Healthy Gingerbread Loaf

This healthy gingerbread loaf is the perfect combination of classic banana bread and all of the seasonal gingerbread flavors!  This breakfast bread tastes just like gingerbread cake! It is light, moist, and fluffy while also being gluten free and dairy free. Don't forget to add some add sugar free cream cheese frosting on top! Perfect for Christmas morning and the entire holiday season.

It's Christmas morning and if it's not cinnamon rolls or a quiche, you better believe this healthy gingerbread loaf is on my table!

This recipe is so simple to make in one bowl and has all of the warm and seasonal flavors of ginger, molasses and cinnamon. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and get your cozy on - grab a cookie or two while you're at it!

What Makes This Recipe Work?

• This healthy gingerbread loaf is so easy to make and perfect for gifting during the holiday season. 
• One bowl recipe that doesn't require a hand mixer or stand mixer.
• Can be made gluten free, dairy free and with no refined sugars.
• Easy to make into muffins.
• Freezes well!

Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.

• gluten free flour – I recommend either Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-1 baking flour or King Arthur flour gluten free all purpose flour.  Both measure at one-for-one compared to all purpose flour and provide a great texture for gluten free breads.
• coconut sugar – coconut sugar is a delicious natural sugar used for baking.  You can also use raw honey or maple syrup if you prefer banana bread with no sugar.
• dairy free or greek yogurt – I used Forager dairy free yogurt for this recipe.  If dairy is not an issue for you, I recommend using any vanilla greek yogurt.
• molasses - I used black strap molasses for this recipe.
• bananas - ripe bananas work well but you can also substitute for canned pumpkin or even applesauce if you are out of bananas.

How to Make This Recipe

This is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cook time and temperatures.

1. Combine the coconut oil + sugar.  Mix these two together until well incorporated.
2. Eggs.  Add in the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated.
3. Yogurt + Vanilla.  Add in these to wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Bananas.  Add in mashed bananas and mix until mostly smooth – a few lumps are OK.

5. Gingerbread time!  Add in the molasses and spice mix
6. Dry Ingredients. Mix or sift together the gluten free flour, baking soda and salt.
7. Dry into Wet.  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients in three parts, mixing slowly each time.
8. Into the oven! Line a bread pan with parchment and spray it with coconut oil spray.  Spoon the batter into the pan and place in the oven.

Expert Tips

• Storage: If using cream cheese frosting, store cooled bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Otherwise, store healthy gingerbread loaf on the countertop in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: You can either freeze the entire loaf, or cut the bread into slices and freeze by the slice.  Either way, you will want to wrap the bread securely in plastic wrap then foil and then place them in a freezer-proof container for up to 4 months.
• Vegan: Make without eggs and instead use a store bought egg replacer or flax egg along with vegan yogurt.

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5 from 4 votes

Healthy Gingerbread Loaf

Gingerbread Banana Bread is the perfect combination of classic banana bread and all of the seasonal gingerbread flavors!  Gluten free gingerbread with no sugar cream cheese frosting will be your family's new holiday favorite!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 12 slices

Calories 234kcal

Author Lyndsey

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups gluten free flour
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup coconut sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup coconut oil softened
• ▢ 3 ripe bananas mashed
• ▢ ⅓ cup dairy free or vanilla greek yogurt
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cloves
• ▢ 2 tablespoon molasses

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare a bread pan with a piece of parchment paper fitted like a sling.  Spray with coconut oil spray.
• To a medium bowl add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a whisk and set aside.
• Add coconut sugar and coconut oil in a large bowl and whisk until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time and whisk well.  Add in the bananas, yogurt and vanilla and whisk until blended.
• Stir in molasses and spices.  Mix well.
• Add the dry ingredient mix in 3 parts, until just blended.  Spoon the batter into the prepared bread pan.
• Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then lift the parchment sling out to fully cool on a cooling rack.
• See notes for directions on making cream cheese frosting.

Notes

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon powdered Monk fruit sweetener
• ½ teaspoon almond milk

Mix together with a fork and spread over cooled loaf.

Pro tip:  You do not need to break out your mixer for this recipe!  I was able to complete the entire recipe using just two bowls and a whisk.

Tips for storing fresh homemade bread

If you decide to use the cream cheese frosting for this loaf, you must refrigerate it.

If not, this healthy gingerbread is best stored on the countertop in an airtight container for up to four days.

You may consider keeping the frosting in a container and using it per slice as you cut it.

Tips for freezing gingerbread

To freeze gingerbread you can either freeze the entire loaf, or cut the bread into slices and freeze by the slice.  Either way, you will want to wrap the  bread securely in foil and then place them in a freezer-proof container.

This bread stays well in the freezer for up to four months.

Note:  the nutrition does not include the cream cheese frosting

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.4g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 5.7g

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