It’s a conundrum: Americans love bananas, but not enough to avoid tossing a bunch. The tropical yellow fruit ranked as the most frequently wasted food among Americans in a 2021 survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Bosch home appliances. More than half of respondents said they threw food out because it would go bad before they could use it.
In the case of bananas, however, a blackened peel doesn't always indicate the fruit is ready for the trash. In fact, overripe bananas are a key ingredient in a favorite comfort food, so you can cut down on food waste while enjoying a relatively healthy breakfast or snack: banana bread. There are lots of delicious variations on the basic recipe, and, thanks to its star main ingredient, banana bread offers a bounty of potential health perks.
The Proven Health Benefits of Bananas
One medium-size banana contains 422 milligrams (mg) of potassium, or nearly 9 percent of the daily value (DV), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Indulging in a warm slice of banana bread can help you get your fix of the mineral, which may help reduce blood pressure, according to MedlinePlus. Because high blood pressure is linked to a greater risk for heart disease, that’s great news for your ticker. A long-term study published in August 2022 in the European Heart Journal found that women with the highest potassium intake had an 11 percent lower risk for heart disease than women with the lowest intake. In men with the highest potassium intake, their heart disease risk was 7 percent lower than those with the lowest intake
The USDA points out that most Americans fall short of getting the adequate intake of potassium, which is 4,700 mg per day.
But the health benefits of bananas don’t end with its potassium profile, or with the fact that the fruit is a boon to the heart. According to the USDA, that same medium-size banana offers 3 grams (g) of fiber, a nutrient that can help you lose or maintain body weight.
A banana also provides some magnesium, is a good source of vitamin C, and is rich in vitamin B6. Per the National Institutes of Health (NIH), magnesium plays a key role in many body functions, including blood sugar control and blood pressure regulation; vitamin C is an antioxidant that aids iron absorption; and vitamin B6 supports metabolism and immunity.
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More Reasons to Go Bananas for Bananas
Other things that make bananas stand out? Their convenience and versatility.
It’s easy to grab a banana and go — and they’re certainly healthier than most packaged snacks that tend to have added sugar, such as dried fruit and granola bars, notes the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
In the kitchen, you can also use bananas to sweeten recipes in lieu of white sugar. Fresh, homemade banana bread recipes offer proof that it’s possible. To create the most nutritious loaf possible, you’ll want to swap sugar for the naturally sweet fruit, and ditch fatty butter, per the USDA, in favor of a healthy oil or other creative ingredients.
For some sweet inspiration, look no farther than this list of 12 banana bread recipes with a healthy twist.
Low-Carb Chocolate Banana Bread
If you are looking to curb your chocolate cravings with a delicious dessert bread that nixes the sugar, then this recipe is just for you. Sweetened with pureed bananas and almond butter, this twist on banana bread contains just 6 g of net carbs per serving. Bonus: This recipe swaps traditional flour with coconut flour for a low carb option that’s perfect for anyone focused on balancing blood sugar levels.
Nutrition per serving (serves 12): 132 calories, 9g total fat (4g saturated fat), 3g protein, 11g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 4g sugar (0g added sugar), 148mg sodium
Chocolate and Rye Banana Bread
Thanks to Montreal-based recipe developer Jess Hoffma, dark chocolate chip–studded banana bread just got way more decadent — and healthy. The star ingredients in this recipe (besides bananas, of course) are spelt and rye flour. Spelt is a lighter, sweeter relative of whole-wheat flour, while rye offers a deep, earthy flavor that pairs well with chocolate and banana. Like other whole-grain flours, spelt and rye pack healthy amounts of fiber (you’ll get 3 g per slice), calcium, and iron, per the USDA. Maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract add the perfect touch of sweetness to this loaf that won't send your blood sugar levels sky-high.
Nutrition per serving (serves 10; 1 slice per serving): 160 calories, 5g total fat (2g saturated fat), 4g protein, 28g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 14g sugar
Gluten-Free Carrot Banana Breakfast Bread
Take the nutritional value of your banana bread up a notch by throwing in a veggie that’s similar to bananas. Thanks to their fiber and vitamin A, carrots are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, as well as heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts, among other benefits, notes a review published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology. This recipe from Minneapolis-based Lizzie Streit, RDN, of It’s a Veg World After All, makes it easy to reap this veggie’s perks. As a bonus for those with celiac disease, it’s gluten-free!
Nutrition per serving (serves 9; 1 slice per serving): 209 calories, 15g total fat (4g saturated fat), 5g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 10g sugar, 276mg sodium
A Lower-Sugar Banana Bread
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Reduced-Sugar Banana Bread
As mentioned, bananas offer a natural sweetness, and yet some recipes go overboard by adding additional granulated white sugar, which can harm heart health, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Not so with this option. By adding ground flaxseed to provide a fiber-rich source of plant-based fat, per Mayo Clinic, this recipe creates the same moisture and texture of traditional banana bread. Meanwhile, it slashes the added sugar in the typical loaf by almost half, says the recipe’s creator, Marie Dittmer, RD.
Nutrition per serving (serves 18; 1 slice per serving): 179 calories, 7g total fat (1g saturated fat), 3g protein, 27g carbohydrates, 2.5g fiber, 12g sugar (8.3g added sugar), 155mg sodium
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Banana Bread
Put an autumnal twist on your banana bread by mixing in mashed pumpkin, which, like banana, adds a touch of natural sweetness. Beyond the delicious taste of this fall staple, pumpkin offers a boost of antioxidants from beta-carotene (aka the component that gives fruit and veggies their red and orange color, per an article in Molecules). Beta-carotene is linked with a reduced risk of cataracts and nighttime blindness, according to a past meta-analysis. Fittingly, this recipe comes from Chicago-based Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, founder of the blog Once Upon a Pumpkin.
Nutrition per serving (serves 12; 1 slice per serving): 175 calories, 10g total fat (2.2g saturated fat), 7g protein, 15g carbohydrates, 2.4g fiber, 4.4g sugar (0g added sugar), 185mg sodium
High-Protein Banana Walnut Bread
If you’re preparing banana bread for breakfast, you’ll want to choose a recipe that’ll fill you up and keep your energy level steady till lunch. This recipe, from Judy Barbe, RDN, a culinary dietitian based in Casper, Wyoming, is packed with protein (from the yogurt, per the USDA) and fiber, and fits that bill. The addition of prunes naturally sweetens the recipe while increasing the fiber in your slice, the USDA notes. And, because prunes may help prevent bone loss, as a past study suggests, this recipe can do more than just make your taste buds happy.
Nutrition per serving (serves 12; 1 slice per serving): 235 calories, 8g total fat (1.3g saturated fat), 6g protein, 36g carbohydrates, 2.7g fiber, 13.8g sugar (8.1g added sugar), 201mg sodium
Espresso Banana Bread With Dark Chocolate
What’s better than a warm slice of banana bread? How about a slice of dark chocolate banana bread from Denver-based Leanne Ray, RDN, with a kick of espresso to kick-start your day? Not only does the whole-grain flour and flaxseed in this recipe boost the fiber content, per the USDA, but the addition of dark chocolate may help to lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, noted a meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Nutrition per serving (serves 12; ½-inch slice per serving): 258 calories, 13g total fat, 3g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 4g fiber
Banana Bread Overnight Oats
From NYC-based Chelsey Amer, RDN, this new take on a classic not only provides all the taste that you love but also essentially makes itself while you sleep overnight. Using only five simple ingredients, you can whip this recipe together in a mason jar and bring it with you for a quick meal or snack. And if you’re looking to add more heart-healthy foods to your diet, the rolled oats are rich in the fiber beta-glucan (per the USDA), which may help lower LDL cholesterol, according to a review published in April 2018 in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine.
Nutrition per serving (serves 1): 345 calories, 9g total fat (0.8g saturated fat), 14g protein, 53g carbohydrates, 10.9g fiber, 11.2g sugar (0g added sugar), 89mg sodium
Oat Banana Date Quick Bread
Whether you are looking to limit added sugar, avoid gluten, or simply want to boost your protein and fiber intake, this banana bread recipe checks all the boxes. Using a blend of almond meal, and oat and coconut flours, this sweet bread from Lauren O’Connor, RD, a yoga teacher in Los Angeles, provides the same texture as a typical traditional loaf with more nutrition. It gets its natural sweetness from the dates and, of course, the fresh banana!
Nutrition per serving (serves 10; 1 slice per serving): 210 calories, 12g total fat (2g saturated fat), 8g protein, 25g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 7g sugar, 148mg sodium
Olive Oil Almond Banana Bread
Many banana bread recipes use butter as the main source of fat, but just 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of butter contains 7 g of saturated fat, or 36 percent of the DV, per the USDA. In excess, saturated fat can increase LDL cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). This recipe, which is from Athens, Greece–based Mediterranean diet blogger Elena Paravantes, RD, swaps out the saturated fat and replaces it with olive oil, which, unlike butter, is associated with better heart health, notes the AHA. What’s more, this recipe contains dark chocolate — which Harvard notes is rich in iron, magnesium, and zinc — and almonds, which a review published in April 2018 in Nutrients noted supply fiber, potassium, and a variety of other heart-healthy nutrients.
Nutrition per serving (serves 15; 1 slice per serving): 197 calories, 10g total fat (2g saturated fat), 2g protein, 27g carbohydrates, 1.8g fiber, 14.4g sugar (11.4g added sugar), 240mg sodium
Golden Keto Banana Bread
If you’re following the ketogenic diet, bananas and bread are two foods (whether separate or together) you likely swore off when you started the high-fat, low-carb meal plan. Luckily, this tempting recipe from Salt Lake City–based nutritionist Lindsay Cotter is allowed! And you better believe it will satisfy your cravings without throwing your body out of ketosis. (Per serving, you’ll find 5.8 g of net carbs, which is total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols.) This golden banana bread gets a low-carb — and gluten-free — spin, thanks to almond and coconut flours subbed in for the all-purpose variety. Turmeric gives this gorgeous loaf its orange-yellow color. The spice is a major source of curcumin, a plant compound noted for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, per a past review. Also in the mix: flaxseed, a superfood that is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, per a review published in May 2019 in Nutrients.
Nutrition per serving (serves 10–12; 1 slice per serving): 204 calories, 9.7g total fat (2.3g saturated fat), 6.9g protein, 8.5g carbohydrates, 2.7g fiber, 2.3g sugar, 255.1mg sodium
Healthy Chocolate Brownie Banana Bread
At first glance, this fudgy chocolate banana bread from Chicago-based blogger Monique Volz looks too indulgent to be nutritious. Fortunately, that’s not the case! A mix of almond flour and unsweetened cocoa powder replaces plain flour to boost protein content, while mashed bananas and maple syrup provide natural sweetness, thanks to their unrefined sugars. The recipe calls for dark chocolate chips; opt for dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa solids, as this will contain the most heart-healthy flavonols, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. You can also sprinkle in a small handful of your favorite nuts — Volz recommends walnuts or pecans — to add healthy fats and plant-based protein to the loaf. Bonus: This loaf is paleo-friendly, as well as dairy- and gluten-free.
Nutrition per serving (serves 12; 1 slice per serving): 258 calories, 17g total fat (3.9g saturated fat), 7.5g protein, 25.7g carbohydrates, 5.3g fiber, 14.9g sugar
Additional reporting by Lauren Bedosky.
Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN
Medical Reviewer
Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media. She previously managed and oversaw nutrition content, recipe development, meal planning, and diet and nutrition coaching at Everyday Health. She developed and reviewed various meal plans, books, slideshows, and online tools, and oversaw the creation of more than 500 unique recipes. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.
Kennedy enjoys anything that takes her outside, from gardening and playing in the yard with her kids to hiking and even feeding her pet chickens.
Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, LDN
Author
Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and certified diabetes care & education specialist. A nationally recognized nutrition and fitness expert, she has contributed her expertise to national media outlets such as the Good Morning America, Today, The Dr. Oz Show, and the New York Post.
Palinski-Wade operates a private practice in New Jersey where she specializes in diabetes, weight management, sports nutrition, and cardiovascular disease. She owns and operates the blog, Healthy Mom, Happy Family, showing busy women living with diabetes how to make time for health, even when they feel like they have no time for themselves. She also offers nutrition counseling support and online nutrition education courses on her website.
She frequently serves as a media spokesperson, nutrition consultant, and keynote and TEDx speaker. She is the author of multiple publications including the 2 Day Diabetes Diet, Belly Fat Diet For Dummies, Walking Off the Weight For Dummies, and co-author of Flat Belly Cookbook For Dummies.
Palinski-Wade currently serves on the Nutrition Advisory Board for the College of Saint Elizabeth.
Follow her on Instagram @erinpalinskiwade or on her blog at erinpalinski.com.