Low Fat Banana Bread
I’ll be honest about how this low fat banana bread recipe came about. I was making my usual low fat banana bread, got distracted, and forgot to add the oil. I also forgot the light brown sugar, so it went in with half the sweetener it should have had.
I only realised when I was clearing up, by which point it was already in the oven. I fully expected to be throwing it away.
It came out better than the original. Perfect texture, properly moist, and sweet enough that nobody would guess anything was missing.
So this is now the recipe. No butter, no oil, no added fat at all, which works out at around 1g of fat per slice. For anyone eating carefully after gallbladder surgery, or managing gallstones, that’s about as gentle as baking gets.
Why It Works Without Any Fat
Fat normally does three jobs in a bake. It adds moisture, carries flavour, and keeps the crumb tender.
Very ripe bananas cover the first two on their own. The riper they get, the more their starch turns to sugar and the more moisture they bring, which is why this loaf doesn’t taste like it’s missing anything.
The single egg handles the third job, giving just enough structure and richness to stop the crumb turning rubbery. It’s the one ingredient I wouldn’t drop, because without it you would notice.
The other thing that matters is not over mixing, which I’ll come back to below. Get that right and you genuinely do not need the butter.
Sweet Enough for Pudding, Light Enough for Breakfast
With only 3 tbsp of sugar in the whole loaf, this sits somewhere between a cake and a breakfast bread.
Warmed up with custard it makes a proper pudding, and it’s a much easier one to digest than most desserts. But it’s also perfectly good with a cup of tea in the morning, which is not something you could say about a loaf made with a block of butter.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, medium to large
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (190g) plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
That’s it. Eight ingredients, and nothing you need to melt or cream.
Optional Additions
For a slightly richer loaf: add 3 tbsp of fat free Greek yoghurt. This gives a marginally more tender crumb without adding any real fat.
Sugar free version: replace the granulated sugar with 3 tbsp of stevia. The bananas do most of the sweetening anyway, so it holds up well.
Sweeter version: add 3 tbsp of light brown sugar alongside the granulated. This was the original recipe, and it’s more of a dessert loaf. I prefer it without.
A note on butter and oil: you can add 3 tbsp of oil if you want to, and older versions of this recipe did. I’d leave it out. If you do use fat, choose a neutral oil like rapeseed rather than butter, since saturated fat tends to be the harder one to digest after gallbladder removal.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C / 350°F / gas 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin, or two 1lb tins, with baking paper.
- Mash the bananas well in a medium bowl using a fork. A few small lumps are fine.
- Add the egg, vanilla and sugar. Stir until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet a little at a time, stirring as you go.
- Stop as soon as the flour has just disappeared. Do not over mix. A slightly lumpy, untidy batter is exactly right.
- Pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Use the shorter end of that range for 1lb tins (30 minutes).
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Tips for the Best Loaf
Use Bananas That Look Past Their Best
Black, spotty and soft is exactly what you want. This matters more here than in a standard recipe, because the bananas are doing the work the butter usually would. Firm yellow bananas will give you a flat, dry loaf.
Do Not Over Mix
This is the one that catches everyone out. Over mixing develops the gluten and turns a tender loaf into a tough one. Stop stirring while it still looks a bit rough.
Check Early
Ovens vary more than any recipe admits. Start checking at 25 minutes for 1lb tins and 35 for a 2lb tin, and go by the skewer rather than the clock.
Storage and Freezing
Keep the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It stays moist well, though it’s at its best on the first two.
It freezes brilliantly for up to 2 months. Slice it first and put a piece of baking paper between each slice, then you can take out one at a time rather than defrosting the lot.
Defrost at room temperature and warm through for a minute or two before serving.
A Note on Portions
This loaf gives 10 to 12 slices at around 1g of fat each, which is genuinely low.
Even so, baked goods can catch people out if you eat three or four slices in one sitting. Little and often is usually the kinder approach, particularly in the first few months after surgery.
More Low Fat Recipes
If this one works for you, have a look at the full low fat recipe collection, or the free 7 day meal plan if you want a bit more structure to work from.
You may also like my Low Fat Granary Bread, it makes 2 loaves.
Low Fat Banana Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C / 350°F / gas 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin, or two 1lb tins, with baking paper.
- Mash the bananas well in a medium bowl using a fork. A few small lumps are fine.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and granulated sugar. Stir until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet slowly, stirring as you go.
- Stir just until barely combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour into the 2lb tin and bake for 40 minutes, until a knife or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Bake for about 30 minutes for 1lb tins.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make banana bread without butter or oil?
Yes, and it works better than you’d expect. Ripe bananas provide the moisture and sweetness, and a single egg gives enough structure to keep the crumb tender. This recipe uses no added fat at all and comes out moist.
How much fat is in a slice of this banana bread?
Around 1g per slice, based on 12 slices. Almost all of that comes from the egg, since there’s no butter or oil in the recipe.
Is banana bread suitable if you have gallstones?
A standard recipe made with butter is usually too fatty. This version is a much better option because there’s no added fat at all. Portion size still matters though, so start with one slice and see how you get on.
Can I make it sugar free?
Yes. Swap the 3 tbsp of granulated sugar for 3 tbsp of stevia. There’s only a small amount of sugar to begin with, so the change is barely noticeable.
Why did my banana bread turn out dense or rubbery?
Almost always over mixing. Stir only until the flour has just disappeared, and stop even if the batter looks lumpy. Under-ripe bananas are the other common cause.
Can I eat this for breakfast?
Yes, and it’s one of the reasons I like it. With only 3 tbsp of sugar in the whole loaf it’s light enough for the morning, and it’s a lot gentler on your digestion than a fried breakfast or a buttery pastry.
Can I use one large tin or two smaller ones?
Either works. A 2lb tin needs 40 minutes, and two 1lb tins bake faster at around 30 to 35 minutes. Check with a skewer rather than going by time alone.
I could not believe how well this turned out. I added half a cup of chopped walnuts and did add a couple tablespoons of greek yogurt. I loved it and my husband said it’s the best banana bread he’s had. We do not like over sweet things and I found this just right. The very ripe bananas and smalll amount of sugar gave it all the sweetness it needed.
Thank you so much! I’m delighted you both enjoyed it — my husband says the same thing about this banana bread too! Your walnuts and Greek yogurt additions sound lovely.