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My banana bread with yogurt will become your new favorite recipe for overripe bananas. It’s moist in the middle with a golden tender crumb; it’s my family’s go-to healthy quickbread!
Looking for more healthy banana bread recipes? Try my low-calorie banana bread, protein banana bread, and flourless banana bread next.
Of all my recipes with Greek yogurt, this yogurt banana bread recipe takes the crown.
I’m always trying to find ways to healthify my family’s favorite baked goods (and banana bread is easily their most requested), and swapping out butter and oil for Greek yogurt has been a game changer!
For my banana bread, The yogurt adds an unmistakable richness, moisture, and subtle tang, while the bananas add natural sweetness. Alongside a few baking staples, it’s an easy sweet bread recipe that can be made at a moment’s notice.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Healthy. The yogurt adds protein and gives the bread a moist texture with half the fat of traditional banana bread.
- NO yogurt flavor. The yogurt isn’t overpowering in the slightest, so all you taste is the fresh banana flavor and delicate sweetness. Trust me, no one will be able to resist!
- Easy to customize. I keep this recipe simple, but there’s plenty of room to add some fun mix-ins and change the overall flavor of the bread.
- Meal-prep and freezer-friendly. It’s healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast. Since it freezes so well, I usually make a double batch so I can freeze one loaf and pull it out whenever I have a craving.
Ingredients needed
- All-purpose flour. Nothing fancy is needed here, just old-fashioned flour. For a gluten-free banana bread, use Bob’s gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour, which has added xanthan gum and works perfectly for this loaf.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Both leavening agents are used to raise the batter while keeping it fluffy on the inside.
- Salt. Just a pinch to balance out the flavors.
- Ripe bananas. Overripe and spotty bananas. The browner, the better!
- Maple syrup. My preferred sticky sweetener for banana bread, as it adds a subtle caramelized flavor and keeps the bread soft and moist.
- Butter. Softened to room temperature. If you use salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Yogurt. Using yogurt replaces the need for excess butter. I used a full-fat Greek yogurt, but plain yogurt also works. For more flavor, you can use banana yogurt.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good sweet bread.
- Chopped walnuts. Optional, but always goes well in some banana bread!
How to make banana bread with yogurt
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep work. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 9×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Combine dry and wet ingredients. In a small bowl, add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Gently stir through the dry ingredients until combined. If using walnuts, fold them in.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the banana bread for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 4- Cool and slice. Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool briefly in the pan, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Then, slice and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. The more you mix, the more air gets lost, and the denser the bread will be. Only mix until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Leave some parchment paper sticking out. For easier removal, I like to leave an inch or two sticking off the sides of the loaf pan.
- Cover in foil. If you notice your banana bread is browning on top a little too much, cover it with aluminum foil and let it bake for the full duration.
Variations
- Make banana muffins. To make muffins instead of bread, simply pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with muffin liners and bake them for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (or just make my Greek yogurt banana muffins).
- Make it sweeter. This banana bread relies on maple syrup and bananas for sweetness, so it isn’t as sweet as other types of banana bread. For extra sweetness, you can add 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the batter.
- Make vegan banana bread. Replace the eggs with flax eggs and use a dairy-free probiotic yogurt.
- Cut the fat. For an even lower-fat recipe, swap the butter with unsweetened applesauce.
- Add mix-ins. Swap the walnuts for chocolate chips, pecans, dried fruit, toasted coconut, or cinnamon.
Storage instructions
To store: Greek yogurt banana bread can be stored at room temperature, covered in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. If you’d like to keep it longer, store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze: Place the leftover bread slices in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let the bread thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Your banana bread may not rise if the batter was overmixed, the leavening agents were expired, or the dry ingredients weren’t properly measured. Mix the batter only until it’s fully combined, and always measure your dry ingredients with precision.
When added to bread dough, yogurt adds acidity, which interacts with the leavening agents to create a fluffy, risen bread. It also adds protein, moisture, and a subtle tangy flavor.
More recipes using Greek yogurt
Banana bread with Yogurt
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour I used gluten free * See notes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large bananas mashed
- 1/4 cup butter dairy free or standard, softened
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup Yogurt Greek, plain, or non-dairy
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 9 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bananas, softened butter, maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Gently stir through the dry ingredients until just combined. If using walnuts, fold them through.
- Transfer the batter into the lined loaf pan. Bake the banana bread for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan completely. Once cooled, slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published August 2021, updated and republished November 2024
This is a go-to recipe for me. I just now made it with a gluten-free rice flour blend, and it is so moist and delicious. I also use half maple syrup and half honey. Thank you!