Whole Wheat Banana Bread
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This whole wheat banana bread is the kind of feel-good treat you’ll actually crave—it’s the perfect balance of sweet and nourishing.
Adapted from the Ovenly coobook, this whole wheat banana bread is made with wholesome ingredients like flax meal, whole wheat flour, and maple syrup. It has a subtle, earthy flavor, just the right amount of sweetness, and a nice boost of fiber. It’s great warm from the oven, but it also keeps well on the counter for a few days. If you’re after a healthier banana bread that still tastes like a treat, this one strikes the perfect balance.
In the mood to switch things up? Try one of my other banana bread favorites: classic banana bread, marbled banana bread, chai-spiced banana bread, and chocolate banana bread. All tried-and-true favorites!
“My absolute favorite recipe for banana bread!”
What You’ll Need To Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread
- All-purpose flour, whole wheat flour & flaxseed meal: This trio gives the bread the perfect balance of structure, fiber, and flavor. The all-purpose flour keeps it from getting too dense, the whole wheat adds a wholesome, nutty taste, and the flax boosts nutrition with a mild, earthy flavor.
- Baking powder + baking soda: Help the bread rise so it bakes up light and tender.
- Mashed bananas: Gives the bread a sweet, moist, and classic banana flavor. Be sure to use soft, spotty bananas for the best taste and texture.
- Maple syrup + light brown sugar: Provide just the right amount of sweetness. The maple adds depth and flavor, while the brown sugar brings a touch of molasses and extra moisture.
- Eggs + vegetable oil: Bind the ingredients and keep the bread soft and rich.
- Eggs, vegetable oil & sour cream: This trio binds the batter and keeps the bread rich, moist, and tender.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances all the flavors and adds warm, bakery-style aroma.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2. Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the sour cream and mashed banana until smooth.
Step 4. Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until just combined.
Step 5. Pour and prep for baking. Pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and smooth the top.
Pro Tip: Give the pan a few firm taps on the counter after filling to release any big air pockets and help the top bake evenly.
Step 6. Bake and cool. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. The bread keeps well for several days at room temp or can be frozen for longer storage.
Pro Tips for Better Banana Bread
- Freeze bananas for later: Got overripe bananas but no time to bake? Just mash them and freeze in a zip-top bag (flattened for quicker thawing). They’ll be ready to go when baking fits into your schedule. Just make sure to strain off the excess liquid they give off while thawing.
- Want a little texture? Add a handful of chopped dates or raisins. Chopped walnuts or pecans also work great.
- Smart freezer storage: Freeze slices individually wrapped in parchment or wax paper, then store in a freezer bag. That way, you can grab one at a time—no need to defrost the whole loaf.
- Easy sour cream swap: Plain Greek yogurt works just as well. You’d never know the difference.
- Bananas not ripe enough? If they’re a bit underripe, roast them (in the peel) at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes to soften and concentrate the flavor. Let them cool slightly before using.
More Quick Breads to Bake
Whole Wheat Banana Bread
This tender, better-for-you banana bread gets its nutty flavor from whole wheat flour and flax, with just enough sweetness to make it feel like a treat.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup maple syrup (see note)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sour cream (preferably full-fat)
- 1 cup mashed bananas, from 2 to 3 brown, spotty bananas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack to the middle position. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, eggs, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the sour cream and mashed banana, and whisk until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- This is best served slightly warm from the oven, when the crust is crisp and the bread is tender, but it keeps wrapped in foil on the countertop for a few days. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Note: The original recipe calls for ½ cup maple syrup. My family prefers it a bit sweeter, but for a less-sweet banana bread, use the original amount.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 216
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 266 mg
- Cholesterol: 34 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made as per the recipe, using the original 1/2 cup maple syrup and a few grates of whole nutmeg because it makes me feel fancy : ) Outstanding. Will be my go to. Thanks for another winner Jenn.
I usually follow your recipes to the letter, and I love so many of them! For this banana bread, I decided to experiment because I have to be super careful with sugar and white flour. So this is what I did, and the results are incredible! I used only whole wheat flour (1 1/2 c), cut the maple syrup to 1/3 c. (I left out the brown sugar entirely), and used olive oil instead of vegetable. I also used three bananas and didn’t measure them. I meant to mix in a few dark chocolate chips, but I forgot so I sprinkled some on top. Plenty sweet and very moist…I learned somewhere else that when using only whole wheat flour, to let the batter rest for a little while before putting in the oven, so I did that for about fifteen minutes first. So delicious!
Can I substitute milk for the sour cream?
Hi May, buttermilk will work here if you have that (though it may change the bread’s texture a bit) but unfortunately, regular milk won’t work.
I’ve made tons of banana bread recipes and this is by far the best! I appreciate that its on the healthy side but it doesn’t taste too healthy. Its also moist but not too moist. This bread was almost gone in 24 hours – everyone loved it. I couldn’t stop myself, I had 3 slices when I first tried it. This recipe is the one I will be making over and over again.
Hi Jennifer,
I love all your recipes. Thank you for all your hard work testing and trying different recipes. I tend to reduce the sugar in most recipes and only used 1/2 cup maple/honey mix this time plus 1/4 cup brown sugar.
P.S my daughter dumped dry rosemary into the banana mix! Lol I stopped some out but not all. It seems kind of interesting
Hi Maria, So glad you like the recipes! I think the bread tasted too salty because you cut back on the sugar. If you make this again, I’d cut back on the salt a touch (I wouldn’t reduce the baking powder or baking soda. (And that’s funny about the rosemary — while unintended, sounds like an interesting tweak!) 🙂
I love this banana bread. Make it often and have shared with friends. Yesterday I made as muffins. Turned out perfect. 17 muffins. Increased the temp to 375 25 minutes worked great for my oven.
This was sooo good! I used 3 bananas (which was a little more than a cup) and 1/2 cup of the maple syrup. My husband says it’s his favorite banana bread now. I’m waiting for more bananas to brown so that we can make this again ASAP!
Tried the banana bread as an alternative to my standard recipe. The family really enjoyed it and didn’t realize it was “healthier”. I ground whole flax seeds in a spice chopper. I had everything else on hand. The crust was delicious. ..next time I will try mini loaves.
Hi! If I were to make muffins using this recipe, how long would they need to bake? Thanks!
Hi Micah, I’d start checking them at 20 – 23 minutes. Please LMK how they turn out!
This bread turned out delish as always! Just for fun, I substituted purple ube yam 🍠 for banana 🍌 . 😀
This banana bread is delicious! Earthy and wholesome tasting is a perfect description. I did not have flaxseed meal on hand, but found it incredibly satisfying to grind flax seeds in my mortal and pestle. Jenn, I’m wondering if I could have substituted wheat bran for the flaxseed meal?
Hi Laura, so glad you liked us! I think it would be fine to substitute with brown for the flaxseed meal.
Wonderful recipe! I used 100% whole wheat pastry flour, and had no issues. This came out light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious!! Also added some pumpkin as I only had one ripe banana available, used avocado oil, buckwheat flour instead of the flaxseed meal, and whole fat greek yogurt instead of the sour cream, as this is what I had available. Really an incredible result, thank you very much!! Will be adding walnuts next time, but this is my absolute favorite recipe for banana bread!