For another easy and healthy bread to make, I highly recommend my spinach bread recipe.
Optional ingredients:
If you want to add more fiber to your banana bread, you can add roasted oats in the mixture. This will make a great pre- and post-workout meal for that extra boost of energy and stamina.
No-Fuss Whole Wheat Banana Bread | Simple Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Ripe Bananas – mashed
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Melted Butter
- 1 cup Flour – I am using an Organic Whole Wheat Flour by King Arthur
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Mash the bananas using a fork and a mixing bowl. You can use an electrical mixer for faster and easier results.
- Add the eggs to the mixing bowl of mashed bananas.
- Add vanilla extract and melted butter to the bananas – mix and set wet ingredients aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
- Now add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and fold or mix slowly.
- Grease your baking tins with butter or cooking spray according to your preference. Transfer the mixture in your bake-ware.
- Depending on the size of your bake-ware, bake for 40-45 minutes. Do the toothpick test to make sure it is fully cooked through. Take a toothpick and put it halfway through the baked loaf. If it comes out clean without the mixture sticking to it, consider your banana bread done!