Looking for a healthy option for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack? This no sugar added banana bread is a naturally banana-sweetened treat. Add some of your favorite nuts or seeds and you have a protein-rich snack that really hits the spot!
My son actually helped to design this recipe. He wanted an everyday treat based on our favorite banana cake recipe. So we played around with the recipe to turn it into banana bread! He’s tried it with whole wheat flour, however, the photographs are with gluten-free oat flour.
Why go sugar-free?
We’re actually big fans of naturally sweet, sugar-free treats in our house. We gave up on sweet treats a while ago, and it’s gotten to a point where we just don’t like super sweet foods. Usually, it’s not an issue… but I do wish that we enjoyed commercial ice cream a bit more! Anyway, my wish for an ice cream cone aside, here’s why I prefer whole fruit-sweetened treats:
- Fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help regulate glycemic load.
- Unlike alternative sweeteners, fruit allows our body to properly regulate its relationship between the taste of sweetness and insulin, something I go into in much more detail in my post all about sugar and alternatives.
- Bananas add sweetness, without making the treat cloyingly sweet. So we can enjoy the complexity of flavors in this no sugar banana bread (cinnamon, nuttiness) without it being masked by sweetness.
- Avoiding sugar is a key part of having a healthy microbiome. If you’re keen to find out more about how to eat for gut health check out this post about feeding your microbiome.
No Sugar Banana Bread (GF Option)
Looking for a healthy option for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack? This no sugar added banana bread is a naturally banana-sweetened treat. Add some of your favorite nuts or seeds and you have a protein-rich snack that really hits the spot!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Baking
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas (approx. 1 cup mashed)
- 1/3 cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups of whole-grain flour (see notes)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, or dried fruit
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8.5-inch by 4.5-inch loaf pan.
- Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until relatively smooth. Mix in the oil and eggs. Beat together until everything is well mixed and smooth.
- Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir until the batter is evenly mixed. If you are making gluten-free banana bread, the texture will improve if the batter is allowed to rest for 30 minutes before baking (to allow the flour to fully hydrate).
- Stir in up to 1/2 cup of optional ingredients. See notes for details. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes, then unmold and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- I like cinnamon in my banana bread. However, if you’re not a cinnamon fan, replace it with the zest of one lemon, or 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Since this is a sugar-free recipe, the added flavor will really make an impact on the overall taste.
- We tested this with whole-grain gluten-free oat flour and whole wheat flour. It will probably work with any whole-grain flour, including spelt, rye, or buckwheat.
- Adding 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (toasted walnuts or pecans are traditional) or seeds (flax or pumpkin) will add a bit more protein. If you are concerned about the lack of sweetness, then stir in 1/2 cup of dried fruit (raisins, currents, or chopped apricots) or chocolate chips instead.
- To make muffins instead, divide the batter into a prepared muffin tin. Then reduce the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes (the exact time will depend on the size of your muffins).
Keywords: sugar-free, snack, breakfast, treat, gluten-free, healthy, wholegrain
Hi Emillie,
I’m wondering if you think coconut flour would work, perhaps as a mix with something like oats?
Coconut flour has quite a different hydration ratio. However, it should work if you only replaced 1/2 cup and then added 1 cup of oat flour (ground oats). However, if you replaced the whole amount, you would need to adjust the amount used. I’m not sure exactly how much as I haven’t tested it with this recipe. Cheers!
Awesome, yes I wasn’t sure about the hydration difference— your suggestion sounds like it would work. Thank you!
★★★★★