Delicious and healthy bananas foster loaf….for breakfast! Believe it. This Healthy Bananas Foster Banana Bread Loaf is soft, light, and perfect to enjoy any time of the day. Always gluten and dairy free, this loaf is also made with very minimal sugar as the sweetness comes straight from those nutritious bananas!
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You know those desserts that you have every once in awhile that you really could probably have every day of your life? Yeah? For me, it’s Bananas Foster. Maybe it’s the sugar, maybe it’s the fancy fire show when it’s whipped up in front of ya, heck maybe it’s the rum – I just love it. Bananas foster is easily one of my favorite desserts, especially when made fresh right in front of you. This naturally got me thinking…why can’t I have this everyday? Life is far too short not to enjoy the things that make your soul feel sweet.
Now the only thing I’m wondering is why didn’t I do this sooner? This healthy bananas foster breakfast loaf needs to be in my life at all times.
Jump to:
- Key Ingredients in this Healthy Bananas Foster Bread
- How to Customize this Healthy Bananas Foster Bread recipe
- What Makes This Bananas Foster Banana Bread Healthier?
- Equipment
- Storage
- Top tip
- How to make Healthy Bananas Foster Banana Bread Muffins
- Make it ahead of time!
- Healthy Bananas Foster Banana Bread Loaf
Key Ingredients in this Healthy Bananas Foster Bread
There are a few must-have ingredients for this recipe that you likely already have at home, making it the perfect quick bread to throw together in no time at all. For this bananas foster banana bread, you’ll need:
- Bananas: I know I know, a little obvious but let’s keep things moving, shall we?
- Almond flour: You could easily use whichever flour you have on hand, but I recommend using it for a lighter, less dense bread. It’s really great in this loaf because it gives it a little bit of a nutty flavor and adds fiber.
- Monk fruit sugar: this recipe only calls for a ¼ cup of monk fruit sweetener in the entire recipe. Feel free to sub with coconut sugar or any other sugar if that’s what you have on hand but keep in mind that this loaf is already naturally sweetened with the bananas!
- Maple syrup: just a wee but of maple syrup to add a little extra natural sweetness.
- Eggs: a few eggs to help this loaf bind and rise a bit
- Plant-based butter: we’ll be using this to make the bananas caramelized before mixing all of the ingredients together. I’ll share some other substitutions in the recipe card below!
- Add-ins: I added chopped walnuts to this bread but there are plenty of options you could try such pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, maybe even raisins?? Go crazy with it, that’s what I typically do.
How to Customize this Healthy Bananas Foster Bread recipe
If you’re missing some of the ingredients listed here are a few easy swaps you can make:
- Swap your flour: Oat flour, cassava flour, gluten free all-purpose flour – go with whatever you have! Any flour will do, just keep in mind the density and consistency might be a bit different with each one.
- Swap your sweetener. You can use ⅓ cup honey or pure maple syrup in place of the monk fruit sugar if you’d like.
- Add your favorite mix-ins. Pecans instead of walnuts, maybe even some shredded coconut or dried fruit like raisins or pineapple would all be delicious.
Can I make it Vegan?
Yes, I think a flax egg would work well in this recipe! I do want to warn you that I have not tried it with this recipe just yet, but I see no reason as to why it wouldn’t come out just as delicious!
What Makes This Bananas Foster Banana Bread Healthier?
This was certainly the first question I had – How can you make bananas foster healthy? What with the alcohol and sugar… It didn’t seem like you could get that caramelized flavor without them but guess what my friends, we did it.
The biggest challenge was figuring out how to make this bread with more wholesome ingredients, but still make it feel a little indulgent and taste really incredible, too! Somehow I pulled it off and the recipe just works beautifully. The taste is deliciously moist, perfectly spiced, and it feels like an actual treat. This recipe is:
- Naturally sweetened. This healthier bananas foster banana bread recipe is baked with unrefined sugars and is naturally sweetened with just ripe bananas, monk fruit sugar, and maple syrup.
- Filled with fiber. It’s also made with almonds from the almond flour, making it a great, fiber-filled snack to enjoy anytime.
- Packed with vitamins. Hello, vitamin B, C, potassium and antioxidants from those bananas!
- Lower in fat. I replaced some of the oil with a plant based butter, which still keeps the bread super moist and delicious. I’m all about incorporating healthy fats, which is where those delicious walnuts come in!
Try this bread out for a weekend get together with your family or friends. Better yet if you double it and keep a whole loaf for yourself. Trust me, you’ll want to.
Equipment
I like to keep things pretty simple around here, but this loaf does have one extra step then most other banana bread or loafs have. That step is going to include a large skillet and stovetop, but I’ll share every step of this process in more detail in the recipe card below.
A few other necessary tools for this recipe:
- Mixing Bowls
- Spoons
- Whisk
- Large Skillet
- 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Parchment Paper
Storage
- At room temp: this bread can be left wrapped at room temp for 2 days, and you can absolutely make it a day or two ahead of time. Just frost it before serving.
- In the fridge: after 2-3 days at room temp I’d recommend storing the bread sealed in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- In the freezer: yes, you can freeze this bananas foster banana bread! Let it cool completely and either cut it into slices before place it in an airtight container or freezer friendly bag in the fridge, or freeze the whole thing for up to 3 months. To thaw the whole loaf simply let the bananas foster banana bread thaw at room temp for a few hours. You can do the same with the individual slices, or you can reheat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Top tip
- Make sure your egg is at room temperature. If your egg is too cold you risk the little bit of coconut oil coagulating. To bring your eggs to room temp, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 3-5 minutes before you use them.
- Do not overmix the batter. If you overmix batter you’ll end up with a bread that’s more dense and gummy instead of fluffy and soft.
- Use fresh baking soda. If your baking soda is older than 3 months, I suggest grabbing a new one for best baking results.
- Line your loaf pan. I recommend lining your loaf pan with paper AND spraying it with nonstick cooking spray so that your bread comes out easily.
How to make Healthy Bananas Foster Banana Bread Muffins
Turn this recipe into bananas foster banana muffins or cupcakes by following the recipe, adding the batter to a well-greased muffin tin and baking around 15-20 minutes. It’s definitely a very versatile recipe!
Make it ahead of time!
This bananas foster bread can be made a day or two ahead of time! Just wrap in plastic wrap to seal in moisture and frost before you serve. Banana bread is always best the next day, but try and consume it within 5-7 days of making as the ingredients are all fresh and don’t last as long as most processed baked goods do!
Healthy Bananas Foster Banana Bread Loaf
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan or, optional muffin tin
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plant-based butter *
- ¼ cup monk fruit sweetener
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- 2 tablespoon ghee *
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon walnuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and either line loaf pan with parchment paper, or spray with olive oil (any oil will work)
- Using a large skillet, heat butter and sweeteners over medium heat. Once melted, add mashed bananas and mix together. Turn the heat to low and allow mixture to simmer for ~5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
- With the burner still on low, melt the ghee in the skillet and fry the sliced banana (roughly 3 minutes on each side). Once the banana is caramelized, remove from heat, turn off burner and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the caramelized mashed bananas and eggs using a hand (or stand) mixer.
- In the same bowl, add the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Using the mixer, combine all ingredients until well incorporated.
- Pour the mixed batter into the loaf pan, top with sliced caramelized banana and bake for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!
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