This homemade sugar-free banana bread is naturally sweet, soft, and packed with rich banana flavor—with no added sugar! Made with ripe bananas and wholesome ingredients like unsweetened apple sauce, it’s the perfect guilt-free treat for breakfast, snacks, or even dessert. Whether you’re cutting back on sugar or just looking for a balanced twist on a classic, this bread delivers all the moist, fluffy, and delicious goodness you love.
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I love to eat this low sugar bread for breakfast! It's just so comforting and a great way to start the day. Grab your favorite warm beverage and enjoy!
| Yields | Prep Time | Bake Time | Total Time |
| 10 slices | 10 minutes | 55 minutes | 1 hour 5 minutes |
Why Readers Love This Recipe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sooooo good! Easy recipe to follow with my kids. The banana bread was really yummy. We made them into mini loaves and muffins. They came out perfect.
~Shelly
Key Ingredients
- Ripe Bananas
- Vanilla Extract
- Butter
- Unsweetened Applesauce
- Eggs
- Flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Sweetener
Homemade Lightened Up Version
Growing up, my mom made a recipe for me that called for 5 tablespoons of butter and ½ cup of pure honey. Those are loaded with fat and sugar.
Most recipes I see have 300+ calories and 50+ grams of carbs per slice. If you want to eat a slice of bread for breakfast or as a treat a few days a week, without the extra calories, this is perfect. I came up with this sugar-free recipe to round out the macros and nutrition facts profile a bit.
What Type of Bananas to Use
You want to use very ripe bananas, perhaps overripe. People often make banana bread when they have bananas that are going bad.
I usually can't find these in stores, so I have to wait sometimes up to a week for the bananas to ripen at room temperature. The bananas should have black or brown streaks in them or they should be mostly black.
You want to use ripe bananas because they are sweeter and have more sugar.
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly
If your bananas aren’t ripe enough for baking, don’t worry! Here are easy ways to speed up the ripening process so you can get to that moist, sweet banana bread ASAP!
- Oven Method (Fastest – 15-20 Minutes): Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the skins turn black and the bananas are soft. Let them cool before using.
- Paper Bag Method (Overnight – 1-2 Days): Place bananas in a brown paper bag with an apple or ripe banana. Roll the top closed to trap ethylene gas (which speeds up ripening). Check after 24 hours—they should be softer and sweeter!
Never microwave bananas—it won’t ripen them properly, just soften them. Don’t refrigerate unripe bananas—this slows the ripening process!
How to Properly Measure Flour
- Dump your flour into a bowl so that you can stir and loosen it up. You never want to stick your measuring cup directly into a bag of flour.
- Spoon the flour into a measuring cup.
- Level it off in the cup using a knife.
If you stick your measuring cup directly into the bag, it will pack flour into the cup and result in you using too much. The flour needs to have air when measuring. Check out more tips on How to Measure Flour here. Use gluten-free flour to make the bread gluten-free.
How to Make Sugar Free Banana Bread
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the mashed bananas, vanilla extract, melted butter, beaten eggs, and unsweetened applesauce in a small bowl.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sweetener, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Add the wet ingredients (banana mixture) to the dry ingredients (flour mixture). Mix with a silicone or wooden spoon. Don't overmix. Ensure the flour is incorporated, but the mix should be lumpy.
- Pour the banana bread batter into a loaf pan.
- Bake.
Why Baking Soda Instead of Baking Powder
When baking soda is combined with something acidic, it reacts, which aerates and raises baked goods much like yeast. I learned this when making my Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. In that recipe, combining lemon juice with baking soda, resulted in soft cookies with a puff.
Usually when baking soda is used in a recipe, it's also used with something acidic like buttermilk, lemon juice, or applesauce (which is used in this recipe).
Recipes like muffins, biscuits, and quick breads need a leavening agent like baking soda to give them the right texture.
Baking powder is often used when there aren't acidic ingredients in the recipe.
To substitute baking soda for baking powder you will need 4 teaspoons of baking powder. ¼ teaspoon of baking soda = 1 teaspoon of baking powder. You can read more about Baking Soda vs Baking Powder here.
What Sweetener To Use/How to Substitute Sugar
I use organic monkfruit in this recipe to keep it sugar free, specifically this Monkfruit Baking Sweetener. It measures 1:1 like table sugar and works great for baking. It has zero calories, no carbs, and won't spike your blood sugar.
Feel free to use your preferred sweetener. If you use stevia or artificial sweeteners, you will have to convert the servings. Since monkfruit measures 1:1 you can follow your standard method for calculating it.
If you aren't concerned with the amount of sugar used, you can also use ½ cup of pure honey.
If you prefer to use maple syrup, use ⅓ cup.
How to Substitute Butter
I like the flavor of butter in my bread, but I cut the standard amount of butter typically used in half but using unsweetened applesauce.
I don't recommend substituting all the butter outlined in this recipe for more applesauce. You will need some oil. You can substitute the 2 ½ tablespoons of butter for coconut oil or avocado oil instead.
Can You Make Them Into Muffins?
Yes, reduce your oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick returns clean.
Optional Variations and Add-Ins
- Sliced Bananas: Love this one the most!
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: Adds goeey texture and greate flavor
- Chopped Walnuts – Classic for a nutty crunch.
- Pecans – Slightly sweeter and buttery in texture.
- Almonds – Adds a firmer crunch.
- Hazelnuts – For a rich, toasty flavor.
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes – A tropical twist with light sweetness.
- Pumpkin Seeds – Adds a mild crunch
- Blueberries – Bursts of juicy sweetness.
- Chopped Strawberries – A fresh, slightly tart twist.
- Raisins or Dried Cranberries (Unsweetened) – Adds natural sweetness.
- Chopped Apples – Softens while baking and adds extra moisture.
- Mashed Pineapple (unsweetened) – A tropical, naturally sweet option.
- Nutmeg – A cozy, slightly nutty spice.
- Cardamom – Adds a floral, citrusy note.
- Ginger (Ground or Fresh Grated) – A mild kick with warmth.
Freezer Tips
The bread should be fully cooled prior to freezing. Wrap the bread in foil and then place it in a sealable bag. It will freeze for up to 4 months.
Thaw the bread in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Recipe Tools
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Sugar Free Banana Bread (Moist and Fluffy)
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed, ripe bananas The number of bananas will vary based on size. This is usually 2-4 bananas for me. I like to leave some banana chunks in mine.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted melted butter
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup sweetener ½ cup results in bread that is not overly sweet. If you like sweet bread use ¾ of a cup.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the mashed bananas, vanilla extract, melted butter, beaten eggs, and unsweetened applesauce in a small bowl.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sweetener, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Add the wet ingredients (banana mixture) to the dry ingredients (flour mixture). Mix with a silicone or wooden spoon. Don't overmix. Ensure the flour is incorporated, but the mix should be lumpy.
- Pour the banana bread batter into the parchment paper lined loaf pan. Smooth the batter throughout the pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Open the oven and tent the pan with foil. Don't fully cover, loosely tent (it shouldn't touch the bread). This will prevent the bread from browning too much on the top as the interior continues to bake.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Test if the bread has finished by inserting a toothpick and testing if it returns clean.
- Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it and transferring it to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least an additional 15 minutes.
Notes
- You can use a potato masher to mash the bananas.
- You can substitute white, whole wheat flour in this recipe. This recipe has not been tested for gluten-free alternatives. You cannot use almond flour or coconut flour.
- For the monkfruit sweetener, I prefer to use the baking sweetener as it bakes the best. You can also use granular.
- You can substitute baking soda for 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Results will vary.
- Using all butter in the recipe instead of applesauce does result in bread that is moister, but also more fat. Do what works best for you.
- Using parchment paper makes it easier to remove the bread when it has finished baking. You can also grease the pan.
- You can substitute ½ cup of honey or ⅓ cup of pure maple syrup in the recipe.
- If you substitute a sweetener like honey in the recipe the macros are: Cals: 251 Fat: 7G Carbs:40G Protein: 4G
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Shelly says
Sooooo good! Easy recipe to follow with my kids. The banana bread was really yummy. We used honey as our sweetener and Made them into mini loaves and muffins. They came out perfect.
staysnatched says
I love how you switched it up!
Erin says
Loved this bread! Followed another healthy banana bread recipe for the last year or so but I LOVE that this one has butter and still gives us the flavors we want. This will be my new go to! I do agree with her note that the amount of sweetener does make it less sweet, that said - there weren’t any complaints about it and the flavor was still great.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Erin says
I just made it again - not even 2 weeks later. Love it.
staysnatched says
ha ha! That's what I like to hear.
Erika says
I absolutely loved this banana bread recipe! I’ve made countless loaves of banana bread during quarantine and while they were good, most of them called for a least a cup of sugar and a stick of butter. This recipe is a nice change because it’s not overly sweet or fatty. I used a 1/2 cup of agave syrup as the sweetener since I don’t follow a low carb lifestyle. I also added a 1/2 cup of walnuts and a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Theses additions didn’t seem to negatively affect the texture. I also appreciated the tips on how to properly measure flour! Thank you Brandi for another winning recipe!
staysnatched says
I love your additions!
Ashley says
Do you think this recipe would work if I used almond flour instead of AP flour?
staysnatched says
You would have to convert the servings and do some testing. The two flours don't have a 1:1 substitution ratio.
Sarah says
I made this today and it was delicious!! I made some small changes, I used 1/2 oats flour, added a 1/2 scoop of protein powder, and baked half with chocolate chips in a donut pan for my kids, and half with shredded coconut and pecans. I also used 1/2 baking stevia, 1/2 swerve granular sugar substitute. The texture was very moist and not too dense! Everyone loved them.
staysnatched says
I love those adjustments. Sounds so good!
While Studying English site says
I am always looking for new recipes to diversify my family's menu and find new dishes that will become our favorites and will appeal to our children because they are very tasty and healthy.
staysnatched says
I hope you enjoy it!
Anne D says
Super easy to make and so good. I love that Brandi has included variations to fit what I already had in the house. No applesauce, so I used just butter. Only 2 bananas, so I cut the recipe in half and made 6 good-sized muffins. Added in walnuts and they came out perfectly!
staysnatched says
That sounds so good! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
So freakin good. I used the monk fruit white sweetener and added a handful of chocolate chips and *chefs kiss*
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Suzanne says
Loved this easy and tasty recipe! The kids didn’t realize it was healthy and low sugar, and ate half the loaf after it cooled!! Another hit by Brandi!!!!
staysnatched says
Glad to hear it was a hit!
Sharon says
I made these as muffins and they were delicious! I really loved that Brandi wrote in the recipe 2 cups of bananas as so many banana bread recipes just say 2-3 bananas and they could be big bananas or small bananas you just never know! So it was nice to have a measurement!!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I love that you appreciated that tip!
Anonymous says
Can I replace the monk fruit sugar with monk fruit drops?
staysnatched says
I don’t use those to cook with, so I haven’t tested it. If you try it, let me know!
Sabrina Boucher says
These were amazing! I am not much of a baker but this recipe made it so easy to follow along to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. To anyone weary about the monk fruit sweetener don't be, it works great!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed the sweetener.
Debra says
My family loves this! My husband is a diabetic and he can eat this without it affecting his blood sugar. I add a few choppec walnuts to it and make it in muffins. Easy for him to grab and drink with his morning coffee.
staysnatched says
That sounds so good!
Michelle Lattanzi says
This is a wonderfully detailed recipe! I'm used to online recipes that don't give quite enough information about the how-to, and usually NEVER gives quite so many alternatives and substitutions with detailed adjustments. Yippee! I will be trying more recipes from here. Thanks!
staysnatched says
I'm glad the details were helpful!
Marsha Patrick says
Made this last night and baby, such great texture and moisture! I used King Arthur wheat flour and a little lupin to cut the carbs but kept everything else as instructed. It’s better than a full carb banana bread I’ve made. I’m truly never disappointed with your recipes. I read the entire thing through at least twice to catch all the tips. Thank you fir including all the details which lead to a successful result each time!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you read it twice! You're welcome.
Brooke says
This banana bread is perfect! This tastes exactly as described in Brandi's notes with the butter and less sweet favor. I love this recipe for a healthier option than traditional banana bread.
staysnatched says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Marsha Patrick says
Review #2 because this bread is THAT amazing! Can’t believe how delicious it is and the smell that IGE through the house brings the family right to the kitchen! Thanks again!
staysnatched says
haha! Yes! So glad you enjoyed it!
Ellen says
Made this over the weekend with my very ripe bananas and it turned out great! I made muffins to add some ~variety~ to my life, I love the texture and taste. I am so grateful for all of the information included in this recipe, Brandi is the BEST at giving straightforward, useful cooking tips.
staysnatched says
Thank you so much!
Delia Peterson says
Can you bake this in the Instant pot Vortex Air fryer and how much would you put in the small loaf pans that fit in it?
staysnatched says
I’ve never done that. I also don’t own a Vortex.
Courtney says
Beyond Delicious!!!
staysnatched says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it.
Nancy says
I really enjoyed this recipe, bread came out Super Yummy & I was so happy!!! (mainly because I'm not that great at baking) But this time, nailed it!! 🙂 I added blueberries & used honey as my sweetner & it was Delishhhh.... thank you for the recipe.
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Elisa (hustleandglowgirl) says
It is a year into quarantine, and I’ve tried at least 10 banana bread recipes... This is by far the easiest, and without question, the healthiest! I love that 0 sugar is used and the final product is so delicious. It’s perfect, and melting a pad of butter over the top before taking a bite takes it over the top. Thank you for the thorough and informational post and recipe. I am saving this as my go-to recipe for super ripe bananas!
staysnatched says
haha yay! So glad you enjoyed it.
Lauren says
Great banana bread recipe! Love the texture and subtle sweetness. It was my first time baking with Lakanto monfruit sweetener (I used classic) and I'm happy with it!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you were happy with it!
Amanda says
Cant beat this recipe! So easy to follow, very few ingredients, tastes AMAZING.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
Kristal De La Paz says
Loved making this banana bread recipe as muffins! It was very simple and easy to make. I like my banana bread a little sweeter so I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the recipe. Before popping them into the oven I sprinkled chocolate chips to half the muffins for my husband and kids and walnuts on the other half for myself.
staysnatched says
I love those additions!
Adryan says
I made this recipe for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was the most moist banana bread I've ever tasted. I've since made this recipe several more times and it's become a staple in my recipe box. Thanks Brandi!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Nicolle says
I have had this post saved on IG for a few months and finally had the ripe bananas to pull it off! This was so good. The tips were so appreciated and the flavor was amazing. Now I am just going to buy bananas weekly to ripen for this bread, haha!
staysnatched says
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Molly says
All of Brandi’s recipes are fantastic. I wasn’t going to waste time and scour the internet for random banana bread recipes that are loaded with sugar. I knew Brandi would have something delicious with ingredients that I love. Googling “Stay Snatched ____” for whatever ingredients I have in my fridge or pantry works every single time. This recipe is easy to follow, the tips are beyond helpful, and the links to Amazon makes acquiring the necessary tools a breeze. Thank you, Brandi!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Amanda G. says
Delicious and not overly sweet, just the way I like it. I even added some puréed pumpkin and some chocolate chips on top-turned out great!
staysnatched says
That sounds amazing!
JoAnn Espinoza says
How would one convert this recipe into muffins? Time & Temp? Thanks
staysnatched says
I've never tried it. You can check out the tips in this post. https://bakeorbreak.com/2019/05/convert-muffins-bread/
Amy says
This recipe is SO good. I made it as is, but with sugar free white and dark chocolate chips. Everyone that tried it was shocked that it was sugar free. I'll be making this one again for sure.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Jill says
I had bananas going bad so I googled “Stay Snatched Banana Bread” and boom this recipe comes up. I love that it has better macros than other banana bread out there. It turned out perfectly!
staysnatched says
So glad it turned out perfectly!
Lisa D. says
So easy and delicious. I can always count on you for thorough explanations (baking soda vs powder) and substitutions that work (and don’t). You work hard on producing a quality recipe and it shows. Thanks for another winning recipe!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Joy says
How do you think this would bake in a Bundt pan?
staysnatched says
I've never tried it. You will have to watch it closely and adjust the cook time as necessary.
Jana says
Awesome recipe! I used honey and spelt flour, subbed applesauce with canned pumpkin, and added walnuts. I put it in the toaster oven and found it perfect after 40 minutes. I was especially drawn to this recipe due to the banana to sweetener recipe -- more banana and less sweetener means loads of banana flavor without being overly sweet. I think splitting the difference between butter and applesauce (or pumpkin) is ingenious as well. It's great finding a banana bread recipe that tastes good (the family loved it!) and makes me feel good. Thank you!
staysnatched says
Thanks for sharing!
Jill says
Always on repeat in my house. Today I made them into muffins using Brandi’s instructions in the post. Looking forward to a sweat treat without all the sugar.
staysnatched says
I’m so glad to hear it!
Debbie says
This bread is AWESOME!!! I have tried and tried and tried again to make a healthy banana bread and have never succeeded until today!!!
The flavor is nice and the crumb is perfect. Also has a nice rise.
Thank you!!
staysnatched says
So wonderful to hear!
Valerie says
Can I substitute egg whites for whole eggs?
staysnatched says
I've never tried it. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
Mary says
Is this diabetic friendly?
staysnatched says
I'm not diabetic. I would consult your doctor.
Anna says
How long does it bake in the loaf pan? I couldn't find that part🙃
staysnatched says
It’s listed in step 7 of the recipe card which is directly above where you typed this question.
Jackie says
Very good. I made it half whole wheat and half low gluten unbleached white. I think next time I'll add walnuts...because there WILL be a next time LOL. It's also helpful that it uses up so many overripe bananas!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Adriana says
Can you use splendaadr
staysnatched says
Sure, if that's what you like.
Gayla Martin says
Love this recipe! I have made it several times and it's always delicious. I do change the flour to 1 cup white all purpose flour and 1 cup almond flour to cut down on carbs for my diabetic husband. It comes out super moist and that may be because of the almond flour but it tastes delicious! I use 3/4 cup erythritol/monk fruit sweetner because we like it sweet but that's a personal preference.
I use the butter and applesauce for less fat.
It's not super low carb or super low calorie but definitely much healthier. This is one lower carb sweet my husband loves.
staysnatched says
Sounds good!
Rachel Kachun says
Wow I just baked your banana bread exactly as written and it’s wonderful! Not too sweet and it’s dense and cake-like, not dry at all. I will be making this a lot. Thank you!!!
staysnatched says
You're welcome!
Amy says
I tried it with gluten free 1:1 flour substitute. Great flavor, just a little on the dry side. I also used plant based butter substitute. I might put in an additional tablespoon of oil next time, and there will definitely be a next time.
staysnatched says
Yes! It definitely needs oil to stay moist.
Mel says
This really is delicious! I used 1C spelt and 1C all purpose flour. I used the recommended 1/2C monk fruit but will probably try 3/4C next time to see the difference. This is my current go-to snack to curb my sugar cravings.
staysnatched says
Sounds so good!