Healthy Banana Bread for Hormone Support

If you love banana bread but want a version that feels a little more nourishing, this is the kind of recipe I come back to again and again. As a clinical nutritionist specialising in women’s health and hormones, I love recipes that still taste comforting but offer a little more nutritional value at the same time.

Jump to Recipe ↓

This healthy banana bread uses wholegrain flour, toasted besan flour, flax, chia, hemp seeds and nuts to create a loaf that is more balanced than a standard café-style banana bread. It is still banana bread, and it is still a sweet bake, but it also contains ingredients that can support a higher fibre, more nutrient-dense pattern of eating. Diets rich in whole grains, nuts and seeds are consistently associated with better cardiometabolic health outcomes, including cardiovascular health and glycaemic control (Aune et al., 2016; Becerra-Tomás et al., 2019; Ying et al., 2024).

I also like this recipe because it is practical. It uses overripe bananas, stores well, freezes well, and can be eaten as a snack, breakfast, or something to have on hand when you want a sweet option that actually keeps you satisfied.

Want more nourishing sweet snack ideas? Download my free Sweet Snacks Guide for easy, balanced options that still feel satisfying.

Is banana bread healthy for women’s hormone health?

Banana bread can range from a very sugary, low-fibre treat to something much more balanced depending on what goes into it. This version includes wholegrain flour, seeds, nuts and eggs, which help add fibre, healthy fats, protein and texture. That does not mean one slice will fix hormone issues, but it does mean this recipe fits more easily into an eating pattern that supports stable energy, nourishment and overall hormone health.

Flaxseed is one of the ingredients people often ask me about in relation to women’s hormones. Research has looked at flaxseed for metabolic and hormonal markers, especially in women with PCOS. In one clinical trial, flaxseed supplementation improved metabolic markers in women with PCOS, while a systematic review found mixed results overall for sex hormone outcomes in adults (Haidari et al., 2020; Musazadeh et al., 2023).

That is why I like using language that is realistic. This banana bread is not a hormone treatment, but it is an easy and delicious way to include seeds that may complement a more supportive dietary pattern. For more information on flaxseeds for women’s health, check out my seed cycling blog post or my free seed cycling handout.

What makes this banana bread better for blood sugar balance?

This loaf still contains carbohydrate, and it still contains honey and banana, so it is not sugar-free. What makes it a gentler option is the overall combination of ingredients. Instead of relying mostly on refined flour and sugar, this recipe includes wholegrain flour, nuts and seeds, which help increase fibre and make the loaf more substantial.

Whole grain intake has been associated with better glycaemic control and lower risk of type 2 diabetes in large studies, and systematic review data suggests that whole grains can improve fasting blood glucose, particularly when they are part of a broader dietary pattern (Ying et al., 2024).

This is also where the chopped nuts help. Nuts have been associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in prospective research, and they add texture, satiety and a more balanced nutritional profile to baked goods (Becerra-Tomás et al., 2019).

A practical way to enjoy this if you are more mindful of blood sugar is to pair a slice with a protein-rich food such as plain Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese, rather than eating it on its own.

Are flax, chia and hemp seeds good for women’s health?

I love adding a mix of seeds to recipes because they are such an easy way to increase nutritional value without making the recipe complicated.

Flaxseeds are rich in fibre and plant omega-3 fats, and they have been studied for potential benefits in women’s metabolic health, especially in PCOS research (Haidari et al., 2020). The evidence around direct hormone effects is still mixed, but flax remains one of the most interesting seeds in the women’s health space (Musazadeh et al., 2023).

Chia seeds add fibre and help create a more satisfying, balanced bake. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found that chia seed supplementation showed potential benefits for waist circumference, C-reactive protein and systolic blood pressure, even though not all lipid and glycaemic markers changed significantly across studies (Karimi et al., 2024).

Hemp seeds are less studied in this exact context, but nutritionally they are a simple way to add healthy fats, some protein and more variety to your intake.

For more information on how I use seeds in practice, check out my seed cycling blog post,Cycle Sync Grocery List, or Seed Cycling for Beginners guide.

What are the benefits of besan flour in banana bread?

Besan flour is such an underrated ingredient in baking. It is made from chickpeas, and in this recipe it adds a lovely nutty depth of flavour once toasted. It also helps bring a little more structure and substance to the loaf.

Because besan flour comes from chickpeas, it contributes some protein and fibre compared with more refined flours. Legume intake has generally been associated with improved diet quality and better cardiometabolic health patterns, and chickpeas in particular are often appreciated for their fibre and satiety benefits as part of balanced eating patterns. While this recipe only uses a small amount, I still love it here because it adds both flavour and nutritional value.

Toasting it first is important because it deepens the flavour and removes that raw bean taste. If you want to see what properly toasted besan flour looks like, check out my Instagram post for a visual guide.

Can banana bread support cardiovascular health too?

This recipe can absolutely fit into a heart-supportive dietary pattern, especially compared with a standard banana bread made with refined flour and fewer wholefood ingredients.

Higher whole grain intake has been associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, and higher nut intake has also been linked with lower cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality in large meta-analyses (Aune et al., 2016; Becerra-Tomás et al., 2019).

Again, that does not mean banana bread is suddenly a treatment plan. It just means that the small ingredient choices you make regularly, like using wholemeal or spelt flour instead of refined flour, or adding seeds and nuts, can shift a recipe in a more nourishing direction over time.

If you want more personalised support for cholesterol, blood sugar, PCOS, PMS, period problems or hormone symptoms, book an appointment with me.

Healthy Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas, around 350 g

• 70 g honey

• 45 g butter, melted

• 2 eggs

• 1.5 tsp vanilla

• 65 g milk

• 135 g spelt flour or wholemeal flour

• 25 g besan flour

• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp bicarb soda

• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp hemp seeds

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin.

2. Toast the besan flour in a dry pan over medium to high heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes, until it becomes a darker brown colour and smells nutty. If you want a guide for when the besan flour is ready, see my Instagram post.

3. In a mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the bananas, honey, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and milk.

4. You can mash the bananas with a fork first and whisk the wet ingredients together, or let the stand mixer do the work.

5. Add the spelt flour or wholemeal flour, toasted besan flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and chopped nuts.

6. Mix until just combined.

7. Pour into a lined loaf tin, silicone tin or baking tin.

8. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C, and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the banana bread no longer has any jiggle in the middle.

10. The foil is simply there to stop the top from becoming too brown.

11. Cool before slicing.

Notes

• This recipe is sweetened with honey rather than refined sugar, but it still contains sugar overall.

• Spelt flour or wholemeal flour both work well.

• Toasting the besan flour makes a big difference to flavour.

• This loaf freezes beautifully, so it is a great one to batch prep.

Recipes like this are one of my favourite ways to make everyday baking feel a little more intentional. You still get the comfort and sweetness of banana bread, but with extra fibre, seeds and wholefood ingredients that make it more satisfying and supportive overall.

If you want more recipes like this, make sure you explore my other women’s health recipes on the blog. And if you are trying to work out how to eat in a way that better supports your hormones, energy, blood sugar or cardiovascular health, you can also book an appointment with me for personalised support. For more on flaxseeds and women’s health, have a read of my seed cycling blog post or download my free seed cycling handout.

References

Aune, D., Keum, N., Giovannucci, E., Fadnes, L. T., Boffetta, P., Greenwood, D. C., Tonstad, S., Vatten, L. J., Riboli, E., & Norat, T. (2016). Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ, 353, i2716.

Becerra-Tomás, N., Paz-Graniel, I., Kendall, C. W. C., Kahleová, H., Rahelić, D., Sievenpiper, J. L., & Salas-Salvadó, J. (2019). Nut consumption and incidence of cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease mortality: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Nutrition Reviews, 77(10), 691-709.

Haidari, F., Banaei-Jahromi, N., Zakerkish, M., & Ahmadi, K. (2020). The effects of flaxseed supplementation on metabolic status in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized open-labeled controlled clinical trial. Nutrition Journal, 19, 8.

Karimi, M., Pirzad, S., Shirsalimi, N., Ahmadizad, S., Hashemi, S. M., Karami, S., Kazemi, K., Shahir-Roudi, E., & Aminzadeh, A. (2024). Effects of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) supplementation on cardiometabolic health in overweight subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Nutrition & Metabolism, 21, 74.

Musazadeh, V., Abbasalizad Farhangi, M., Dehghan, P., Jafarvand, E., Kumar, P., & Fathi, A. (2023). The effect of flaxseed supplementation on sex hormone profile in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10.

Ying, T., Xue, K., Du, J., Liu, Y., & He, G. (2024). Effects of whole grains on glycemic control: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. Nutrition Journal.

© 2026 Feminalysis. All rights reserved. No part of this recipe may be reproduced without written permission.