Healthy Carrot Cake Banana Bread
If you love the classic flavors of carrot cake you’ll love this healthy spin on my signature banana bread recipe! It’s soft, perfectly moist, and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and real maple syrup, so there’s no refined sugar needed. I also use creamy Greek yogurt and melted butter for richness (no oils here), plus plenty of freshly grated carrots and warm spices to give it that classic carrot cake flavor. It’s the kind of simple, wholesome bake that feels just right for spring mornings, afternoon coffee breaks, or anytime you want something comforting without going overboard.
When it comes to carrot cake, I’m all about the mix-ins—they’re what take it from good to really special. I love folding in sweet raisins and shredded coconut for that classic texture and flavor that pairs perfectly with the warm spices and carrots. I kept this version nut-free, but if you love a little crunch, chopped walnuts or pecans would be such a delicious addition. It’s an easy way to customize the loaf while still keeping it wholesome, naturally sweetened, and full of that cozy carrot cake flavor.
You can absolutely go the classic route and slather this loaf with a rich cream cheese frosting for that traditional finish. But if you want to keep things refined sugar free, I love using my “healthier” frosting option I developed for my Healthy Hummingbird Cake —it’s creamy, lightly sweet, and so simple to make. Just blend together 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, 1½ tbsp honey, and 1 tbsp melted coconut oil until smooth and spreadable. It gives you that tangy, luscious topping while keeping everything light and wholesome.
FAQs
Q: Can I substitute the Greek yogurt?
A: You can use sour cream or full-fat plain yogurt as a 1:1 substitute. Both provide the necessary acidity to react with the baking soda for a good rise.
Q: What can I use instead of raisins?
A: If you aren’t a fan of raisins, try swapping them for dark chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or even dried cranberries for a tart contrast.
Q: How do I store leftover bread?
A: Store in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Healthy Carrot Cake Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 bananas overripe
- 2 eggs
- 5 tbsp melted butter
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain
- ⅓ cup real maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1½ cup grated carrot (about 1 large carrot)
- ¾ cup raisins optional
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Mash 3 bananas with the back of a fork in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 5 tbsp melted butter, ⅓ cup maple syrup & ½ cup yogurt. Whisk to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, combine your dry ingredients of 1¾ cups of flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ground ginger and ¼ tsp ground cloves to the mixture. Add this to your large mixing bowl of wet ingredients and stir until flour streaks are just about gone, adding the grated carrot, coconut and raisins at the end and gently folding in.
- Transfer batter to in a parchment lined 9×5 loaf pan & bake at 350 F for 60-75 mins, until a toothpick inserted comes out with crumbs instead of wet batter. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes if the top is becoming too browned. Allow loaf to cool at least 10 minutes before icing, slicing and serving.
This was the tastiest bread ever! Love the Whole Foods and felt good about giving it to my boyfriend for breakfast! We did swap dark chocolate chips for raisins but looking forward to trying the original recipe too! Thank you
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!