This festive Gingerbread Banana Bread is soft, moist, perfectly sweet, and full of warming spices. You can serve it for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack. It's easy to make a double batch and it's freezer-friendly! It also travels well so it makes a great edible gift for holiday parties with your family.
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This gingerbread banana bread was originally published on December 12, 2016, but I've reworked the entire recipe from scratch to make it better and taken new photos with more helpful process shots.
Why You'll Love This Banana Bread
A festive version of a classic loaf - We all know and love banana bread and most of us have our go-to recipe for any time we find ourselves with those extra ripe bananas sitting on the counter. This recipe is packed with warming gingerbread spices, perfectly sweet, and a little chocolatey. It makes a great Christmas breakfast or snack.
Extra soft and moist - This might just be my favorite banana bread I've made yet! It's extra soft, fluffy, and moist, with a crispy and caramelized top. I highly recommend sprinkling turbinado sugar on top before baking for that extra crunch.
Easy and simple - The recipe is made with easy-to-find ingredients and it comes together really easily. You can whip up the batter in just about 10 minutes and the oven does most of the work!
Freezer-friendly - This banana bread freezes really well so you can easily store any leftovers in the freezer for busy mornings. It's also great for meal prep and the recipe is easy to double. I like to defrost and toast the bread in the oven and it tastes just as good as when it's fresh!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - I like using gluten-free flour in all my cooking and baking so I used here. My go-to is Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour. You can use all-purpose flour if you prefer with the same results.
- Eggs - Eggs help the banana rise and give it a more cake-like texture. I haven't tried any vegan substitutes so I can't guarantee results.
- Greek yogurt - Full-fat Greek yogurt is what makes this cake extra moist, light, and fluffy. It's acidity balances out the sweetness of the loaf really well and it helps it rise in combination with baking soda.
- Butter - I use unsalted butter in both the batter and for greasing the loaf pan. It helps to keep the banana bread soft and creates a beautiful crust on top.
- Banana - You'll want extra ripe bananas for this loaf! They should have lots of brown spots on the peel and the bananas should be easy to mash.
- Sweetener - I used brown sugar for that classic molasses flavor and honey for more flavor. The honey is needed for moisture as well so I don't recommend only using brown sugar. You can use molasses instead of honey if you prefer.
- Cacao powder - You can use cacao and cocoa powder here interchangeably here. It adds color and a little bit of chocolatey flavor to the banana bread. I got the idea from these Czech Gingerbread Cookies my family has been making for generations!
- Gingerbread spice - You can use homemade gingerbread spice or use store-bought. If you want to try a slightly different flavor with more spices and no ginger, try baking the bread with my Christmas Spice Blend!
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste can't be missing in banana bread! It balances out all the flavors and adds that classic subtle vanilla flavor. If you're using vanilla powder, you'll need less because it's much stronger.
- Dark rum - This is optional and all alcohol content cooks off in the oven. My family's traditional gingerbread cookies we've been making for years and years have a little bit of rum in them which gives them their distinctive flavor. You can skip this completely or use a little bit of rum extract instead.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chocolate chips - ½ cup of chocolate chips would be a delicious addition to this banana bread!
- Dairy-free - You can use vegan butter and vegan yogurt if you prefer. I haven't tested any substitutes for the eggs to make it fully vegan but you can definitely make it dairy-free.
- No banana - If you run out of bananas or don't have enough, you can use pure apple sauce instead.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cacao powder, and gingerbread spice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar and melted unsalted butter.
- Add honey, vanilla extract, dark rum, and sea salt. Whisk again.
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- Add eggs and whisk again until well mixed.
- Add mashed bananas and Greek yogurt and whisk again well.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches until just mixed. Don’t overmix, it’s okay if there are a few clumps. If you need to mix it more, fold it instead gently.
- Use a knob of butter to grease your loaf pan and dust it with flour. This is optional but recommended to make sure the bread doesn’t stick. Remove excess flour by holding the pan upside down over the sink and tapping the sides.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
- Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- Turbinado sugar: This is totally optional but I like adding a sprinkle of raw turbinado sugar on top before I put the bread in the oven to bake. Turbinado sugar doesn't melt like other sugars would and it creates a beautiful crunch on top.
- Always wait for the loaf to cool before cutting into it and storing it. Banana bread is really soft when you first take it out of the oven aned it hardens as it cools. It will be much easier to cut once it's cool, otherwise you're risking it breaking apart. It's also important to wait till it's cool before storing it so it doesn't develop any mold.
Serving Suggestions
Storing
Fridge: Store the banana bread wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can store it in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for 3-5 months. It freezes really well so I highly recommend freezing a few slices while the bread is fresh if you know you won't eat it all. Always freeze the bread cut into slices, not as a whole for easier and quicker defrosting.
Warm it up: I love eating this, or any, banana bread warmed up in the oven. Banana bread is very dense and it becomes harder as it cools, especially when stored in the fridge. Warming it up in the oven makes it soft and crumbly again and just so good. Preheat your oven to 300F and warm up the bread on a small pan for about 10 minutes.
Defrosting: You can also warm up the loaf from frozen at 300F, it will just take longer, about 20 minutes. If you have a defrost feature on your oven, you can use that first as well. You can defrost the banana bread in the fridge overnight first but I don't find this necessary unless the slices are extra thick or you froze the whole bread.
FAQs
You either didn't bake it long enough or you added too much banana or other liquid. It's important to keep in mind that every oven is a little different and the temperatures may vary slightly. Your oven could either be more hot or cooler which will change the bake time.
You can use dairy-free butter and dairy-free yogurt but I can't recommend any vegan substitutes for the eggs because I haven't tested it.
More Sweet Christmas Recipes
I have many more Christmas recipes that use my homemade gingerbread spice on the website that you can try! Check out any of the four recipes below or head over to Christmas Recipes to find even more!
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (10-12 slices) 1x
- Category: Baked Goods
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This festive Gingerbread Banana Bread is soft, moist, perfectly sweet, and full of warming spices. You can serve it for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack. Freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 blend)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tsp gingerbread spice (or Christmas spice mix)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp honey (or sub maple syrup or molasses)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp dark rum (or sub 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas (3-4 ripe bananas)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- A knob of butter and 1 tablespoon flour (for loaf pan, optional)
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cacao powder, and gingerbread spice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar and melted unsalted butter.
- Add honey, vanilla extract, dark rum, and sea salt. Whisk again.
- Add eggs and whisk again until well mixed.
- Add mashed bananas and Greek yogurt and whisk again well.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches until just mixed. Don’t overmix, it’s okay if there are a few clumps. If you need to mix it more, fold it instead gently.
- Use a knob of butter to grease your loaf pan and dust it with flour. This is optional but recommended to make sure the bread doesn’t stick. Remove excess flour by holding the pan upside down over the sink and tapping the sides.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Notes
Loaf pan: The loaf pan I use is 4.5x8.5 inches
Storing: Store the banana bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3-5 months. Always freeze the banana bread sliced, not whole, for easier defrosting.
Defrosting and warming up: Preheat your oven to 300F and warm up the bread on a small pan for about 10 minutes or longer if frozen. You can heat it up from frozen, no need to defrost it first.
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Amanda | Maple Alps says
This looks divine! Can't wait to try this out!!
thehealthfulideas says
YAY I'm glad you like it Amanda! :)
Francesca says
Love this combination! It looks like the perfect holiday treat!
thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Francesca! It really is! :)
Sarah | Well and Full says
Oooh I love that you made a gingerbread banana bread! That's such a genius idea!!
thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Sarah! The smell of gingerbread is the smell of Christmas for me<3
Rebecca says
Your photos are always so beautiful, and now all I want is a slice of that gingerbread banana bread! I've pinned the recipe so I can try it out while on Christmas break next week. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
thehealthfulideas says
Thank you so much Rebecca! Hope you love it if you end up making it! It's my favorite<3
Amy Scott says
I'm going to attempt this on Saturday! It looks DELISH! Here's hoping I can pull it off :)
thehealthfulideas says
Yay that's exciting! I'm kind of jealous of you because your house is gonna smell like Christmas<3
Shannon says
Sounds yummy, cant wait to try! you pictures look delicious!
thehealthfulideas says
Thanks for the kind words, Shannon! :)
Dominique says
This looks totally delicious! I'm sure the banana complements the ginger so well!
thehealthfulideas says
Totally! And with all the other spices, it's hard to only eat one slice haha
Caitlyn says
This looks sooooo good. I love sweet breads as desserts!! And your pictures look so high quality.
Caitlyn | http://www.collegewithcaitlyn.com
thehealthfulideas says
Me too! Thank you so much, Caitlyn, it means a lot! :)
chrissy says
I don't even know where to begin with this! All I know is I'm heading to the store now to pick up what I need to make this!
thehealthfulideas says
Yay I hope you love it Chrissy! :)
Anonymous says
Girl!! This sounds amazing! I must make this. :)
thehealthfulideas says
You totally do, I love this bread<3
Amanda says
I can't wait to try this. I have to stay gluten free, so I'm cheering for this recipe! Yum. It looks so beautiful against the brown paper.
thehealthfulideas says
That makes two of us! I was always so afraid of gluten-free baking but turns out it's not that hard after all. Thank you so much!
Kate says
These flavor combinations sound incredible! I love ANYTHING gingerbread, so I can't wait to try this recipe! Kate
thehealthfulideas says
Me too!<3 Let me know how it was if you do :)
Miri says
I LOVE the way you photographed those spices.
thehealthfulideas says
Thank you so much, Miri! :)
amy says
This sounds really good. I definitely need to try it.
thehealthfulideas says
Yes! You'll love it :)
Anne says
what a great combination of breads!
thehealthfulideas says
Right? Thanks Anne! :)
Erin says
My son loves gingerbread. I like that this is healthy, will have to make this for him.
thehealthfulideas says
I'm sure he'll love it! :)
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
Love this! The spices you've chosen sound absolutely delicious! And your styling and photography is great - I hope you choose to spend more time working on your blog :)
thehealthfulideas says
Thank you so much, Sasha! You're too sweet! <3
Nikita says
tried it! I mixed it up a bit but was still really yummy!! however, I'd love to try it with applesauce next time as i think it would taste even better !! thanks for the recipe xx
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Ouu that sounds amazing! Let me know if you do try that :) And thank you for the feedback, I'm glad you liked it. <3
Ann says
Is there a substitute for hemp seeds?
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Hemp seeds have a different texture than any other nuts or seeds but you could probably use chopped sunflower seeds, or really well chopped cashews.
Anne Wiles says
Super delicious. I used molasses in place of maple syrup. The spice is perfect. The crumb is perfect. Thank you for the recipe!!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yum! That sounds delicious, I'm glad you enjoeyd it!