• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Sequined Life logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breads

    Honey Banana Bread

    Published: Sep 9, 2016 · Modified: Dec 30, 2022 by Alyssa · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Share via Email
    A half-sliced loaf of honey banana bread on a marble serving board.

    This naturally-sweetened honey banana bread is as tender and flavorful as classic versions, but is sweetened only with bananas and honey. A few tricks ensure that this moist quick bread bakes up nice and tall.

    A half-sliced loaf of honey banana bread on a marble serving board.

    I'm pretty sure there are no fewer than ten million banana bread recipes out there (including variations like this pumpkin banana bread). But the classic, gold standard banana bread in my house? It's this recipe right here.

    Perfectly tender and extra moist without being heavy, this naturally-sweetened honey banana bread only relies on bananas and honey to provide all the sweetness you need. I love substituting honey for granulated sugar in my honey cornbread, and the ingredient swap and bonus flavor pay-off continues on here with a quick bread.

    Note: This recipe received new photos in December 2022 and was previously titled "naturally sweetened banana bread" if you're returning from a saved link.

    Reasons to Love This Recipe

    • Intentional tweaks (lower baking temperature, two leavening agents) ensures this honey-sweetened banana bread bakes up perfectly golden and tall.
    • It's naturally sweetened with only bananas and honey.
    • You can really taste the honey flavor shine along with the banana flavor.
    • It's been tested and can easily be modified to be dairy-free.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Honey banana bread ingredients in separate containers labeled with their names.
    • Bananas: Overripe bananas (ones with lots of brown spots) are preferred for baking as they're sweeter and mash up well. You'll need one cup of mashed banana, which comes from approximately two large/three medium bananas.
    • Milk: Any variety works, though I usually use 2%.
    • Butter: As the butter will be melted, you can substitute it with vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil.
    • Honey: The co-star of the show, honey brings lots of moisture, delicious flavor, and just enough sweetness.
    • Leavening: While banana breads are typically made with baking soda, this recipe benefits by the use of both baking soda and baking powder to counter the extra weight from the honey and ensure it rises tall.
    • Spices: Ground cinnamon and nutmeg boost that classic, cozy banana bread flavor.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    1. Mash bananas in a bowl using forks, a whisk, or an electric mixer, then whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients. Separately whisk the dry ingredients then pour them into the bowl of wet.
    2. Stir by hand until everything is just combined and no dry flour streaks remain. It's normal for the batter to be lumpy.
    Dry ingredients poured into a bowl with wet ingredients before (left) and after (right) stirring.
    1. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and pour in the batter. Level off the top until it's even.
    2. Bake at 325°F for 55-65 minutes, or until golden and a tester inserted in the tallest part comes out clean. Let honey banana bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
    Banana bread batter in a loaf pan before (left) and after (right) baking.

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • Oven temperature: This is a bit lower (325°F) than other quick breads because honey can cause baked goods to brown more quickly. A lower, slightly longer bake time ensures this honey banana bread bakes up nice and golden.
    • Pan size: A pan with slightly different dimensions can be used. You may require extra bake time if using an 8 ½-inch by 4-inch loaf pan as the center will be taller.
    • Dairy-free: I have made this bread dairy-free with good results. Replace the milk (almond and oat milks are my top choices) and use melted coconut oil or other oil instead of butter.
    • Prevent a sunken loaf: Only grease the bottom and very first inch of the loaf pan so that the batter can easily "climb" the sides of the pan as it bakes. Also don't open the oven door for the first 75% or so of the bake time, as that allows cool air to enter and can interfere with the banana bread rising.
    • Keep an eye on browning: While I have not encountered this issue with this recipe, if your loaf is browning too quickly, loosely tent aluminum foil over the pan once it hits your preferred level of golden-brown and continue baking until finished.
    A loaf of honey banana bread on a serving tray with two pieces sliced from one end.

    Recipe FAQs

    How do you store honey banana bread?

    Once cooled completely, place the loaf in an air-tight container or zip-top bag wrapped with a paper towel. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days. The paper towel will absorb any excess moisture that develops.

    Can I substitute honey for sugar in banana bread?

    Absolutely! Honey makes an excellent natural sweetener for banana bread. Follow the tips in this recipe to ensure success, including lowering your oven temperature and increasing the leavening agents.

    How can I switch up this recipe?

    Throw in your favorite add-ins like chocolate chips or walnuts, replace up to half of the flour with whole wheat flour, replace the basic cinnamon and nutmeg with other spice blends (like chai spice), etc.

    Does banana bread freeze well?

    Yes. While you can freeze a whole loaf, I like to cut a loaf into slices and individually wrap them in plastic wrap. Add wrapped slices to a large zip-top freezer bag with the air pressed out and freeze for several months. Simply remove a slice or two at a time and thaw.

    A loaf of banana bread with three thick slices cut.

    Source: I used the quick bread ratio in Ratio by Michael Ruhlman as a jumping off point for this naturally sweetened banana bread, though I made several substantial and careful modifications.

    Related Recipes

    • Chocolate Chip Banana Crumb Cake
    • Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Chia Muffins
    • Pumpkin Banana Bread
    • Dairy-Free Banana Pudding

    If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!

    A half-sliced loaf of honey banana bread on a marble serving board.

    Honey Banana Bread

    This naturally-sweetened honey banana bread is as tender and flavorful as classic versions, but is sweetened only with bananas and honey. A few tricks ensure that this easy quick bread bakes up nice and tall.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 12 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 243kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 cup (228g) mashed overripe banana about 2 large/3-4 medium or small
    • ⅔ cup (157 ml) milk any variety
    • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted
    • 2 large eggs
    • ⅓ cup (112g) honey
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease the bottom and first inch up the sides of a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
    • In a separate large bowl, add overripe banana and mash with a fork, whisk, or electric mixer. Add milk, melted butter, eggs, honey, and vanilla extract. Whisk/beat until everything is combined and creamy.
    • Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined and no flour streaks remain, taking care not to overmix. The batter will be lumpy.
    • Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and level off the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let bread cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

    Notes

    • To make dairy-free: Replace the butter with vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil and use dairy-free milk.
    • Pan-size: A slightly smaller pan may be used (like an 8 ½-by-4-inch loaf pan) though you may need to increase the bake time a bit.
    • Browning: If necessary and you find your banana bread browning too quickly, loosely tent a sheet of aluminum foil over top to prevent excess browning and continue baking. 
    • Storage: Once cool, wrap loaf in a paper towel (to absorb excess moisture) and store in an air-tight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for 3-4 days. Replace the paper towel as needed.
    • Freeze: Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a zip-top freezer bag with excess air pressed out. Freeze for several months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice (of 10) | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.2g | Protein: 4.6g | Fat: 10.4g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
    « Apple Cinnamon Chia Bars
    (Mostly) Slow Cooker Apple Pie »
    • Facebook
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara Ramondetta says

      August 16, 2022 at 9:40 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! I added some apple sauce to the recipe & walnuts. I also sprinkled cinnamon on the top

      I may add a tad more honey next time! And maybe vanilla extract!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        August 19, 2022 at 10:56 am

        I love the sound of those tweaks, Sara! So glad you liked it.

        Reply
    2. Ivette Duran says

      May 22, 2022 at 11:36 pm

      Trying this out and love that it’s not so full of sugar especially for my kids !!! Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        May 23, 2022 at 8:21 am

        You're very welcome, Ivette! I hope you enjoy. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Elizabeth says

      January 23, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      Was so impressed that it was so moist and juicy and that I could avoid all the sugar!! Exactly what I was looking for!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 24, 2020 at 1:32 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it!! Thanks for letting me know how it went. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Alyssa says

      September 18, 2016 at 8:24 pm

      Sweet quick breads are so great! And versatile...I don't feel badly about eating a piece for a mid-morning snack. 😉

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of a woman smiling with a text overlay reading well, hey there.

    Hi! I’m Alyssa and welcome to my food blog. Here you can find a variety of food and drink recipes, running the gamut from better-for-you main dishes to holiday fare, and from lighter bites to some serious desserts. All with the occasional cocktail recipe thrown in for good measure, too. ♥ Learn more →

    As Featured In...

    A collage of publication logos.

    Simple, Tested Basics

    • The Best Homemade Taco Seasoning
    • Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli
    • How to Caramelize Onions
    • How to Make Croutons
    • Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
    • Air Fryer Baked Potato
    • How to Roast Garlic

    Popular Recipes

    • Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
    • Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Italian Baked Turkey Meatballs
    • Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
    • Italian Anise Cookies
    • Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    More

    • Recipe Index
    • Dinner Hall of Fame
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Favorites

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2013 - 2023 My Sequined Life