My healthy banana bread with applesauce recipe has the perfect combination of ingredients to make a wonderfully moist and tasty quick bread. We make banana bread at our house a lot because it's the perfect way to use up old bananas.
The recipe is healthy as written, but there are some things you can do to make it even healthier, like subbing pure maple syrup * for the brown sugar or replacing the all-purpose flour with equal parts gluten-free flour * or spelt flour *, which is Clean Eating.
Check out this recipe to see how easy it is to make this recipe and how good it turns out!
Instead of butter, I used applesauce. Cutting out the butter and adding a little vanilla and cinnamon for flavor makes it delicious and moist. I guess that once you try this recipe, you'll like it better than banana bread with oil.
I love banana bread for lunch and it's a favorite of my children in their school lunches. I often make mini banana bread muffins because they are very child-friendly and not as messy.
I hope you enjoy this healthy banana bread recipe - it definitely didn't last long at my house - it was eaten by dinner time!
PrintRecipe
Healthy Banana Bread with Applesauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Easy
Description
This is an easy recipe that my whole family loves. It's a great way to use up old bananas too.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl
- Mix brown sugar and applesauce until completely blended
- Add 2 eggs, vanilla, and bananas to the sugar and mix well
- Add wet ingredients into the dry and fold until all ingredients are wet
- Pour into a greased 9X5 bread pan *
- Bake on 350 for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
AZ
Excellent recipe. I cut the brown sugar to .5 cup and it was plenty sweet. Super moist, everyone loved it.
Gail
Best banana bread recipe I’ve ever tried! Made my own unsweetened applesauce and substituted 1/2 cup of wheat germ for 1/2 cup of the flour required. Accidentally put in 1 tsp of sea salt instead of 1/2 tsp and will do it on purpose next time. Also added some chopped pecans. Soooooo good!!!
Jill Beck
I followed this recipe to a T and it came out perfectly! So easy, so delicious! I like that it has no oil or butter, and the ingredients are simple and few. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you!
EDYE
Just made this! So yummy!
WBJMinistry
I added a crumble top
Yana
Im coming to you for tea! 😊👌That looks a beauty... It is a grat recipie... Great pic too..
Alicia
it is easy to make and the flavor/texture is unbelievable. my family enjoy the treat every time.
Valerie
I’ve made this 3 times and always use 1/2 whole wheat flour. Love it! So moist and just right amount of sweetness. (I always use super ripe bananas). I add 1 teaspoon baking powder only because I saw it in the NYT’s recipe and the texture’s so nice I’m afraid to omit it! Not sure what would happen if I did? How long do you suggest for muffins?
Rebecca Baron
I love your suggestions and I am sure they will help other people. I haven't actually timed how long muffins take. It depends quite a bit on how large they are, the pan and what flour you use but they are closer to half an hour, give or take 10 minutes. I just kind of keep an eye on them and check them with a toothpick when they start to look solid, puffy and brown.
Kara-Lynne N
I added chocolate chips and baked in muffin tin. Worked out perfectly! Baked for about 15 minutes.
Ashley Wyatt
Topped with rainbow chips for a little fun!
Angelica
Added some walnuts yummy!
Nicky
I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour. I also replaced some of the brown sugar with stevia. Baked for 60 mins, though it was a little overdone. 45-50 mins probably would have been fine. But it still came out delicious!
Mary
This is a good recipe easy to make I think I could’ve taken them out a little bit earlier. Still very good.
James
Amazing texture
Rocio
I added walnuts to the recipe. Delicious!
Marcus
So tasty
Doug
It's ok...I don't feel like it has much flavor....it's not very sweet...could be my bananas weren't ripe ripe??...
Rebecca Baron
Using ripe bananas will definitely make it much sweeter. The darker brown color the bananas are the sweeter they are.
Cam
Soo tasty and so easy to make! I've made it a few times in a toaster over and it was just as good, plus
I added some chocolat chips this lastest time making the recipe and it was great! Thanks so much!
Rebecca Baron
I'm so glad you like it. Thanks for commenting!
Lizzy
Hi there! I was curious to know the calorie count for this recipe - per slice? I’m on a calorie deficit and made this for our weeks breakfast!
Rebecca Baron
Sorry about that. Somehow I forgot to add the nutrition label for this recipe. It's on there now!
Breanna
Perfectly baked
Dianne
Note to Self: Easy recipe and great taste. 6-cup bundt pan was very full but it worked fine. Used melted shortening dusted with almond flour as pan prep, which worked well.
Paula
Added walnuts. Turned out delicious!
Natalie
I added walnuts and more spices (clove, nutmeg and ginger). So excited to try it.
Diahann
First time looks and smell good
Gerdia
Excellent....next time will make muffins for my grandson
Donna
Used whole wheat flour and it was super moist and fantastic. My new go-to!
Sarah
So good! Husband LOVED it
Judie-Rae Hetchler
Followed the recipie exactly and its sooooo DELICIOUS. Definitley a recipie to keep and make again & again.
KDS
Delicious!
Tiff
Seriously this my new favorite recipe for banana bread! I made the recipe in mini muffin tins at 350 for 15 minutes! My kids are already asking me to make this again ? thanks!
Rebecca Baron
I’m so glad you like it, especially your children. That can be a tall order!
Beth T
This will be my new go to banana bread recipe!
So much healthier without the oil and tasted wonderful. Made the recipe exactly and mine was done at 50 minutes. It could be oven differences or because I used a dark metal pan.
Neela
Great recipe! Love the consistency of the bread and it has the perfect blend of sweetness.
Aja
Added chocolate chips and cut the recipe in half so it’s a bit smaller.
Maryann M
Excellent! I added about 1/3 cup of chocolate chips for the kids.
Lori Lough
So far so good
Carolyn
After reading all the comments, I made this recipe and substituted whole wheat flour for white flour and I used date sugar (really just ground up dates) for the brown sugar. It came out great!
Rebecca Baron
Good to know. Thanks for commenting so other people know about substitutions that will work!
Kathy
Just made this today. I substituted 1/2 cup of organic pure maple syrup for the brown sugar and added dark chocolate chips. I did use regular white flour (2 cups as stated) and the bread is delicious and very moist. I did take it out of oven after 55 minutes as it was getting very brown. Next time, I will check it at 45 and 50 minutes. I was wondering if using the maple syrup could make it that brown. I was afraid it was burning but no burnt taste at all. I have been using unsweetened applesauce as substitute for several other recipes, so was happy to find this one for banana bread. Thanks!
Rebecca Baron
I’m not sure why it got so brown. It could be a difference in our ovens or altitudes or the rack it was on in your oven vs. mine. I’m glad it turned out for you though!
AnneT
Delicious! Added an extra banana and chopped walnuts. Made mini loaves ?
Laurie Arneberg-Moss
Everyone loved it
CRYSTAL | BEAT BAKE EAT
I love healthy banana breads!
Replacing the butter with applesauce is brilliant. I discovered this substitute years ago and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca Baron
Yes. I love the applesauce trick. It makes it so moist! Thanks for stopping by. Your blog has me drooling. . .
Miriam
I tried it and it came out great thank you… The only thing I did different is put walnuts
Rebecca Baron
Good to know. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Bonnie
I made this bread today. It’s really good!!!
Rebecca Baron
Yey! I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Kat
I made this this morning but made muffins instead of loaf. I also sub. 1/2 the flour for wheat flour and used 1/2 the amount of sugar. I used splenda brown sugar blend. I doubled the cinn. I also added some frozen blue berries to the muffins before putting in the oven. Yummmmmy!!
JM
Thanks for sharing this recipe….I was looking for one with exactly four ripe bananas!
sarah budke
This recipe looks very good- I will have to try it this upcoming week. Thanks for sharing it!
Stacy
Thanks for the recipe! I used whole wheat flour, added walnuts and always sub 1/2 of the called for sugar with ground flax seed. It was delicious!!
Dee
Made it with whole wheat flour and it was delish! !!!! Will definitely use this recipe again! Thanks!
frank k
Great recipe! Our kids are very sensitive to sugar, get jittery even with natural oj. We substituted brown sugar and apple sauce with 7 bananas total. We also replace flour with Kodiak Power Mix. The result is amazing. We have been making the bread with variation of pineapples, bananas and apples, abs. delicious, thanks so much!!
Rebecca Baron
What great ideas!
Tammy
Great recipe, couldn’t wait for it to cool off to eat it!
Ashley
hello,
just wondering if I could use coconut flour instead of all purpose?
thank you
Rebecca Baron
You could but you would have to change quite a few things so personally I wouldn’t attempt it. For one, you would need way more eggs since coconut flour soaks up liquid like crazy.
Kate
I found your site by searching applesauce banana bread. Thank you go the recipe, I can’t wait to make it
Cassie
Bread is in the oven now, smells yummy!! I love issuing applesauce instead of oils!
elaina
This looks easy and delicious! Thanks.
Megan
I love your recipe! Thanks for sharing. So moist and no one can believe it is dairy-free ? It’s my go-to when bananas start to get brown.
Krista
Looks yummy
carrie randall
I make banana bread all the time, but I have never tried the applesauce thing. I will have to give this a try!
Sheri
Great taste and WAY less sugar/oil than my Mom’s old recipe. I DID add walnuts to it! YUM!
Regina
Looks perfect- making today!
Rebecca Baron
Great. Please let us know how it turns out!
Angie
Can you substitute all purpose flour for whole wheat flour?
Rebecca Baron
Yes but it will make it drier and denser so you may want to compensate but adding more liquid to it.
nitasha evans
This sounds so yummy!
Marsha
While substituting oil for my homemade applesauce, this recipe sounds great! I’ve heard about doing this and your recipe sounds like the one I need to try.
Rebecca Baron
Let me know if you try it. I would love to hear if you like it!
Michelle F.
looks so delicious.
Rebecca Baron
It is! The applesauce makes it so moist!
Tina
I have never commented on an online recipe and believe me, I have tried numerous recipes for a variety of foods.
Your recipe for banana bread is absolutely delicious. My husband and I are enjoying right now!
Thank you!