This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
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.
The BEST healthy banana bread! All of my friends loved it!!
Thanks, Jill!
I make this healthy oatmeal banana bread at least once a week! Moist and tender.
Though my husband prefers the regular soft and fluffy banana bread, I really enjoyed this recipe for breakfast or even a treat. I ate the whole loaf myself. Maybe I will decrease the chocolate chips a little next time. I love chocolate but this did seem like an unhealthy amount of chocolate in each slice. I used honey instead of maple and it was delish.
Thanks, Michelle!
Easy, quick, healthy, delicious.
I make this once a week- so wholesome and so good!
Curious if the nutrition information includes the chocolate chips or not since they are optional. Thank you!
Optional 🙂
My partner says this is the best banana bread he’s every had. I will definitely be making this again, so easy and super soft!
I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon
Absolutely delicious. I don’t usually comment on stuff , but this cake has a 10/10 . Just sweet enough to satisfy the craving for something sweet .. you can treat yourself to a slice or 2 or 3 knowing that it is really healthy. Thank you so much for this recipe, I will bake it again very soon.
Good Evening – What size pan do you recommend for this bread recipe: 9 x 5 or 4 x 4? Thank you for the recipe as it sounds wondeful!
9 x 5 is fine
Hello Arman,
Every single recipe I’ve ever baked or cooked of yours always turned out delicious! I just wanted you to know, I think you’re a brilliant chef. you make masterpieces. Thank you. My family also thanks you.Blessings😉♥️
Shirley F
Curious if the nutrition information includes the chocolate chips or not since they are optional. Thank you!
This was the best healthy oatmeal banana bread ever!
Good Morning – What size loaf pan do you recommend for this recipe? I checked several of your quick bread recipes to find only one directing pan size (9 x 4 – which does not exist.) I would like some guidance for pan size. Thank you so much. I am looking forward to making this recipe.
Yes or a 9 x 5 inch pan
Super moist and tender! So good.
Such a healthy and delicious banana bread!
Did you mean baking powder??
Such a good quick and easy recipe that is also healthy!!
I did it from Tanzania and it’s just so so amazingly tasty and so healthy!! Thank you for your generous sharing!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾
Thank you again
I did it from Tanzania and it’s just so so amazingly tasty and so healthy!! Thank you for your generous sharing!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾
Seriously obsessed with this bread- healthy, easy, delicious.
This was so healthy and delicious!!!
Love this recipe I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve made it ! Yum 😋
Very good, my family loved it! Based on recommendations only added 3 bananas and it was great. Made again with cinnamon honey instead of maple syrup…yum!
😀 yum!!
This is a nice and simple recipe. Its a tad too sweet for me, but easy to fix. I did use honey, so if that happens to be sweeter than maple syrup that could be my issue. A little salt would balance out the sweetness too, and carry it further. But I will be making this again with a few tweaks. I added just a bit of melted butter and I think I will keep that tweak (coconot oil would do the same).
thankyou for your recipe – really enjoyed it – did to less choc chips and 3 good size bananas and it worked well. i am wondering how it would work with blueberries instead of choc chips? any ideas thanks
This was so delicious and healthy!
I am about to make this bread for the fourth time! Really enjoying this bread!
This turned out great but next time I would put 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, and half cup walnuts/pecans. I thought half cup of chocolate was way too much. I think I would also put 3 bananas not 4.
The best oatmeal banana bread recipe. Moist and tender.
I made this for my son to take to college and he loved it as a snack! I added some toasted, chopped walnuts for some extra protein and crunch.
absolutely delicious !!
Absolutely amazing, thank you. I added one scoop of banana protein powder and did half unsweetened coconut and half chocolate chips, plus a splash of vanilla, and a pinch of cloves.
Simply outstanding. Will be a regular item to make.
Darlene
My new go to banana bread with my high cholesterol this one is acceptable for me to eat! Thanks
I just made your banana oatmeal bread, using honey and let me tell you it is delicious. It came out perfect.I didn’t use the chocolate chips. Thank You for the recipe.
Loved this recipe banana bread was really soft. My kids loved it as well.
Absolute perfection! I added the chocolate chips in the blender too and made muffins with the batter. So so good!!!
Is there an alternative to using banana with the same recipe ingredients?
You could try applesauce
Hubby I’d diabetic so no sugar added works great. He loves this bread and the 5 ingredients chocolate chip cookies made with dark chocolate chips (no sugar)
This was amazing!!
Such a simple and delicious recipe for banana loaf. Made this for my diabetic parents. I added a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves. I also reduced the maple syrup to 3 tbsp and it still had a hint of sweetness. I will probably increase it to 4 tbsp when I make it again!
Thank you!
I was really surprised by how good this recipe turned out! Actually even better than my usual go to banana bread recipe AND it’s healthier. I followed the instructions and blended everything. Since I have a small blender I blended the oats seperately and then the rest of the ingredients, and then just mixed everything together in a bowl.
I used a 9×6 pan and kept it in the oven at 350 degrees for 42 min.
I used honey instead of maple syrup (a suggested substitute) as I did not have maple syrup on hand.
I also added chopped walnuts. It turned out amazing!
Next time I might sub the chocolate chips for blueberries, hopefully that turns out well too.
It turned out so good I sent this recipe to everyone I know LOL!
Definitely worth a try. Trust the process, you’ll be happy with the results.
Love it . Not too sweet just perfect . I sometimes make it without the chocolate chips and it’s just as amazing
Oh my goodness! I’m rubbish at baking but this was so easy and delicious. Very moist, and rose well. I made it for my son who also spread some peanut butter on it for a wholesome, delicious snack. I followed the recipe to the letter and I had no problems. I used a small loaf tin, and it all fitted in perfectly. I wish I could have uploaded a picture as it looks so yummy.
Great recipe, if you substitute zucchini for the bananas just increase syrup from 6 Tablespoons to 1 1/4 cup. Bananas bring their sweetness unlike zucchini.
I love how simple this recipe is! 🤩 And actually very tasty 🙌 I used 4tbsp of honey, which was totally enough. Thank you!
It’s the best banana is banana 🥖 I have ever eaten 👍🏻❤️
Blooming lovely, I added a few chopped walnuts and dates to my second one and wow!!
Love this recipe – I make it about once a week to satisfy my pregnancy cravings in a healthier way. I like adding lots of walnuts, a dash of vanilla, dash of salt, and two big dollops of Greek yogurt. I add a little more than 2c oatmeal to compensate for the extra wet ingredients. I definitely prefer moist “eat with a fork” bread like this compared to the drier recipes that use flour!
This is quite literally the best banana bread I’ve ever made. My mom even asked for the recipe a few weeks ago when I first made it. It is now a staple at our house.
I just made this recipe and it was suuuper easy to make and my family loved it my mom who is diabetic was finally able to enjoy this treat without feeling guilty about it. So thank you sooo much for this recipe we truly appreciate it.
Let me start by saying the bread is delicious! I made some tweaks based on comments here and I’m wondering if, in doing so, I may have created the results I wrought. I used 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and added 1/4 cup of sour cream to provide the acid to help the baking soda. I did use three thawed frozen bananas and 1 fresh banana. It puffed up beautifully in the oven, but when it came out and cooled, it lost half of its height. Is that to be expected? What did I do wrong? Again, it tastes wonderful, but the consistency is more like a thick fudgy brownie than a bread. By the way, a slice in the microwave for 20 seconds is the best! Can’t wait to make French Toast with it.
This was such a delightful addition to the breakfast rotation. I can honestly say, this is my FAVORITE recipe that I’ve tried, to date.
YUM!!!! Pro tip: I used semi-sweet dark chocolate chips and this came out perfectly.
I don’t know what I was expecting, I this came out better than I could have imagined. It’s so SOFT and moist. I blended the oats before hand and the result was a fluffy, cake like masterpiece. Thanks for the recipe!
I forgot the b soda. It was fine more like a muesli bar I added walnuts an sultanas an cinnamon it was great thanks
Yup. Super nummy. Made this for my 1 year old who is too small and dropped some weight percentiles. I am anxiously trying to find dense foods that she likes, but that aren’t just processed crap. This recipe came together super easy in my blender. I was a little shy a banana, so I added an unsweetened applesauce cup. I didn’t have maple syrup(but I’ll get some so I can make this properly)so I added a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. I used a cake pan to bake rather than a loaf pan, and so found 30 minutes to do the trick. Awesome simple recipe. She took the cake right out of my hand and started putting it in her mouth, so I would say that’s a good review.
I had my doubts but this was so good, way better than regular banana bread! Added some greek yogurt as one person recommended and some walnuts. This will be my go-to recipe from now on!!
Greetings from Perth Australia. Made these as mini muffins for brekky this morning. They were so delish. My 2 year old son must have eaten about 12-15 muffins alone. I couldn’t believe how sweet they were from just the ripe bananas and maple syrup. This is our new fave muffin recipe. Thank you.
(Our previous fave recipe contains spinach, do you think these would work with spinach added?)
Correction to previous post regarding increasing the amount of syrup if you substitute zucchini for banana. Amount given was for a double batch, you should increase syrup to 1 1/4 cup. This recipe is fabulous as written but I sometimes get a lot of zucchini so I will exchange that for the bananas
I looooove this recipe! I recently had to cut ot white flour forever and I’ve been thinking of ways to make banana bread without it. I’ve only ever made banana bread with white flour. Finding this recipe was such a relief and it gave me great joy..Every week I now try to make sure I’ve got bananas in my fridge so I can make it on Fridays! One loaf lasts me the entire week and it’s YUM! THanks for sharing!
Aw I love that 🙂
Made it today. My family loved it! Thank You!!
another perfect recipe !!!!!!!
Thanks for the recipe! Hard to find a 100% oat/no refined sugar banana bread recipe, and this one is a keeper!
I did add a big scoop of Greek yogurt for some acid and added moisture (plus I only had 3 bananas) and it helped a lot with the rise,something oat bread needs help with any way. Baking soda alone is a base, and requires an acid to activate that chemical reaction the gives bread that floof, which is why it is almost always used alongside baking soda. However a fermented element (yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk) does the same thing, plus adds extra moisture and taste.
It came out amazing, will def be making again 🙂
Can I use steel cut oats? Or specifically Coach’sOats Cracked and Toasted Oats.
Thank You
No, it needs to be rolled/old fashioned oats
Love love love this recipe. I started looking for easy and cheep gluten free recipes when I found out I had an intolerance and saw how expensive it is. I came across this. It made me so happy. It’s great as is. Very moist and the bread has such a good texture and flavor. I’ve experimented and it’s very versatile. I made it extra sweet and took it to the office for my junk food addict coworkers. It was a hit. I had coco powder and shredded coconut which made a chocolate coconut version that was good. I also ran out of chocolate chips so I used frozen berries. That too, was delicious. Lastly I used protein powder instead of the sweetener. Also very good. This is now my go to recipe.
This was legit!! I used the batter for pancakes instead of banana bread, and it was SO MUCH better than any of the recipes for blender oatmeal pancake recipes I’ve tried.
I used molasses because we didn’t have maple syrup, and I added cinnamon and salt for a little more flavor. Definitely a keeper!!
Wow this was easy, just threw it all in the blender! I did add 1/2 cup (1 of those individual cups) of applesauce for moisture. I did put it all in a bowl after blending to add chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. I used 2 loaf pans, 350 for 21 minutes. It’s moist and flavorful!
I was surprised by how truly delicious this banana bread is, considering how simple and healthy it is haha! I highly recommend trying it. It’s easy and really tasty. I added a tsp of cinnamon and enjoyed the subtle addition.
Easy peasy and delicious. I subbed walnuts for chocolate chips and received rave reviews from the family.
hey this recipe is great! I was wondering if I could make this chcolate without changing it up too much, thanks!
I have made lots of banana bread and muffins because my family loves bananas. This is the first recipe *I* have ever really liked because it isn’t too sweet. I love oats and maple syrup and it’s really easy to make. Next time I will add walnuts or chocolate chips. Thanks for the great recipe!
I LOVE this recipe!!!
I made it last week with bananas and it was heaven!!!! Wanting to make it again tonight, but having no bananas, I subbed 1 3/4 c. Zucchini and a dash of cinnamon.
Still freaking amazing!!
Thank you for this awesome, healthy, and totally solid recipe.
So good! I made this the first time as is and have made it a couple of times since, adding cocoa, chia seeds, and walnuts. Delicious every time!
Delicious!
I’ve been using oat four but realised with this recipe there’s no need to dry mill my oats beforehand and I just love the fuller texture of the not so blended oats.
Made this like 3x now and keep experimenting.
Last time I left out the eggs and used a spoon of mayo and a 1/2 cup of yoghurt instead. Half the honey and it still came out tops.
Thanks for this Arman.🥰
I have been looking for some healthier recipes to serve my children in the morning. I admit I was skeptical at first about no flour or sugar. This bread is delicious and my children loved it! The only thing I did was add a little cinnamon. Thank you for a good recipe I feel good giving my children….and myself!!
Excellent as is. This recipe is so good. My 5 and 7 year od love it. Thank you!!
Thank you, Amelia!
Excellent as is. Thank you!!
What size pan should I use?
9 x 4-inch 🙂
Can i make this without eggs / with flax eggs ?
Haven’t tried- feel free to experiment and see!
I did it twice, both times I didn’t had 4 ripped bananas so instead I used half the recipe and only 1 spoon of honey. It still tasted tremendously delicious. Thanks for this recipe, is my new go-to.
Love it! I reduced the maple syrup by 2 tablespoons and it was still yummy! I’ve even been eating a little piece as a bedtime snack.
This was super yummy I used coconut sugar and added a little almond milk
Very moist! Will be a wonderful addition to my recipes. Question, what is a slice, or how many slices are in a batch?
Great recipe, instead of using maple syrup or honey I added two medjool dates and also 2 tbsp of cocoa powder. Delicious! Thanks heaps 🙂
Delicious, mine was moist due to using enough bananas. 3 plis 14c monkfruit sweetner.👍🏽😍
This is very good! I used frozen bananas and had to add extra oats because the bananas were VERY moist. It didn’t blend as thoroughly as I expected but still turned out fine. Next time I think I will add a pinch of salt and use parchment paper.
Hubby I’d diabetic so no sugar added works great. He loves this bread and the 5 ingredients chocolate chip cookies made with dark chocolate chips (no sugar)
Absolutely delicious without the choc chips.I reduced the honey to 4 tbsp which was plenty sweet enough. Beautiful and moist and keeps well in the fridge.
Love that! 🙂 So great to hear it, Elizabeth!
Enjoyed this recipe. I sweetened with dates and put blueberries on top instead of chocolate chips.
Absolutely delicious and it turn out as it exactly you see on the photo. It’s very moist, I use 4 tablespoons honey, one spoon Greek yogurt, cinnamon, ginger and 1/2 cup combination of walnuts and cranberry. I also bake it on 350 for 50 minutes, it was still sticky on the fork for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
The batter seemed wet so I added an extra 1/2 cup oats (I used 3 bananas and 2 spoons of greek yogurt).
I also added vanilla extract and pumpkin spice, 1/2 cup cranberries and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. I user 3 tablespoons of honey and baked for 50 minutes.
It turned out amazing, thank you so much for this amazing recipe!🙏
Best I’ve ever had!
Thanks for the feedback, Ed!
My kiddo love it! And great for busy parents! Thank you!
Sounds really healthy . I’ll try today.
Thanks.