Sliced Greek yogurt banana bread with bananas and yogurt

Greek Yogurt Banana Bread: What You Need to Know

ByCraig Brockie Last updated

What Greek Yogurt Banana Bread Is

Greek yogurt banana bread is a classic banana quick bread in which plain Greek yogurt replaces half of the butter. The yogurt keeps the loaf moist, adds a little protein, and supplies the acid that baking soda needs to lift the batter. The recipe below makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf, about 10 slices. For the general rules of swapping yogurt into recipes, see baking with Greek yogurt.

Ingredients

  • 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed: about 1 1/2 cups (350 g)
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, whole milk or 2% (about 120 g)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (57 g)
  • 2 large eggs (100 g without shells)
  • 2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (145 g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4 g)
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (220 g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (about 5 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Gram weights for the bananas, butter, eggs, sugar and flour use the household measures in USDA FoodData Central (for example, 225 g per cup of mashed banana and 125 g per cup of all-purpose flour). A kitchen scale gives the most consistent loaf.

Steps

Banana bread batter in a loaf pan beside mashed bananas
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth. Whisk in the Greek yogurt, melted butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.
  3. In a second bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon so the soda is evenly spread.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour shows. Some lumps are fine. Mississippi State University Extension warns that overbeating quick-bread batter causes a heavy texture, tunnels and peaked tops.
  5. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake right away, since the baking soda begins reacting with the yogurt once they are mixed.
  6. Bake 55 to 65 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking at 50 minutes. If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
  7. Test for doneness: a toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Kansas State University Extension also suggests about 210°F inside for quick breads if you have a food thermometer.
  8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Let it cool completely before slicing, or the center can seem gummy.

Why Greek Yogurt Works Here

Acid plus baking soda. Baking soda only leavens when it meets an acid. Mississippi State Extension explains that soda and an acid release carbon dioxide, the gas that makes quick bread rise. Yogurt is acidic: it sets as cultures sour the milk to about pH 4.6, per University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension.

Moisture without as much fat. Per 100 grams, unsalted butter is about 81% fat and 16% water, while whole-milk Greek yogurt is about 81% water and 5% fat. Swapping half the butter for yogurt keeps the batter moist while cutting fat.

A bit more protein. Greek yogurt has about 9 g of protein per 100 g in USDA data, more than plain whole-milk yogurt at about 3.5 g, because straining removes whey. More on that in Greek yogurt protein.

It Is Not a Probiotic Food

Baking kills the yogurt’s live cultures. Yogurt bacteria are sensitive enough that milk which is too hot when you add starter can kill them, per Alaska Cooperative Extension, and a quick bread is baked to about 210°F inside. In a 2019 study, unprotected probiotic bacteria did not survive in any plain cakes baked at 200°C (392°F) for 20 minutes; only some microencapsulated cells did.

So enjoy this loaf as a treat with some fiber from the bananas, not as a source of live cultures. If you want probiotics, eat cold, unheated yogurt with live and active cultures on the side. See can you cook Greek yogurt and our list of probiotic foods.

Approximate Nutrition per Slice

These are estimates we calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (banana, Greek yogurt, butter, egg, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla), divided into 10 slices. Your numbers will vary with banana size, yogurt brand and how you slice.

Per slice (1/10 loaf)This recipeSame recipe with 1/2 cup butter, no yogurt
CaloriesAbout 235About 265
Fat6.5 g10.4 g
Saturated fat3.6 g6.1 g
Protein5 g4 g
Carbohydrate40 g39 g
Fiber1.5 g1.5 g
Sugars19 g19 g
Sodium265 mg265 mg

Variations

  • Whole wheat: swap 1 cup (120 g) of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. By our calculation that adds roughly 1 g of fiber per slice. Expect a denser, darker loaf.
  • Less sugar: cut the brown sugar to 1/2 cup packed (110 g). That trims about 4 g of sugar per slice by our estimate.
  • Add-ins: fold in up to 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips or blueberries in the last few strokes of mixing.
  • Swirl top: sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over the batter before baking.
  • Plain yogurt instead of Greek: regular yogurt is thinner, so the batter will be looser. See baking with plain yogurt for how to adjust.

No Greek Yogurt? Strain Plain Yogurt

You can turn plain yogurt into Greek-style yogurt in a few hours. University of Illinois Extension describes lining a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth, spooning in the yogurt, setting it over a bowl, covering it, and refrigerating it. Draining 2 to 4 hours gives Greek-style yogurt; 8 to 24 hours gives thick yogurt cheese.

Start with more plain yogurt than you need, since a good share of its volume drains off as whey. Full steps are in how to make Greek yogurt.

Storage and Freezing

  • Room temperature: cool completely, then wrap tightly or store in an airtight container. A food storage chart from Ohio State University Extension, based on Clemson Extension data, gives about 3 days at room temperature for quick breads.
  • Freezer: Illinois Extension says baked quick breads keep their best quality for 2 to 3 months at 0°F. The Ohio State chart suggests wrapping individually and packing in a rigid container to prevent crushing; wrapped slices let you thaw one at a time.
  • Thawing: thaw slices at room temperature or warm them briefly in a toaster oven. Freezing preserves quality but does not refresh a stale loaf, Illinois Extension notes.
  • Mold: if you see mold, throw out the whole loaf. The USDA says porous baked goods can be contaminated below the surface.

Related Topics

Sources

Craig Brockie is the founder of Ultimate Health Solutions, the company behind Ultimate Gut, and the author of Ultimate Health, The Ultimate Gut Health Guide and The Unlimited Probiotics Guide. After injuries and chronic health problems in his twenties that conventional care didn’t resolve, he began researching health on his own and has studied natural health for 30 years. He is not a medical professional, and his articles are general information, not medical advice.

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