Whole Wheat Banana Bread

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This is a 100% whole wheat banana bread recipe that you would never know is whole wheat! It’s super moist and I know your family will be gobbling it up. The secret is in the flour…

whole wheat banana bread on a cooling rack


 

Many times when I hear the words, “whole wheat” I immediately think healthy. Rarely does my brain go to “moist and delicious”. And I definitely don’t string all those words together.

Enter this 100% whole wheat banana bread. Yes, friend it’s 100% whole wheat so that means it’s healthier, AND moist, and delicious.

I used the recipe for Flour Bakery’s Famous Banana Bread recipe, which is my go to banana bread recipe and turned it into a whole wheat version. What’s my secret? White Whole Wheat Flour is the key.

What Is White Whole Wheat Flour?

So I admit when I first heard of white whole wheat flour I thought maybe it was manufactured from whole wheat flour like and it was all just too good to be true.

In my types of flour post, I talk all about white whole wheat flour. In addition to everything else you would want to know about flour! But here is the short and sweet version…

Turns out white whole wheat flour is milled from a hard white winter berry. Traditionally, all purpose flour and wheat flour comes from a hard red winter wheat berry. And just like traditional wheat flour, white whole wheat flour uses the whole winter berry making it 100% whole wheat.

The difference is that the bran of the white winter berry is lighter in colored, sweeter in taste than traditional wheat flour. So to me that means you get the best of both worlds. Better texture comparable to using all purpose flour but all of the nutrients like using traditional wheat flour.

You can substitute white whole wheat flour for your all purpose flour in any of your recipes. One tip given from The Kitchn, is for brownies it’s best to let them rest overnight before serving giving a chance for the bran to soften.

But we’re talking banana bread so let’s move on…

How Do You Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread?

Step 1: Sift your dry ingredients

Set your sifter over a mixing bowl and then measure and add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. And set aside. Sifting is necessary to remove any lumps and aerate the mixture to help create a light fluffy bread.

banana bread dry ingredients in a sifter

Step 2: Mix your eggs and sugar

In a stand mixer, or in a bowl with a hand mixer you are going to mix the eggs and sugar together for 5 minutes until pale and fluff. This creates a lot of air into the mixture. The mixture should be pale yellow and ribbony.

eggs and sugar mixed together in a mixing bowl

Step 3: Add In The Liquid Ingredients

First you want to use a neutral tasting oil. I used vegetable oil but canola oil works as well. You want to stream this in with the mixer running on low. Take your time doing this so you don’t deflate all the air you just whipped into the mixture.

Then add in the bananas, vanilla extract, and sour cream.

bowl of banana bread ingredients

Step 4: Fold In The Dry Ingredients

Now using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients. Just don’t overmix! Overmixing will cause the gluten in the flour to form and too much gluten creates a tough bread. So stop mixing once the last streak of flour is incorporated.

flour folded into banana bread mixture

Step 5: Place In Pan

Then you want to pour the batter into your greased 9×5 inch loaf pan and bake! Bake on a middle rack in a pre-heated oven. And bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

How Do You Make Banana Bread Moist?

The key to making moist banana bread is using very ripe bananas. The blacker the better when it comes to the bananas! Not just flecks but really black.

You also want to make sure that you don’t overmix!

Tips On Making Banana Bread:

  • You want to make sure you use very ripe bananas. Bananas that have lots of black specks. The blacker the banana is the sweeter it will be. I actually like to freeze my bananas when they have gotten too ripe to use later for banana bread. If you use frozen bananas, then let the bananas thaw before using them.
  • Mash your bananas before adding them to the mixing bowl. I do this by hand with a fork since I have used frozen bananas they are very easily mashed. You could also use a pastry blender, potato masher, or a hand mixer.
  • When you add the oil into your the sugar and eggs you want to S-L-O-W-L-Y add it in with your mixer on low. This step should take about a minute. So slow. If you add the oil in all at once you risk of deflating all that air you incorporated into the eggs and sugar in the step before.
  • Measure your flour accurately. I use the spoon and level method. You can learn how to measure your flour in this post.
  • Careful to not over mix. I like to use a spatula and fold in the dry ingredients by hand. You want to stop mixing once they have been incorporated. Too much mixing = too much gluten forming. Gluten is what will give a bread its chew, but for a banana bread you want less gluten to form. So we can accomplish that by making sure we don’t overmix!
banana bread on a cooling rack with bananas in the background

What Can You Put In A Banana Bread?

I kept this recipe simple. But you can definitely add in chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts.

For this recipe I would recommend 2/3 cup of any of those.

If you decide to in nuts, you really want to make sure to toast them before adding them to the recipe.

You could also try adding in peanut butter or Nutella and give it a whole new twist!

Why is my banana bread dry?

This could be from using too much flour. So be sure to measure your flour accurately. It could be also that you overbaked the bread. You want to test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. Make sure to mash your bananas really well, which makes testing for doneness easier.

And make sure your oven is at the correct temperature. I like to use an oven thermometer for best accuracy. 

What do ripe bananas look like for banana bread?

The best bananas arenโ€™t yellow. They are black. Or they are least all speckled and streaked black and brown. You can also freeze the bananas if find you have some that are ready to go bad. Then let them thaw before using them in this blueberry banana bread recipe. 

Can I freeze this whole wheat banana bread?

Oh yes you can. And I recommend you do! Just allow the bread to cool completely then you can wrap the bread up in plastic wrap (I do two layers) and then either one more layer of tin foil or place inside a plastic bag. 

Can I make this gluten free?

I havenโ€™t made it gluten free myself. But when I do make something gluten free, I like to use Cup 4 Cup flour. It has the best texture, you would never know itโ€™s gluten free. 

More Banana Bread Recipes

Tools Needed To Make This Banana Bread Recipe:

  • Loaf Pan
  • Kitchen-aid mixer โ€“ you could use a hand mixer but a stand mixer will  make quicker work of this bread, and save you the arm workout.
  • Sifterโ€“  Sifting your dry ingredients is key in making this banana bread light and fluffy.
  • Dry measuring cups and spoons

If you like this recipe, the be sure to leave me a comment and star rating below! 

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This 100% Whole Wheat Banana Bread is super moist and delicious!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 260kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 3 1/2 Ripe bananas Mashed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • loaf pan
  • mixer

Instructions

  • With the rack in the center of the oven, preheat to 325ยฐF. Lightly butter and flour pan(s) of choice.
  • Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  • With a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  • Switch to low speed and slowly drizzle in the oil, taking your time.
  • Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla, and continue to mix on low speed just until combined.
  • Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. No flour streaks should be visible.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s) and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours for a 9ร—5-inch loaf, and about 50 minutes for three 6ร—3-inch loaves. The loaves should be golden brown on top and the cake will spring back when you press it.
  • Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, remove from the pan and let cool completely on the wire rack. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You want to make sure you use very ripe bananas. Bananas that have lots of black specks. The blacker the banana is the sweeter it will be. I actually like to freeze my bananas when they have gotten too ripe to use later for banana bread. If you use frozen bananas, then let the bananas thaw before using them.
  • Mash your bananas before adding them to the mixing bowl. I do this by hand with a fork since I have used frozen bananas they are very easily mashed. You could also use a pastry blender, potato masher, or a hand mixer.
  • When you add the oil into your the sugar and eggs you want to S-L-O-W-L-Y add it in with your mixer on low. This step should take about a minute. So slow. If you add the oil in all at once you risk of deflating all that air you incorporated into the eggs and sugar in the step before.
  • Measure your flour accurately. I use the spoon and level method. You can learn how to measure your flour in this post.
  • Careful to not over mix. I like to use a spatula and fold in the dry ingredients by hand. You want to stop mixing once they have been incorporated. Too much mixing = too much gluten forming. Gluten is what will give a bread its chew, but for a banana bread you want less gluten to form. So we can accomplish that by making sure we don’t overmix!
ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 10g | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BostonGirlBakes or tag #BostonGirlBakes!


 

9 Comments

  1. Hello, I was looking forward to making this recipe, but my grocery store does not sell white whole wheat flour and no stores near me do either!
    It looks like a very specialty item that I thought would be a lot easier to get. Can this be made with something other than regular wheat flour or white flour? Sort of disappointing I thought the flour would be a lot easier to find! ๐Ÿ™

    1. I understand how frustrating that can be! You can substitute regular whole wheat flour, but the bread may be a bit denser. If you’d like a softer texture, try using half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour. You can also find white whole wheat flour on Amazon if thatโ€™s an option for you. Hope that helps! ๐Ÿ˜Š

  2. Is it possible to sub some of the oil with apple sauce to reduce the fat?

    1. Absolutely! I’d replace half the oil with applesauce…let me know how it turns out!

  3. 5 stars
    I love this banana bread recipe! So much healthier but still so delicious!

    1. Aw thank you CHenee!!

  4. 5 stars
    I love your banana bread recipe! Always moist and yummy every time I bake it. Thank you for the tips you have added with the recipe. I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream as that is what I have most of the time.

  5. Emily Leishman says:

    5 stars
    This banana bread is heavenly! I adapted to make vegan, and it was so delicious! Perfectly moist and sweet, tasted amazing! One of my fav recipes everrr

5 from 3 votes

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