This Whole Wheat Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread is a fun breakfast idea. Healthier with Greek yogurt & whole wheat flour, yet such a special treat!
Having banana bread in the freezer is an absolute life saver on those busy mornings – and this recipe is perfectly freezer-friendly!
For more easy banana bread recipes, see my Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Banana Bread or my Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!
Whole Wheat Banana Bread Video Tutorial:
I’m SO excited to share this recipe. It’s my favourite banana bread in the entire world.
Yes, favoriter than anything with chocolate, and that means something coming from me.
I think it’s the streusel-y crumb topping, because streusel anything is the best.
I make this with my toddler all the time, and we usually make a double batch of streusel because we’ll eat them before baking anyways, ahem.
This is a great recipe to make with small kids, because all wet ingredients just need to get mixed in a bowl, sprinkle with the dry ingredients and fold.
This Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread with Whole Wheat Flour
- is healthier with Greek yogurt and whole wheat flour
- comes together quickly and easily in a single bowl!
- is packed with mashed bananas for a rich banana flavor
My pre-schooler is already pretty good at measuring out the dry ingredients, and she loves whisking the wet ingredients.
I make the streusel and she sneaks little bites when she thinks I don’t see her. It’s the cutest thing ☺️
I love making healthier quick breads with my kids. This banana bread just as much as my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread, my Applesauce Bread or my Lemon Blueberry Banana Bread.
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How To Make Homemade Banana Bread
Read on for the detailed steps, or scroll down for how to freeze this bread, more tips to make this recipe foolproof and the printable recipe card.
► 1 Prep: I like to get all prep work out of the way first, because baking with little kids in the house gets really messy otherwise 🙈
Preheat the oven to 360°F. Line and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan to make sure the bread doesn’t get stuck to it.
If you’re in the market for a new loaf pan, this one from Amazon is a great choice! (This is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through.)
► 2 Make the banana bread batter: I usually make this bread in a single bowl – the less dishes, the better!
Mash the bananas in a medium mixing bowl, then add all wet ingredients. Whisk them together very well!
Evenly sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients. I like to combine just the dry ingredients a little before folding them into the rest.
Quick breads get fluffy by NOT overmixing the batter. This is especially important when there’s a high volume of mashed banana AND whole wheat flour involved.
Only fold the batter until it comes together, lumps are perfectly fine!
► 3 Make the streusel: To make the streusel, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter, either with a pastry blender OR by using your fingertips to crumble everything together.
By the way: This makes a boatload of streusel. If you prefer less streusel on top of your banana bread, feel free to swirl half of the streusel into the bread!
► 4 Bake the banana bread: Add the banana bread batter to the prepared loaf pan. Add the streusel on top, gently pushing it into the batter.
Bake the bread for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it to a cooling rack to cool completely. Remember to peel off the parchment paper, or the bread will get soggy!
By the way, if you want in-depth details, I have an entire post on how to make banana bread:
How to Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Tips for the BEST Banana Bread:
- do NOT overmix the batter, or you’ll end up with a dense and chewy banana bread
- you can use white flour in place of the whole wheat, if you prefer. You may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of flour.
- this bread recipe also works great as muffins, bake for around 20 minutes.
How to make banana bread moist?
This recipe has a few healthy swaps. They don’t make it super special health food…
But the Greek yogurt in there especially helps to make a moist banana bread – even though I make this bread with 100% whole wheat flour!
It’s also important not to overmix the batter, or you’ll end up with a dense and gummy loaf vs a fluffy and moist one.
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
Pretty ripe – definitely soft with lots of brown spots.
However, I do NOT like banana bread made with extra super ripe bananas – you know, the entirely black ones. They just turn too alcoholic for my taste.
How do you make a crumb topping?
Crumb toppings and streusels are some of my favorite things on top of a baked good.
I love them on Banana Crumb Muffins,
on Cinnamon Crunch Zucchini Bread…
See? Favorite thing ever 😉
The keys to a good topping are to
- use cold butter (NOT melted butter, and NOT buttery spread or any other substitute!)
- cut the butter into the flour and sugar until you have a heap of small and large crumbs – if it feels too wet/pasty, add another tablespoon of flour
- lightly push it into the batter of the banana bread to help it stick to the loaf
How to Store Banana Bread
Banana bread keeps quite well. Wrap it tightly in foil or stick it into an airtight container to keep it moist.
I like storing it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze this cinnamon crunch whole wheat banana bread:
Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost on a rack on the counter. You can warm it in the oven for a few minutes, if you like.
Tip:
I like freezing quick breads in individual slices, separated by parchment paper.
That way I can always pull out just as many as I need, AND they defrost a lot faster than an entire bread!
More banana bread recipes you’ll love:
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P.S: If you tried this recipe, why not leave me a comment below to let me know how you liked it?
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
Recommended Equipment*
* These are affiliate links and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 3/4 cup sugar can reduce to 1/3 – 1/2 cup for a less sweet version
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch or more whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup flour plain or whole wheat
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
- Prep: Heat the oven to 360°F. Grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Make batter: Whisk together all wet ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle flour, cornstarch (OR extra flour), cinnamon, baking powder and salt on top. Gently fold in, do not overmix!
- Make topping: For the crumb topping, place the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until crumbs form.
- Assemble bread: Place the batter in the prepared loaf tin and evenly sprinkle with the crumb topping.
- Bake the banana bread: Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely (rmemeber to peel off the parchment paper, too!)
Nutrition (this is an estimate)
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