Whole Wheat Banana Bread
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Wholesome and earthy with just the right amount of maple sweetness, this whole wheat banana bread from the Ovenly cookbook is a must-try.
After reading about the closing of Ovenly, a beloved Brooklyn bakeshop known for its savory-sweet treats and socially-conscious mission, I couldn’t resist checking out their cookbook. The first recipes I tried were their whole wheat banana bread and salted peanut butter cookies, and both were out-of-this-world delicious. The banana bread, made with flax meal and whole wheat flour, has a wholesome, earthy flavor—and it’s a great way to sneak in some extra fiber. The maple syrup adds a lovely touch of sweetness, and while it’s best served warm from the oven—when the crust is crisp and the bread is tender—it keeps beautifully on the countertop for a few days.
By the way, if you’re not in the mood for something a bit more indulgent, or just want to mix things up, I’ve got plenty of other banana bread recipes to try—classic banana bread, marbled banana bread, chai-spiced banana bread, and chocolate banana bread are all tried-and-true favorites.
Table of Contents
“This came out light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious…Will be adding walnuts next time, but this is my absolute favorite recipe for banana bread!”
What You’ll Need To Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread
- All-purpose flour – Provides structure and balance to the whole wheat flour, ensuring the bread isn’t too dense.
- Whole wheat flour – Adds a wholesome, nutty flavor and extra fiber.
- Flaxseed meal – Boosts the fiber and adds a mild, earthy flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda – These work together to help the bread rise, giving it a lighter texture.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Maple syrup – Naturally sweetens the bread with a lovely flavor
- Eggs – Bind the ingredients together and provide richness and structure.
- Vegetable oil – Keeps the bread moist and tender.
- Light brown sugar – Adds a bit of sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor and adds warmth.
- Sour cream – Adds moisture and richness.
- Mashed bananas – Provide natural sweetness, moisture, and classic banana flavor. Be sure to use brown, spotty bananas for the best flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, eggs, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract.
Whisk well.
Add the sour cream and mashed banana.
Whisk until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Stir until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
This is best served slightly warm from the oven, when the crust is crisp and the bread is tender, but it keeps wrapped in foil on the countertop for a few days.
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Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Wholesome and earthy with just the right amount of maple sweetness, this whole wheat banana bread from the Ovenly cookbook is a must-try.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup maple syrup (see note)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sour cream (preferably full-fat)
- 1 cup mashed bananas, from 2 to 3 brown, spotty bananas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack to the middle position. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, eggs, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the sour cream and mashed banana, and whisk until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- This is best served slightly warm from the oven, when the crust is crisp and the bread is tender, but it keeps wrapped in foil on the countertop for a few days. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Note: The original recipe calls for ½ cup maple syrup. My family prefers it a bit sweeter, but for a less-sweet banana bread, use the original amount.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 216
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 266 mg
- Cholesterol: 34 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Thank you Jennifer for a wonderful healthier version of banana bread. I have made it multiple times in a loaf pan and would like to know if it would work as muffins instead.
So glad you like it! Yes, I do think you could make muffins with this recipe. 🙂
Hey Jenn, I don’t have maple syrup. Could you please suggest a substitute. Can I use honey, or granulated sugar in it’s place?
Hi Saloni, I’d recommend replacing the maple syrup with half honey and half sugar. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Love it! The addition of the flax meal and the maple syrup as a sweetener definitely makes for the earthy tasting banana bread that was promised 😋 delicious!
I’ve been feeding my kid baked goods for breakfast a lot and wanted a banana bread I could feel better about. This came out so well! Great texture and flavor! I used a combo of plain yogurt and sour cream because that’s what I had. I did drain the plain yogurt through a paper towel and strainer to thicken the texture. I used 1/2 cup maple syrup and added chocolate chips. The sweetness was just right. I ground whole flax seed in my blender and that worked out just fine. Thanks for the great recipe!!
I have made this bread multiple times in a regular loaf pan and my entire family fights for the crust side. For my peace and sanity, I plan to bake these now in mini loaf pans with cavity size of 3.8 x 2.5 in. Can you please suggest if I need to lower the baking temp and after how much time should I start checking? Thank you again!
LOL – you’ve come up with a good solution! It sounds like your mini loaf pans are pretty small; I’ve never used loaf pans that size so it’s hard to say for sure, but I’d start checking them at about 25 minutes. (Please keep a close eye on them because this is just a guesstimate!)
Just wanted to report back that I was successful in maintaining peace among the family members. Baked them in mini loaf pans and they were perfectly done at 25 mins. Everyone got their own crust. Best part is that my family still doesn’t believe that this recipe has whole wheat flour and flax-seed in it.
So glad! Thanks for reporting back (and happy to hear there’s peace in your house)! 🙂
Amazing flavor! My loaf didn’t come out of the pan very well. A small piece stuck on the bottom and the side were crumbly. The only changes I made were the addition of walnuts and convection setting on my oven. Maybe I didn’t let it cool long enough in the pan? Gave it 10 minutes.
Sorry to hear it stuck! That’s strange as most banana breads generally don’t stick. Next time, I’d line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper. Also, I test all of my recipes using the regular setting in the oven so for the most predictable results, I’d stick with that. Hope that helps!
Love this banana bread Jenn!! So moist and rich…made a nice big loaf as well. I didn’t have flax seed, so used chia seeds and walnuts for my hubbie, and half cup of maple syrup so it wasn’t too sweet…perfect!
Thanks so much for sharing this
recipe…I took a few slices to my neighbour who isn’t feeling well, so spreading the love Jenn.
Hi Jenn. I didn’t have flax seed and used a bit of extra flour as you suggested. I added some chopped pecans and used yogurt instead of sour cream. It was delicious!
So glad it worked out well! 🙂
Thank you so much best banana bread I’ve ever made. Have tried a lot of your very welcome recipes and have enjoyed sharing with my daughters too in these hard times. You and your recipes are a little piece of joy in these dark times.
Glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
Hi Jenn:
I made your Ovenly recipe yesterday; worked out beautifully! I added a walnut/maple syrup and butter crunch topping that I have to say really completed it!
Thanks Jenn, your recipes are always the Best!
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Just got it out from the oven and I can say I have found my only banana bread recipe I will ever need. The crumb was spot on. So glad that it has ‘healthy’ factor tied to it because I do not think I can stop eating it.