The Best Naturally Sweetened Banana Bread (No Refined Sugar)
Wonderfully Moist • Sweetened with Agave • A Cozy Homemade Favorite
Bunny Bakes
A cozy collection of homemade recipes, naturally sweetened treats, freshly baked breads, and simple comforts for every season.
A Little Note from Bunny
Some recipes don’t need a special occasion.
They’re the recipes you make because the bananas on the counter have become perfectly ripe. The ones that fill your kitchen with the comforting aroma of something homemade. Before you know it, family members wander in asking, “Is that banana bread?”
This loaf has become one of those favorites in my kitchen.
It’s wonderfully moist, naturally sweetened with agave instead of refined sugar, and just sweet enough to feel like a treat without being overly sugary. I love baking it after a morning barre workout while the windows are open and a fresh pot of coffee is brewing.
Here at Fittbe, we believe a beautifully balanced life makes room for both movement and homemade baking. One doesn’t cancel out the other—they simply belong together.
I hope this recipe becomes one you return to again and again.
Love, Bunny ♡
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re searching for the perfect naturally sweetened banana bread, here’s why this loaf deserves a place in your recipe collection. I’ve literally jotted down this same recipe and put it in my little Kate Spade recipe box at least 3 times before remembering I already have it…
- Naturally sweetened with agave nectar
- No refined sugar
- Wonderfully moist and tender
- Simple pantry ingredients
- Easy enough for beginner bakers
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon coffee
- Freezer-friendly
- Delicious with or without nuts (but if you’re a nut person, and I definitely am, walnuts are spectacular!)
Whether you’re baking for guests or simply making your home smell amazing on a Saturday morning, this recipe never disappoints.
What You’ll Need
Dry Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons additional flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 5⅓ tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup plus 1–2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 bananas). If they are frozen, you need to let them thaw and pour off the excess water
Optional Add-Ins
- ½ – 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans. You can also add yummy treats like raisins, blueberries, dark chocolate chips (pretty good with walnuts), craisins, etc!
Let’s Bake!
Step 1 | Prepare Your Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (you can use an oven thermometer if you have one.)
Grease an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan. Center rack
Step 2 | Mix the Dry Ingredients
Whisk 1⅓ cups flour + 2 tablespoons extra flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Set aside.
Step 3 | Cream the Butter & Agave
Beat the softened butter alone first until creamy, then stream in the ⅓ cup plus 1–2 tablespoons agave and beat 2–3 minutes. It will look smoother and a little paler, not as fluffy as a sugar creaming. That is normal.
Step 4 | Add the Dry Ingredients
Mix the flour mixture into the butter until it resembles coarse brown sugar. Be sure not to over mix it.
Step 5 | Add the Eggs
Beat in the two lightly beaten eggs gradually until just incorporated.
Step 6 | Fold in the Bananas and Nuts if you are Using
Fold in the 1 cup mashed banana with a light hand. Add walnuts or pecans now if using. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry streaks.
Over mixing creates a heavier loaf. So, save that workout for the mat!
Step 7 | Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, checking around the top 45-minute mark.
Scrape into the pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350 °F. At 45 minutes, if the top is already as brown as you want, tent loosely with foil. The loaf is ready when a thin knife or toothpick shows moist crumbs (not wet batter) and the center reads 200–205 °F.
Step 8 | Cool & Enjoy
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
(Although I’ll admit… warm banana bread is awfully hard to resist.) Will you be saving an end cut for the baker!? What’s that coveted piece for you?!
Bunny’s Baking Tips
Are Frozen Bananas ok to use?
Absolutely!
If you’re using frozen bananas, thaw them first and pour off most of the watery liquid before measuring.
You’ll keep all that wonderful banana flavor while giving your loaf a lighter texture.
Light or Amber Agave?
Both work well
Light agave produces a delicate sweetness.
Amber agave creates a slightly richer, caramel-like flavor.
Mix Just Until Combined
One of the secrets to tender quick breads is to not overtax.
Fold the bananas in only until everything comes together.
Make It Your Own
Every baker eventually adds their own little twist, and that’s half the fun!
You might try adding:
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Toasted pecans
- Dark chocolate chips
- Orange zest
- Toasted coconut
- Rolled oats sprinkled over the top before baking
No two loaves have to be exactly alike. And with banana bread, they rarely if ever, are!
Perfect Pairings
This banana bread is especially delicious with:
- Freshly brewed coffee
- Earl Grey tea
- Greek yogurt and berries
- Salted butter while still warm
- Fresh fruit
One of my favorite mornings?
A slice of warm banana bread, a quiet cup of coffee with a fun book, and then rolling out my mat for a Fittbe Pilates or Barre workout.
That’s my kind of beautifully balanced morning.
Save a Slice for Later
Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate for up to one week.
Freeze the whole loaf—or individual slices—for up to three months.
Simply thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the toaster oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes! They’re actually one of my favorite ways to make banana bread. Just be sure to pour off most of the excess liquid before measuring.
Can I substitute honey?
Absolutely. We are working on testing some great honey sweetened quick breads and will add the recipe links here when we come up with the perfect ones!
Honey gives the loaf a slightly richer flavor but works beautifully.
Why is my banana bread dense?
Usually it’s one of two things:
- Overmixing the batter
- Too much liquid from thawed bananas
Both are easy to avoid with a gentle touch.
Can I freeze banana bread?
Yes!
Wrap the loaf tightly or freeze individual slices for easy breakfasts or afternoon treats.
Beautifully Balanced
At Fittbe, we believe wellness isn’t about chasing perfection—it’s about creating a life you truly enjoy.
Some days that means flowing through a Pilates workout or going out for a walk with your pals or your pup! Other days it’s laughing through a barre workout. And sometimes, it’s simply baking a loaf of homemade banana bread, and making your home smell amazing.
Movement nourishes the body.
Homemade food nourishes the soul.
When we make room for both, we create something even better: a beautifully balanced life.
If you’re looking for joyful movement to pair with your favorite homemade recipes, we’d love to welcome you to the Fittbe community. Our Pilates and barre at home workouts are designed to help you feel stronger, more graceful, and more energized—one beautifully balanced day at a time.
Love, ♡ Bunny
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