Low Sodium Banana Bread Recipe
Low Sodium Banana Bread is a light, fluffy, and salt-free baking recipe for breakfast or dessert! Rich in protein and fiber, this recipe is made with healthier low sodium swaps.
Elevate classic banana bread with a healthy twist by reducing the sodium in your bread. You can bake this recipe into a normal sized loaf pan, into these adorable mini loaves, or even as banana bread muffins too!
There is no better way to use ripe bananas than baking up a nice homemade loaf of banana bread! I love the texture, flavor, and coziness of this recipe. It makes a great breakfast or even dessert.
Growing up, my mom would make my great-grandma’s family recipe for banana bread… it was our favorite! I especially loved adding walnuts to the batter, which gives each bite of this bread a nice crunch. My great-grandma’s original recipe was higher in sodium, so I wanted to make a version that was low so.
This Low Sodium Banana Bread Recipe Is
- Light
- Fluffy
- Comforting
- Flavorful
- Satisfying
- Salt Free
- Fun to Bake with the Family
What Size Pan Should I Use for Banana Bread?
I’ve tried this recipe in a few different pans – and you can’t go wrong with any of them! Cooking time will vary, however, so you have to adjust accordingly. In the images above I used these mini loaf pans, because I wanted smaller loaves freeze for later (and also they are cute as heck).
Follow the below guidelines for any pan you choose:
- For a traditional 9-inch loaf pan, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes.
- For mini loaf pans bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
- For muffins – bake at 20-25 minutes.
How Do I Know When Banana Bread Is Done?
Take a toothpick, and stick it in the center of each loaf. If it comes out clean (no batter attached) then the bread is done. If it has batter stuck to the toothpick, then I put the loaves back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes and test again. I found these little bamboo toothpicks work great.
What’s In This Chia Seed Banana Bread Recipe?
I stock up on produce with Misfits Market – they have a fantastic selection of in-season fruits & veggies, low so pantry items, and great food finds for a fraction of grocery store prices! You can get $10 off your first $30 box by clicking here!
- Bananas
- All Purpose Flour: I use King Arthur organic all purpose flour for all my recipes, I love the consistency and texture of the crumb this flour produces.
- Eggs
- Sodium Free Baking Powder: Regular baking powder has a TON of sodium – really, check the labels! We love this low sodium version, for a healthier swap. And it still makes the fluffiest crepes!
- Unsalted Butter
- Baking Soda: I love keep baking soda in the pantry for baking, and also for cleaning. This baking soda works great for both.
- Granulated Sugar: I like this organic sugar for my recipes, it’s great for cooking and baking.
- Milk – I used almond milk, but any kind you have works great!
- Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar – both give this recipe a great acidity, I actually liked using a combination of both ACV and lemon juice for a little extra flavor.
- Walnuts: because I love adding heart-healthy and brain-healthy ingredients to my foods when I can. I stocked up a few bags of these walnuts which are super cheap and a great value for the quality.
- Chia Seeds – a nutritious thickener for fresh jams and jellies – chia seeds are fantastic to add into smoothies or enjoy as a chia seed pudding. These little seeds are super versatile and are wonderful to cook and bake with!
How Do I Make Banana Bread without Salt?
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, egg. Then add the mashed banana, chia seeds, and the milk, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, and combine into a thick batter.
- Slowly stir 1/2 cup of the flour mixture into the banana mixture, and fold until the flour has been incorporated. Repeat for each 1/2 cup until the flour mixture is all folded in. Add walnuts into the batter.
- Grease a 9x3x5 inch loaf pan (see Notes below to use other sized pans) with butter. Pour the batter into the pan or pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes – then take a toothpick, and stick it in the center of each loaf. If it comes out clean (no batter attached) then the bread is done. If it has batter stuck to the toothpick, then I put the loaves back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes and test again.
- When the bread is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days, or can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed bag.
One of the Best Low Sodium Pantry Recipes
This low sodium banana bread recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! In addition to bananas and eggs, it uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a low so pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate.
I made a list of my Favorite Low Sodium Pantry Staples that I always keep stocked. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious salt-free & low so recipes without a trip to the store!
More Low Sodium Baking Recipes You’ll Love!
Low Sodium Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe (No Salt Added)
Low Sodium Pizza Crust Recipe (No Salt Added)
Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe
Apple Toast with Honey Butter Recipe
Get the Same Ingredients for this Banana Bread Recipe
As always, if you make this low sodium banana bread recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag us @lowsorecipes on Instagram so we can feature you. We love seeing all your photos of our recipes!
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Twitter, & my Youtube channel– I’d love to connect with you there!
Low Sodium Banana Bread
Equipment
- Mini Loaf Pans, or 9x5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sodium free baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 very ripe bananas mashed about 2 cups mashed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped plus extra for the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the all purpose flour and baking powder.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, sugar, egg. Then add the mashed banana, chia seeds, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, and the milk, and combine into a thick batter.
- Slowly stir 1/2 cup of the flour mixture into the banana mixture, and fold until the flour has been incorporated. Repeat for each 1/2 cup until the flour mixture is all folded in. Add walnuts into the batter.
- Grease a 9x3x5 inch loaf pan (see Notes below to use other sized pans) with unsalted butter. Pour the batter into the pan or pans, and top with extra walnuts if desired. Bake for 50-60 minutes - then take a toothpick, and stick it in the center of each loaf. If it comes out clean (no batter attached) then the bread is done. If it has batter stuck to the toothpick, then I put the loaves back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes and test again.
- When the bread is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days, or can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed bag.
Video
Notes
Save Money on Fresh Groceries & Pantry Staples!
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market – they sell organic produce at a discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from farmers to reduce food waste. We get Misfit boxes every other week and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can save up to 40% off grocery store prices. If you think produce delivery is too expensive… think again, and give Misfits Market a try!Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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A great snack for breakfast lunch or dinner. Yum
Kelly,
What is the per serving for the nutritional info? Is it 4oz our serving? I really need to acct. for my husband’s sodium bc he has heart disease. So, how much could he have of this banana bread for 63 mg of sodium?
thnx so much– I’m so excited to bake this bread.
Hi Susan,
A serving is for 1/6 of the total recipe – I baked the recipe and used 6 mini loaf pans. If you are using a regular 9x3x5 loaf pan, then it would be for 1/6 of that – one thick or two thin slices.
For this recipe, it’s really important to use a sodium free baking powder, and also a low sodium milk (I use my homemade almond milk recipe which has 0 mg sodium) to keep the levels down!
Let me know how it turns out for you and your husband – it’s a favorite in our home 🙂
– Kelly
Thanks Kelly. I plan to make it this weekend. Ill let u know what my husband says. susan
Kelly, made the loaf and it turned out perfectly. It is yummy! Thnk u so much.
Susan, I am so glad you liked it! It’s a ‘low so’ version of an old family recipe of mine. Thank you for leaving a comment 🙂