Easy to make, with no added sugar and lots of delicious ingredients, this carrot and banana bread is healthy and the best of carrot cake & banana bread in one.
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It's always a dilemma whether to make treats healthy or just give in, sometimes. We have a lot of fruit, and generally eat pretty healthily, but sometimes it doesn't quite cut it with the little one.
This carrot and banana bread is easy to make, really tasty, has lots of good things in it and no added sugar and so it's not too much of a stretch to call it healthy. It's almost too good to be true! Even better, for me, my toddler really likes it and so it makes a pretty good snack for everyone.
How it's made
All you need to do is mix together the dry ingredients, blend the dates and banana, add the remaining ingredients to the date-banana mixture then add all of that to the dry ingredients. Mix, pour, flatten down and bake. That's it. See, really easy, and then comes the best, and most difficult bit - the fantastic smell as it bakes in the oven and you have to wait for it to be ready! But it a wait that is well rewarded, as once it's cooled slightly you cut yourself a slice and take a bite. Delicious.
Using natural sweeteners
You may remember, I have used dates and banana to add natural sweetness to muffins and cookies before and they are a great way to add both flavor and sweetness along with lots of vitamins without the need for refined sugar.
I keep meaning to work on more cookies along the same vein, but after one or two failed attempts I have kind of parked the idea for now. Well, I say that, but I guess I just got distracted with other ideas like this one, and to be honest I am glad I did as this was definitely a success.
The outside has a delicious crunch when it is fresh, and the inside is lovely and moist but not gooey or too dense. It is pretty much as you might expect, with all the best bits of a carrot cake and a banana bread rolled int one, a slight spice and lots of delicious flavor. It will keep for a few days, given the chance, and stay nicely moist - it only loses the crunch on the outside.
If you still somehow have some left over it will also freeze; very handy to find when hunger strikes. All in all, this carrot and banana bread is definitely worth are not a particularly experienced baker it is, as I said, really easy, and there's a great reward at the end: a fantastically tasty loaf.
Try these other healthier treats:
- Healthy apple oatmeal cookies
- Carrot apple muffins
- Carrot cake energy bites
- Plus get more snack recipes, both sweet and savory, in the archives.
Healthy carrot and banana bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour 140g plain flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour 150g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 7 oz bananas 200g, approx 2 bananas
- 3.5 oz dates 100g - pitted weight, recommend Medjool
- 1 cup carrots 100g, finely grated
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (both flours, the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger).
- In another bowl, blend together the bananas and dates.
- Add the grated carrot, eggs and vanilla to the mixture and mix well.
- Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix so the mixture is well combined but don't over-mix.
- Prepare a loaf tin by either lining on greasing it, then pour the mixture in and flatten the top, pushing the mixture into the corners.
- Bake for 35-40min until a skewer comes out clean.
Nutrition
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Renee R
Loved this recipe! I made a 3/4 loaf because that’s how many bananas I had and it was lovely, moist and not too sweet. I mixed everything in the food processor and soaked the dates for 5 min in warm water. I love that there’s no added sugar or oil too. The only trouble I had was nailing the bake time- it seems like the inside was still raw by the time the outsides were done- but I really didn’t mind that either!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! I know what you mean about the middle v edge - I have had the same challenge and have been meaning to try to play around with this more to see if there is any way to get past that, other than making small loaves/muffins instead. But agree given ingredients, it's not such an issue (and it's only the very middle I found as well).
Sarah
This shouldn't work but it absolutely does. No sugar, butter, oil or milk? I had to have a go anyway and I'm so glad I did. I followed your instructions to the letter (thank you so much for including the weights) apart from adding an extra banana sliced lengthways to the top and it is really lovely. Dryer than a regular banana cake but that is perfect as I want to take mine away with me tomorrow (what is left of it) so I don't want a soggy cake that won't last. Thank you!
PS. I'm really sorry I can't rate the recipe. It won't let me click on 5 stars for some reason.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks for the comment Sarah, and I am so glad you liked it! I know what you mean, it does go against the grain of 'normal' recipes but does indeed work! And so glad you enjoyed it - the banana on top sounds a great addition too. Sorry the rating bit wasn't working for you but great to know it would be 5* 🙂
NW
Thank you very much for sharing your recipe. I can't wait to try. Do you think adding 2 tsp of coconut oil would help keep the bread stay moise longer time?
Caroline's Cooking
So it's certainly already a moist loaf due to the banana etc, and not sure the coconut oil will help to make it last longer - typically it's more preservatives like sugar that help that. That said, I don't think coconut oil would be bad in there so feel free to try!
Bradley Bellman
This is perfect...I originally baked it for my 15 year old pug's birthday as wverything in it is good for dogs.
The no sugar or fat was such a bonus.
I made a double mixture, shared it between 2 round cake tins and sandwiched it with fat free cream cheese and pineapple.
Elmo Pug went berserk for it and so did wveryone else.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm glad to hear everyone enjoyed (dogs included!)
Justine
I've never heard of using dates as a sweetener before, but that sounds like such a great idea! This bread sounds and looks amazing 😀
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Justine. Now I have started using dates, I use them a lot as they are so tasty and a great alternative to refined sugar.
Kat
This looks yummy! I love that you did not use any added sweeteners. A slice of this bread would make a wonderful breakfast on a rushed morning. Thanks for bringing it to the fiesta!
Margy@lapetitecasserole
No butter, no oil! That's very healthy! Love the addition of carrots! Thanks a lot for being at FF!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Margy, it was semi on purpose, semi accident that it came out so healthy but it tastes great so obviously worked! Thanks for co-hosting FF this week!
Dini @ Giramuk's Kitchen
I love that there is no added sugar! 🙂 Plus I love adding dates too! I need to give this a go sometime soon... it could become a favourite in the house!
Selma | Selma's Table
Lovely idea to use such naturally sweet ingredients to flavour the cake! Looks fabulous too! Thanks for sharing this at Fiesta Friday!
Kaila (GF Life 24/7)
Ooh! I love banana bread, but I like this idea of combining carrots in with it too. The bread rose so well, and I love the idea of using natural sweeteners. Happy FF and have a wonderful weekend!
Denise Wright
This is right up my alley. My son tasted zucchini cake recently at school and asked me to make it but I bet he'd like this even better and I like all the wholesome ingredients.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Denise, yes it's aways nice when something is both tasty and good for you. I hope he likes this!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
That does look good! I've been on a baking kick lately...I'm going to have to try this!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Michelle. I've been baking a bit more too - its funny how you get in moods like that! I hope you manage to try and enjoy this.
Dini @ Giramuk's Kitchen
I'm going through a Banana bread phase right now too!! This is great though - what could be better than a mashup of banana bread and carrot cake? 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Dini, it's true, how could combining two great things go wrong?!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake
Ooh I love this Caroline! I keep meaning to experiment with natural sweetness instead of sugar, but then the sugar lures me in haha! This looks amazing though, I need to try it!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Michelle, I can understand, but I do really like the taste dates gives so it's become easier to add them when they fit, like here. I hope you manage to try it.
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
I love that you used dates to sweeten this bread. I can't wait to try it!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Kristen, the dates are really nice in there - I hope you like it!