This no sugar banana bread is made with whole grains; no oil, eggs, or dairy; and sweetened only with bananas. It’s secretly healthy but tastes so good!

Why We Love This Banana Bread

No Added Sugar: This banana bread is sweetened only with bananas! Four large bananas have all the sugar we need for a tasty banana bread.
Vegan, Whole Grain, Oil-Free: That’s right, this banana bread is made without eggs, dairy, white flour, or even oil!
Amazing Flavor and Texture: Despite all the traditional ingredients that are missing from this recipe, I promise it doesn’t taste like a “healthy” banana bread. It’s moist, tender, sweet, and slightly dense just like a good banana bread should be!
Easy to Make: Everything comes together in one large bowl for quick and easy clean-up. Just mix, rest, and bake! Honestly, the hardest part is just letting it cool before you slice into it (but this is essential to make sure the crumb sets and prevent it from drying out).

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Below is a brief look into the main ingredients and why they work in this recipe, plus any possible substitutions. See the recipe card at the bottom for the full ingredients list and quantities.

Bananas ⟶ Be sure to use very ripe bananas. They should have lots of brown spots and be very soft. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is – which is essential to make a sugar-free banana bread taste good!
Ground Flax ⟶ Soaks up some moisture and helps bind the bread.
Rolled Oats ⟶ Adds a bit of texture and helps prevent the banana bread from being too dense.
Almond Flour ⟶ This is essential to soak up extra moisture without dulling the flavor and natural sugars in the bananas.
Whole Wheat Flour ⟶ This adds a little extra fiber and nutrients that are lacking in all purpose flour. If you don’t like the flavor of whole wheat flour, try white whole wheat flour* which has a milder flavor.
Miso ⟶ This is optional, but I think it adds a subtle extra layer of flavor that’s especially helpful in lower sugar treats. White or red miso is fine, just make sure it is plain miso and not one with dashi added.

How to Make

Step-by-step photos and additional tips to help you get the best results!

Add bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Some small chunks are OK.
Mix in ground flax, vanilla extract, almond extract, vinegar, and miso. Make sure the miso is evenly mixed in.
Stir in rolled oats, almond flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda and fold together. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Transfer batter to a lined loaf pan and smooth out the top.
Bake for 60-70 minutes. Tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Cool completely before slicing.

Serving Suggestions

No sugar banana bread is perfect for breakfast or snack. It’s delicious on its own, but feel free to spread some peanut butter or almond butter on top. I also recommend serving it alongside something with more protein and fiber to last you through the morning. A high protein yogurt and fruit, chia pudding, protein shake, tofu scramble, or even a glass of soy milk are all great options.

How to Store Sugar-Free Banana Bread

This banana bread is best stored in the fridge or freezer.

Fridge: Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 5 days. To prevent drying out, only cut slices when you are ready to eat them.
Freezer: Slice first and place in a single layer in a freezer-safe container or bag. Store for up to 3 months for the best texture.

To reheat the banana bread, just pop a slice in the microwave for a few seconds. You can also optionally toast it for a crispy surface.

No Sugar Banana Bread FAQ

Honestly, this is my new favorite banana bread recipe. It has a ton of banana flavor and natural sweetness because there are 4 large bananas packed into it. It’s sweet, moist, and slightly dense – just how banana bread should be! Of course, not all banana bread recipes will taste good without sugar, so don’t just take your favorite recipe and omit the sugar.

I have made this into a black sesame banana bread by replacing the almond flour with equal amounts of black sesame powder (it’s delicious!). The only other substitutes I would recommend are other nut/seed flours. Do not use oat flour.

I can’t guarantee results if you replace the whole wheat flour, but if you want to try, I would use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. Do not use oat flour – it makes the banana bread way too dense.

Resting the batter allows the oats and whole wheat flour to soak up some of the moisture, making them softer and more tender. If you skip the rest time, your banana bread may turn out more dense and dry.

More No Sugar Added Treats

If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:1

Rest Time:30

Servings: 9

Ingredients

500 grams very ripe bananas mashed (about 4-5 medium/large bananas)
2½ tbsp ground flax*
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract optional
1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp miso* or ⅛ tsp salt
50 grams rolled oats
90 grams almond flour*
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
150 grams whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

Instructions

Add bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Some small chunks are OK.
500 grams very ripe bananas
Mix in ground flax, vanilla extract, almond extract, vinegar, and miso. Make sure the miso is evenly mixed in.
2½ tbsp ground flax*, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract, 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp miso*
Add rolled oats, almond flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
50 grams rolled oats, 90 grams almond flour*, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg
Add whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda and fold together until no dry flour is left.
150 grams whole wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda
Cover and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Once the batter has rested, transfer to the lined loaf pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Check the bread around 45 minutes and tent with foil if it's browning too much.
Place the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the banana bread from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Place the banana bread directly on the wire rack to finish cooling.

Nutrition Facts

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