Banana Bread with Yogurt

This banana bread with yogurt will be your new favorite way to use up overripe bananas! Moist and soft in the middle, you won’t believe how low in fat it is! 

Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

Of all my recipes using Greek yogurt on this site (from a protein pudding to Greek yogurt brownies) this banana bread with yogurt takes the crown!

It’s no secret that I love a loaf of good banana bread. Any time I have leftover bananas in my pantry, I already know what I’ll be doing with them. Over the past few years, I’ve come up with tons of variations, and I love continuing to try new things out to change things up. Enter- a banana bread with yogurt recipe. 

Ever baked with yogurt before? It will change your baked goods for the better! Take this quick bread- The texture is moist and soft in the middle and has a lovely tender crumb. It’s pleasantly sweet and full of banana flavor, and you won’t even know there is yogurt in it! 

What I love about this specific banana bread is how relatively low in fat it is! A tiny bit of butter is used to give it an even more moist texture. Don’t fret though, it’s still considered very low in fat!

How do you make banana bread with yogurt?

The Ingredients

• All purpose flour– Standard or gluten free. Bob’s gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour 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 and bring out the natural sweetness of the bananas. 
• Bananas– Overripe and spotty bananas. 
• Maple syrup– A fantastic refined sugar free sweetener that replaces any need for white or brown sugar. It also keeps the bread moist and soft in the middle.
• Butter- Softened to room temperature. If you use salted butter, omit the salt completely. 
• Yogurt– Greek yogurt is preferred, but plain yogurt can also be used. Using yogurt replaces the need for excess butter. You can use a banana yogurt if you like. 
• Eggs– Room temperature eggs. 
• Vanilla extract– A must for any good baked good.
• Walnuts– Optional, but always goes well in some banana bread.

The Instructions

Start by adding your dry ingredients into a small bowl and mixing them together. In a mixing bowl, add the bananas, maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract, until smooth. Gently add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Fold through the walnuts if using them.

Now, transfer the batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 180C/350F for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove the yogurt banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan completely, before slicing and serving. 

Flavor and dietary variations

• Make them vegan– Replace the eggs with flax eggs and use a dairy free yogurt, like coconut or soy. I love using plant based banana yogurt. 
• Make them gluten free– Be sure to use Bob’s Red Mill 1 : 1 baking flour. 
• Add chocolate– Fold through 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate chips to the batter. 
• Cut the fat– Replace the butter with unsweetened applesauce. This will still keep the banana bread soft in the middle. 

Tips to make the best yogurt banana bread

• Do not overmix the batter, as it can affect how much rise the banana bread gets! Mix the batter until just combined and no flour pockets remain.
• This banana bread relies on maple syrup and bananas for sweetness. As such, it isn’t as sweet as other kinds of banana bread with added sugar. If you prefer a sweeter bread, you can add 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the batter. 
• If you notice your banana bread is browning on top a little too much, cover it with tinfoil and let it bake for the full duration. 

Storing and freezing banana bread

• To store: Greek yogurt banana bread can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days. If you’d like to keep it longer, store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• To freeze: Place slices of the bread in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. 
• To thaw: Let the banana bread thaw out at room temperature. 

More banana bread recipes to try

• Oat flour banana bread
• Vegan banana bread
• Keto banana bread
• Flourless banana bread
• Oatmeal banana bread