Looking for a healthy snack? Then this oatmeal banana bread might be exactly what you need. It’s quick, easy, tasty, and did I mention healthy too?! Plus, it’s naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and packed with fiber, making it the kind of wholesome treat you can feel good about.
Forget those sugar-loaded, butter-heavy banana breads! This oatmeal banana bread recipe is naturally sweet, incredibly moist, and packed with wholesome ingredients. Need more reasons to try it? Here are just a few:
Like my other easy banana bread recipe, this banana bread keeps things simple with just a handful of wholesome ingredients. No specialty additions, no refined sugars. Just real ingredients that come together to create something truly delicious. Make sure to check out the full details in the recipe card below.
BAKING TIP: As an optional topping, slice an extra banana lengthwise and and lay it on top of the batter, or sprinkle a handful of rolled oats over the top for decoration.
Start by preparing your oats. If you’re using rolled oats rather than pre-ground oat flour, place them in a blender or food processor and pulse until they become a fine flour. This only takes about 30 seconds and ensures a smooth, consistent texture in your banana bread.
Mash the bananas. Peel your ripe bananas and mash them thoroughly in a large mixing bowl using a fork or potato masher. You want a smooth, almost liquid consistency with no large chunks remaining. The riper your bananas, the easier this will be!
Add the wet ingredients. Crack the eggs into the mashed bananas one at a time, adding the vanilla extract along with them. Mix well after each addition until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth.
Combine the dry ingredients. Add the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the banana mixture. Stir until everything is just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the bread dense. The batter should be thick but spoonable.
Fold in the raisins. Gently fold the soaked raisins into the batter until they’re evenly distributed. If you prefer your banana bread without dried fruit, feel free to skip this step or substitute with chopped dates, dried apricots, or even dark chocolate chips.
Prepare your pan. Grease a loaf pan (I use a 25 cm/ 9-10 inch pan) with a little oil or butter, then dust lightly with flour. Alternatively, line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Add your optional topping at this stage, if desired.
Bake. Place the pan in a preheated oven at 180°C/356°F (conventional oven) for 40-45 minutes. The banana bread is ready when it’s golden brown on top and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, you can loosely cover it with foil.
BAKING TIP: Let the baked banana bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps it set properly and makes slicing much easier.
Banana bread tastes best when eaten within 2-3 days. Wrap the banana bread in aluminum foil or in an airtight container and store it outside the refrigerator at room temperature.
If you find it no longer tastes fresh enough, you can toast individual slices briefly in the toaster or air fryer. This will give it a deliciously crispy edge.
Absolutely! Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you wrap the slices individually, you can (for example) take out a slice every morning. Put it in your bag or in a lunchbox, and about two hours later your healthy snack will be thawed.
I provide more in-depth details of how to store banana bread in this article.
There are an endless variety of delicious recipes you can come up with using oatmeal, but when it comes to adding a healthy twist, I do have a few of my favorites:
If you’ve been following Laura’s Bakery for a while, you’ll know I’m quite the fan of banana bread in general. It’s why the list of banana bread recipes just keeps growing!
It’s not absolutely necessary, although less ripe bananas will provide reduced sweetness.
In principle yes, because oats are a gluten-free grain. When purchasing rolled oats or oat flour, always check whether it is certified gluten-free, as cross-contamination may have occurred in the factory.
I haven’t tested that, but I don’t think it will be a problem. I usually combine whole wheat flour with almond flour in my banana bread recipes for an extra delicious texture. Do keep in mind, however, that whole wheat flour is usually not gluten-free.
I usually always use a 25 cm/9-10 inch loaf pan for my sweet bread recipes, but you can also bake this recipe perfectly well in a muffin pan. In that case, you will bake 12 oatmeal banana bread muffins!
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