Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining.

Add the maple syrup (or honey), unsweetened applesauce, egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter (or coconut oil) to the mashed bananas. Whisk until well combined.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough banana bread. A few streaks of flour are okay.

If using, gently fold in the chopped walnuts or chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can tent it loosely with aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.

Once baked, remove the loaf pan from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.

Carefully lift the banana bread out of the pan using the parchment paper overhangs (if used) or invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. This helps prevent it from becoming gummy.