Banana Bread with Chia Seeds Recipe
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Jump to Recipe Watch VideoBanana bread with chia seeds is a light, fluffy, and high protein recipe for ripe bananas! Chia seeds add a great texture and extra fiber to this easy bread.
Elevate classic banana bread with a twist by baking chia seeds into the bread. You can bake this recipe into a normal sized loaf pan, into these adorable mini loaves, or even as banana bread muffins too!
Want more banana recipes? Try our peanut butter banana wrap, banana protein shake, or our sweet potato banana bread for a delicious variation!
There is no better way to use ripe bananas than baking up a nice homemade loaf of banana bread with chia seeds! I love adding chia seeds to as many meals as I can. They are high in protein, fiber, and have omega 3 fatty acids. They are simple to add to recipes, and give this banana bread a fantastic texture.
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 didn’t include chia, but I decided to add them in, and they were fantastic!
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s light, fluffy, and delicious!
- A great comfort food recipe or rainy day baking activity!
- It’s the best way to use up ripe bananas before they go bad.
- This bread is fun to bake with the family.
- The chia seeds add a wonderful texture and crunch.
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.
- 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.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bananas
- 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!
- All Purpose Flour
- Eggs
- Butter
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Milk – I used almond milk, but any kind you have works great!
- Lemon Juice – gives this recipe a great acidity,
- Walnuts
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
Substitutions and Variations
- Add 1/2 of chocolate chips to the batter for a tasty version!
- Instead of lemon juice, you can add in apple cider vinegar. Both give the batter a little extra tang and taste delicious!
- if you want to add whole wheat flour, you can use half wheat and half all-purpose flour, or all whole wheat which will give the bread a denser texture.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, egg. Then add the banana (mash with a fork), chia seeds, the milk, lemon juice. Mix well.
Step 3: Slowly stir 1/2 cup of the flour mixture at a time into the banana mixture, and fold until the flour has been incorporated.
Step 4: Repeat for each 1/2 cup until the flour mixture is all folded in.
Step 5: Add walnuts into the batter, and fold one last time. Grease a 9x3x5 inch loaf pan (see Notes below to use other sized pans) with butter. Pour the batter into the pan or pans.
Step 6: Bake for 40-50 minutes until done. Allow banana bread to cool before slicing, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
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 put the loaves back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes and test again.
Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed bag.
More Tasty Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Toast with Honey Butter Recipe
- Banana Protein Shake Recipe
- Scrambled Eggs with Greek Yogurt Recipe
- Oatmeal with Flaxseed Recipe
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Banana Bread with Chia Seeds
Equipment
- 1 Loafpan or mini loaf pans, see note below!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 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
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1.5 tablespoons chia seeds plus extra for the top
Instructions
- 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, 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 butter. Pour the batter into the pan or pans, and top with extra chia seeds 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
What Size Pan To Use
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.-
- 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.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add 1/2 of chocolate chips to the batter for a tasty version!
- Instead of lemon juice, you can add in apple cider vinegar. Both give the batter a little extra tang and taste delicious!
- if you want to add whole wheat flour, you can use half wheat and half all-purpose flour, or all whole wheat which will give the bread a denser texture.
Nutrition
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The family loved this treat
I yummy way to use my older bananas
Hello can I use oat flour instead of all purpose flour? If yes, then how much ?
Hi Indranee, I haven’t tried substituting oat flour for the all-purpose, so I am not sure how it would bake. If you do use it, please let us know how it turns out!
– Kelly
Nice to make a treat not flooded with all bad stuff yet great tasting
Just made this recipe with a heck of a lot of substitutions and it turned out absolutely wonderful. I used almond flour (replaced a half cup with protein powder), sugar free sweetener, light butter and greek yougurt (sub for butter), and chocolate chips instead of walnuts. This was so my lovely allergenic family could also enjoy the bread. Anyway, definitely make this it’s decadent while not being too heavy- and comes out looking stunning.
Hi Lauren,
Thank you so much for the recipe! I will have to try it with almond flour, that sounds wonderful. So glad it turned out with all the subs, appreciate you sharing those 🙂
– Kelly
If I am using chia + banana flavoring to make a low-carb substitution for the mashed banana in a banana bread, can/should I still use the eggs that are called for in the original recipe?
Hello Patricia, yes I think you should still use the eggs as they hold the bread together when being baked. I haven’t tried this bread with a banana flavoring, how did it turn out? Please let us know!
– Kelly
It’s the best banana bread I’ve made and definitely a keeper for my family. I used olive oil instead of butter because it’s just easier and halved the sugar. I also added a sprinkle of sugar all over the top with the extra chia before I baked it. Came out very moist with a wonderful crunchy top. The chia seeds inside gives an addictive crunch to each bite!
Thank you so much Julie! This is a favorite of ours as well, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
– Kelly
Made this with my daughter the other night and the entire family loved it. Used olive oil instead of butter as well as swapped regular sugar for brown sugar. Love that there is crunch in every slice. highly recommend.
One of the best banana bread recipes – great to add chia, and the topping of chia makes a nice crunch on top.
Can we use oat flour instead of flour
Hi Rosetta, I haven’t tried it with oat flour, but I think it would work as a substitute. If you try it, let me know and I will add it in the recipe notes!
Thank you,
Kelly
What do you do with the lemon juice?
Hi Diana, you add it into the batter to give the banana bread a nice acidity! I’d recommend fresh lemon juice, but if you don’t have it, then apple cider vinegar works well too.
I am curious, won’t the lemon make the milk (listed among the ingredients) curl?
It seems that I’m usually throwing away over ripe bananas that don’t get eaten. No more wasting them. I made this delicious wonder and poof it disappeared in our house with many compliments
Thank you, and that’s wonderful to hear! This family recipe has stood the test of time, and I’m so glad you enjoy it.