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You are going to go nuts over the flavor and texture of this brilliant Oatmeal Banana Bread. The recipe is easily adjusted to make Vegan Banana Bread, plus it’s an Award-Winning Banana Bread Recipe!
Why We Love This Award-Winning Oatmeal Banana Bread Recipe
Is there anything more comforting than warm soft banana bread?
I have made a lot of banana bread variations over the years, but this is the recipe we always come back to… Hearty Oatmeal Banana Bread.
It involves simple ingredients, no-fuss preparation, pure banana-oat flavor, and a decadent texture.
One of my friends even won an award using this oatmeal banana bread recipe!
The combination of ripe bananas and oats creates a lovely tender, yet rustic, texture. The oats soak up and hold the moisture from the bananas, so the bread doesn’t dry out quickly.
The sweet earthy flavor of bananas, grains, and spices is simplistic and alluring. This is truly a recipe you will keep and reuse.
Banana Oat Bread can be served at room temperature, or warm, slathered with butter. It makes a marvelous breakfast or midday snack!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
- All-purpose flour – Or GF baking mix
- Quick oats
- Light brown sugar
- Very ripe bananas
- Unsalted butter – Or vegan butter or coconut oil
- Eggs – Or vegan egg substitute
- Milk – Or nut milk or soy milk
- Vanilla extract
- Apple pie spice – Or pumpkin pie spice blend
- Salt
- Baking powder and baking soda
How To Make Oatmeal Banana Bread From Scratch
Prep the Pan. Set out a 9X5 loaf pan. Cut a strip of parchment paper 9 inches wide. Then fold it to fit down into the bottom and long edges of the pan. Spray or grease the pan and paper.
Smash. Smash the bananas and measure out 1 ½ cups. You can do this with your hands or in a small bowl with a wooden spoon.
Mix it up. Set out a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, oats, brown sugar, apple pie spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. Then mix in the mashed banana, melted butter, eggs, and milk. Stir again until smooth. (There’s no need to separate the wet ingredients from the dry ingredients in this recipe.)
Bake! Pour or scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with extra oats if desired. Then bake for 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Then lift it out by the edges of the parchment paper.
Get the Full (Printable) Award-Winning Banana Bread Recipe + Video Below!
How to Make Vegan Banana Bread
Our oatmeal bread recipe is so versatile! Although it includes animal products (like butter and eggs) the recipe is very easy to adjust for dietary needs.
For a dairy-free version, substitute nut milk and plant-based butter spread for the dairy.
For vegan banana bread, you can swap the eggs and dairy for vegan butter, nut milk, and flax eggs or a store-bought vegan egg substitute.
You can also make a gluten-free banana bread variation by swapping the wheat flour for a good gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix. As-is, our oat bread recipe is already nut free!
Recipe Tips & Variations
- You can add loads of different ingredients to add sweetness and texture! Try adding chocolate chips, pecans or walnuts, shredded coconut, dried fruit, pineapple chunks, coffee granules, or shredded zucchini or carrots!
- Many banana bread recipes feature cinnamon. If you like the taste that cinnamon adds to banana bread, go ahead and add one teaspoon!
- If you can’t wait for days for your bananas to turn dark brown, quick-ripen them by popping the bananas in a 350 degree F oven for 5-8 minutes. They will get very dark and very ripe!
Frequently Asked Questions
Well, no, not really. Although this banana bread recipe includes healthy bananas and oats, it also involves a decent amount of butter, sugar, and white flour, making it more like cake than bread.
Therefore, it does have more fat, carbs, and calories than standard sandwich bread or French bread. Think of our banana oatmeal bread as more of a decadent breakfast or snack than a health food. *wink*
For a healthy banana bread recipe, try my high protein banana bread instead!
Very. The darker and softer the bananas are, the more flavor and sweetness they lend to the bread! Also, the squishy texture makes the bread ultra moist and luxurious. Banana oat bread is a great way to use up the black bananas sitting on your countertop!
You can store any leftover banana bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days! Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave and slather on some butter!
Absolutely! Be sure to wrap it well with plastic, and then with foil. If the wrapping is tight, you can freeze the bread for 3-6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving!
Looking for More Bread Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
Award-Winning Oatmeal Banana Bread (+ Vegan Substitutions)
If you love classic banana bread, you will go nuts over this Oatmeal Banana Bread Recipe with easy gluten free and vegan substitutions.
Servings: 12 slices
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set out a 9X5 loaf pan. Cut a strip of parchment paper 9 inches wide. Then fold it to fit down into the bottom and long edges of the pan. Spray or grease the pan and paper.
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Smash the bananas and measure out 1 ½ cups.
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Set out a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, oats, brown sugar, apple pie spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. Then mix in the mashed banana, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
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Pour or scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with extra oats if desired. Then bake for 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted deep into the center comes out clean.
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Allow the bread to rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Then lift is out by the edges of the parchment paper. Wait until the loaf is fully cooled to cut.
You can make flax or chai eggs by combing 6 tablespoons of water + 2 tablespoon ground seeds. Allow the mixture to sit and jellify for 10 minutes before using in the recipe.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 237kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 305mg, Potassium: 214mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 308IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg
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