Healthy Oatmeal Banana Bread
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This oatmeal banana bread is a healthy twist on the classic quick bread! No flour and no refined sugar needed, it’s made with just 5 ingredients and uses just a blender!
Healthy Oatmeal Banana Bread
When it comes to healthy recipes using oats, my favorites to make are pancakes, muffins, and this oatmeal banana bread.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been making significantly healthier choices. I’ve noticed over the past couple of months that my energy levels have been fluctuating considerably each day. When analyzing my food intake, I’ve noticed that my intake of refined sugars and flour had been higher than normal.
I tend to have a very clean and balanced diet. My breakfasts are often a smoothie or overnight oats, and both my lunches and dinners always contain some form of vegetables (unless I’m enjoying some lasagna). As a snacker, I always have either some homemade protein bars on hand or some energy balls. However, with all the baking I’ve been doing recently, I’ve found myself switching my usual breakfasts for something of the sweeter variety.
My usual breakfasts had been replaced with either some banana bread or zucchini bread. Both wholesome and healthy in my books but upon closer inspection, considerably more wheat and sugar than I’d typically have. No wonder I’d been suffering from mid-morning crashes. As a way to rectify this, I’ve made some smart swaps, and recently, been loving this super healthy banana bread.
I’ve been meaning to share this healthy oatmeal banana bread recipe for quite some time. It uses wholesome and healthy ingredients and uses just 5 ingredients. No refined sugar and no flour needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is dense, slightly moist, and with a tender crumb. It’s naturally sweet but not too sweet, making it perfect for a healthy dessert or even for breakfast.
While this bread isn’t like your traditional moist and fluffy banana bread, it’s hearty and sweet enough to satisfy your baked good cravings, minus the sugar crash!
How do you make oatmeal banana bread?
The Ingredients
- Rolled oats– Either original rolled oats or gluten free oats.
- Banana– Overripe bananas are best, as they blend much easier and have a sweeter flavor.
- Maple syrup– Adds sweetness to the bread, and also gives it some moisture. You can also use honey or agave nectar.
- Eggs– Room temperature eggs.
- Baking soda- Gives the bread some rise and fluffiness.
- Chocolate chips– optional, but highly recommended.
The Instructions
In a high speed blender or food processor, add all your ingredients and blend until a smooth and pourable batter remains. If your batter is too thick, you can add some almond or oat milk to loosen it. Next, fold through your chocolate chips, if using them.
Now, transfer into a greased loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Let the bread cool in the pan completely, before slicing it up.
Tips to make the best 5 ingredient banana bread
- Do not overbake the bread. As this recipe uses oatmeal instead of flour, it is prone to drying out very easily.
- While milk isn’t included in the ingredient list, you may need to add some of it if your batter is too thick (this is due to not using enough banana). Alternatively, you can add an extra banana or two.
- This bread is not overly sweet, relying on the banana and maple syrup for sweetness. If you’d like a sweeter bread, add 1/4 cup of your favorite granulated sweetener or sugar.
Storing and freezing healthy banana oat bread
- To store: Oatmeal banana bread should always be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Place slices of the bread in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More healthy recipes to try
Healthy Oatmeal Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten free, if needed
- 4 large bananas approximately 1 1/2 cups banana
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoon maple syrup can use honey or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, add all your ingredients and blend until a smooth batter remains. Fold through the chocolate chips, if using them.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let cool completely, before slicing.
Found this recipe a couple of hours ago. I’m at work and had several bananas that were ready to be used or they would completely dissolve into a liquid in their peel. I went looking for a banana bread that was made without flour or sugar and found this recipe. I’m so glad I did. I made 4 loaves. One I did with just chocolate chips added. One had chocolate chips and shredded coconut. One was made with frozen blueberries and the last had chopped up fresh strawberries. I used honey because that’s what we have here. I added about a teaspoon of vanilla to each. The strawberry got pitched in the trash very sadly. It left a mushy area where the strawberry pieces were at and it was not very flavorful. The blueberry was good. The chocolate chip was very good and the one with the coconut was fabulous! I’m going to add about 1/4 tsp of salt with my next batch. I think the salt will round out the flavor and make it a bit richer. I want to try adding cocoa powder like I saw in a couple of comments. I’m also going to try a loaf with a more traditional banana bread spice taste. This recipe is great though due to it’s ability to stand alone or as a base to get creative with. It’s super simple and moist.
Four loaves? Carri, you are a machine!!!! Yes, strawberries can be hit or miss, and depending on the ripeness, they can affect how well they bake in bread.
This is a fantastic recipe, thank you so much!! My family likes it best with chocolate chips, but I have also used frozen wild blueberries in place of the chocolate chips (same measurement) and it was so moist and delicious. I love that you can reduce the amount of maple syrup if needed and that it still turns out just fine (I usually use the full amount, but ran out one week and could only use half as much… still delicious!) Great with coffee or hot tea. My family requests this every week, and I make two loaves so it lasts the whole week 🤣
Love to hear that, Jamie! Oh yes, the base is very versatile. It isn’t the sweetest recipe, but you can adapt it any way you like. Thanks for taking the time to leave a wonderful review.
It looks great I want to try it but excessive ads cover the instructions and ingredients no matter how much I refresh it! Bummer.
Pat, I’m so sorry- let me contact my ad network about it and get back to you ASAP!
Can I make this in the airfryer? Do you have an idea of the temp and time settings for that?
Hi H! I haven’t tried this specific recipe in it, but I do have a dedicated air fryer banana bread recipe that this one can be adapted for. I’d follow the exact same process.
Omg sooooo good! My mathing was bad so I only put 4 tbs of maple syrup, and only had milk chocolate chips …so the sweetness was there. Sooooo good! I’ll make this again…and again
Oh good that you used milk chocolate chips then- it would have added some extra sweetness!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a wonderful review, Patti!
Does cooking time vary between using a non-stick banana loaf pan and a glass banana loaf pan?
Hi S! I regularly bake banana bread in both and honestly haven’t noticed a difference. If these were brownies or something in a square pan, then you’d need to change the timing. Let me know how you go!
It has to be oat flour or just regular old fashioned oats?
Hi Zaynab, I used old fashioned oats for this one because the highspeed blender breaks them down for us. You could use oat flour but your bread would potentially be a lot more dense and can dry out if you don’t balance the moisture correctly 🙂
I think the recipe should have baking powder not baking soda. They were very flat
Hi Georgina, was you baking soda fresh? The acidity in the ripe bananas should be enough to activate it. If you’re having trouble with rise, you can certainly add a teaspoon of baking powder though! Let us know how you go 🙂
I have been making this for almost two years now and its still my go to recipe. I make banana bread and also use this recipe for muffins but add a little cocoa powder to make double chocolate muffins (its the only way my kids want them) and they are SO GOOD.
Aw, Katie- that means so much. I’m so glad you’ve been making it so often and I love the addition of cocoa powder for double chocolate-style muffins- Yum!
Healthy & delicious
Thanks so much, Kathleen- I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Amazingly delicious! Easy to make and eat. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome, Jan! Thanks for taking the time to leave a wonderful review.
Would adding baking powder and or soda make it lighter and puffier?
Hi David, this recipe already uses a little baking soda. If you wanted to add a little baking powder, that should be perfectly fine too, for some extra lift. I’d start with 1 teaspoon and see how you like the texture. Let us know how you go!
1st time baking g banana bread, taste like banana. What’s the difference between baking soda and baking powder? I love it gonna add blue berries. Raspberries and strawberries. Thank you I had Fun. VIVA la Vida. Love what you do and do what you love. What The world needs now, is love sweet banana bread Love.
Hi Rubwn, thanks so much for the kind words! Baking powder and baking soda are both ingredients that help give baked goods some rise. We use soda in this recipe because it reacts with the acidity in the bananas and also helps with some browning of the crust. If you were making something without any acidic ingredients you could use baking powder which acts by itself. Hope this helps!
Good flavor. Weird texture. Next time if I make it I’ll do 1/2 flour and 1/2 oats.
Hi Stephanie! If you don’t love the texture, I wonder if you overbaked it a little? Oat flour can be a little trippy like that. You can definitely swap half out for flour if you like.
The texture was a bit different, not necessarily like bread but it was good! Next time I’m experimenting a bit more with it. Overall a nice snack
Hi Destiny, so glad you enjoyed it! The texture is definitely a little different to flour based banana bread but it’s a very forgiving recipe and perfect for more experimentation 🙂
I just baked this great recipe. I added Greek yogurt and vanilla, blue berries and chocolate chips. Yum yum yum
I love the addition of blueberries and chocolate chips, Laura- Yum! 🙂
Thanks for taking the time for leaving a lovely review.
I noticed you did not use any oil or butter. Wondering if this is an error or not
Hi Patty- no, not an error. This banana bread has also been made and loved by thousands of readers, so it’s a fully complete and well tested recipe. The bananas, eggs, and syrup add moisture and richness.
Tried this recipe a few days ago and I didn’t expect it to be moist and tasty😃 we all loved it! I subbed the maple syrup with coconut sap/nectar since genuine maple syrup is hard to come by in the Philippines😊 and I think that amped up the flavor😊 thank you!
Dixie! This would have been so delicious with coconut nectar, as it adds a caramelized note to it. I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Just baked, and super easy!!! Blended with folk, lol! Replaced 50g Oats flour to Cacao Powder and add dark chocolate chips! Topped with chopped walnuts. Yummy:) Thanks for wonderful recipe(=^・^=)💓
Oh yum, Faith-Aloha! I love that you subbed it out for some cocoa to give it a lovely chocolate flavor 🙂
Love it!!! I added vanilla and sugar free chocolate chips. Thank you!!
I love to hear that, RRP- thanks so much for taking the time to leave a lovely review! 🙂
so good!! i used honey and added a few splashes of skim milk and it came out sweet and moist!
Oh that sounds wonderful- love the use of honey 🙂