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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Made as per the recipe, using the original 1/2 cup maple syrup and a few grates of whole nutmeg because it makes me feel fancy : ) Outstanding. Will be my go to. Thanks for another winner Jenn.
I usually follow your recipes to the letter, and I love so many of them! For this banana bread, I decided to experiment because I have to be super careful with sugar and white flour. So this is what I did, and the results are incredible! I used only whole wheat flour (1 1/2 c), cut the maple syrup to 1/3 c. (I left out the brown sugar entirely), and used olive oil instead of vegetable. I also used three bananas and didn’t measure them. I meant to mix in a few dark chocolate chips, but I forgot so I sprinkled some on top. Plenty sweet and very moist…I learned somewhere else that when using only whole wheat flour, to let the batter rest for a little while before putting in the oven, so I did that for about fifteen minutes first. So delicious!
Can I substitute milk for the sour cream?
Hi May, buttermilk will work here if you have that (though it may change the bread’s texture a bit) but unfortunately, regular milk won’t work.
I’ve made tons of banana bread recipes and this is by far the best! I appreciate that its on the healthy side but it doesn’t taste too healthy. Its also moist but not too moist. This bread was almost gone in 24 hours – everyone loved it. I couldn’t stop myself, I had 3 slices when I first tried it. This recipe is the one I will be making over and over again.
Hi Jennifer,
I love all your recipes. Thank you for all your hard work testing and trying different recipes. I tend to reduce the sugar in most recipes and only used 1/2 cup maple/honey mix this time plus 1/4 cup brown sugar.
P.S my daughter dumped dry rosemary into the banana mix! Lol I stopped some out but not all. It seems kind of interesting
Hi Maria, So glad you like the recipes! I think the bread tasted too salty because you cut back on the sugar. If you make this again, I’d cut back on the salt a touch (I wouldn’t reduce the baking powder or baking soda. (And that’s funny about the rosemary — while unintended, sounds like an interesting tweak!) 🙂
I love this banana bread. Make it often and have shared with friends. Yesterday I made as muffins. Turned out perfect. 17 muffins. Increased the temp to 375 25 minutes worked great for my oven.
This was sooo good! I used 3 bananas (which was a little more than a cup) and 1/2 cup of the maple syrup. My husband says it’s his favorite banana bread now. I’m waiting for more bananas to brown so that we can make this again ASAP!
Tried the banana bread as an alternative to my standard recipe. The family really enjoyed it and didn’t realize it was “healthier”. I ground whole flax seeds in a spice chopper. I had everything else on hand. The crust was delicious. ..next time I will try mini loaves.
Hi! If I were to make muffins using this recipe, how long would they need to bake? Thanks!
Hi Micah, I’d start checking them at 20 – 23 minutes. Please LMK how they turn out!
This bread turned out delish as always! Just for fun, I substituted purple ube yam 🍠 for banana 🍌 . 😀
This banana bread is delicious! Earthy and wholesome tasting is a perfect description. I did not have flaxseed meal on hand, but found it incredibly satisfying to grind flax seeds in my mortal and pestle. Jenn, I’m wondering if I could have substituted wheat bran for the flaxseed meal?
Hi Laura, so glad you liked us! I think it would be fine to substitute with brown for the flaxseed meal.
Wonderful recipe! I used 100% whole wheat pastry flour, and had no issues. This came out light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious!! Also added some pumpkin as I only had one ripe banana available, used avocado oil, buckwheat flour instead of the flaxseed meal, and whole fat greek yogurt instead of the sour cream, as this is what I had available. Really an incredible result, thank you very much!! Will be adding walnuts next time, but this is my absolute favorite recipe for banana bread!