Healthy Cinnamon Apple Banana Bread
This easy banana bread recipe is perfect for fall! It’s full of sweet banana flavor, juicy apple bits, and plenty of cozy spices. Pair that with a texture that’s as tender as cake, and you have a true (secretly guilt-free) breakfast treat! Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (200g) mashed banana (about 2 medium – see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup (see Notes!)
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 1 ⅓ cups (167g) finely diced apple (see Notes!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5” baking pan with foil, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the mashed Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Mix in the mashed banana and maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Reserve ½ tablespoon of the diced apple, and gently fold in the rest.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and gently press the reserved apple pieces into the top of the batter. Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully lifting out the loaf by the foil and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's extremely important to measure the flour with this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will make your banana bread dry.
IMPORTANT BANANA NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For best results, use the ripest, darkest, most spottiest bananas you have! The ones that are purely brown are ideal. They have a stronger and sweeter banana flavor than pure yellow bananas.
Measure the bananas by cups or grams, not by “two medium bananas.” Not all “medium” bananas are the same size!
The mashed banana and Greek yogurt combined need to measure 1 cup. If you have slightly more than ¾ cup mashed banana, then reduce the Greek yogurt by the same amount, and vice versa.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour.
EGG WHITE NOTES: This banana bread requires 2 egg whites. The protein in the whites helps prevent it from collapsing while cooling. If you'd prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 large eggs and reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.
MAPLE SYRUP NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.
For sweeter banana bread, substitute additional maple syrup for an equal amount of milk. (For example, use an additional 2 tablespoons {30mL} of pure maple syrup, and decrease the milk to 2 tablespoons {30mL} instead.)
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
APPLE NOTES: To ensure the loaf bakes evenly, cut the apples to be no larger than chocolate chips. (It takes a little bit more time, but I promise it’s worth it!) I prefer baking with red Fuji apples, but any firm apples will work. I don’t peel my apples, but you’re welcome to if you prefer!
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO: To see how this banana bread is made, watch my video here, located just above the recipe (it’s for a similar banana bread recipe!).
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour, use as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten free flour blends (I love this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
DAIRY FREE OPTION: Use the coconut oil option (or any other neutral tasting oil), or substitute stick-style vegan butter in place of the unsalted butter. Substitute your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk. Substitute non-dairy yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based) in place of the Greek yogurt.
{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, dairy free option}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.