Healthy Banana Bread with Oats

Banana bread is a great way to use up leftover bananas, but did you know you can make a healthy banana bread with oats, for a different spin on this hearty delight?

This healthy banana bread with oats will make the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert, and will keep you satiated and smiling. It is wholesome, delicious, and vegan — and can be made with just a few simple ingredients. You can also add in a few additional favorites and get creative, to mix it up every once in a while.

This banana bread doesn’t take a lot of preparation, and you may even have all the ingredients without having to do a lengthy shop. You can make it in a bowl or a blender — whichever you choose will produce fluffy and appetizing results.

Recipe for Healthy Banana Bread With Oats

This recipe doesn’t need much flour, doesn’t use eggs, and is a healthy, gorgeous and tasty twist on traditional vegan banana bread. For the healthiest option, opt for organic and fairtrade products — especially for likely imported products like nuts and dried fruits — thus reducing your intake of pesticides (also better for the other beings we share our planet with), and supporting the future of small-scale communities.

What you’ll need:

• Large mixing bowl
• Small bowl
• Measuring equipment: Cups and spoons
• Bread tin
• Whisk (optional)
• Blender (optional)

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups oats (traditional rolled oats, or gluten-free)
• 2-3 bananas (ideally slightly over-ripe)
• 1¼ cups light spelt flour (or gluten-free oat flour or another type of flour, according to taste and requirements).
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar (or other natural sweeteners).
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• ⅓ cup plant-based milk (almond milk for slightly sweet and nutty flavor)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup (agave syrup, apple sauce or other vegan honey alternatives such dandelion honey)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions if making by hand:

1. Grease your loaf pan or line it with a substitute for parchment paper.
2. Mash the bananas in a small bowl, with a fork.
3. In the large bowl, mix the dry ingredients  the oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
4. Add the milk, oil and vanilla essence to the mashed banana and mix, until smooth.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix to combine. You don’t need to over-mix, just get all the ingredients to meet.
6. Gently pour the mixture into your baking tin, then sprinkle a few oats over the top.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350˚F. There is no need to pre-heat the oven for this recipe, thus saving fuss, and energy too — see Preheating the Oven: Necessary or Not?
8. Check your banana bread after 30 minutes, and rotate the tin. The bread is ready when the top has turned golden and a fork prick comes out clean. If not, keep the bread baking, checking after another 5-10 minutes.
9. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove the loaf from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Instructions if making with a blender:

• Complete steps 1 to 3.
• For step 4: Instead of using a large bowl, blend all the dry ingredients.
• For step 5 and 6: Add the wet ingredients, all at once, to the dry mixture, and blend again.
• Don’t overblend. An even distribution of ingredients is enough and will leave you will more of a traditional banana bread feel.
• Proceed from step 7.

Healthy Banana Bread With Oats: Variations and Storage

As with most things in life, you can adapt and play with what works for you. We don’t all like repetition, so here’s some ideas to add new dimensions to your healthy banana bread with oats, giving you scope for any occasion.

• Spice it up: Add in some cinnamon, especially delightful in winter. Learn about different types of cinnamon and which to buy in another guide.
• Fresh fruit: Fold in some blueberries. The bread will take on a beautiful blue hue.
• Dried fruit: Sprinkle some raisins or sultanas into the mix, for a chewy texture.
• Nuts: Walnuts in particular contrast very well with this recipe.
• Homemade peanut butter: Smash this in with the bananas, for a nutty flavor and extra protein burst. Almond butter also adds an especially fine flavor, but consider the pros and cons of eating almonds.

How long will oaty banana bread keep?

If you don’t snuffle it all up at once, your vegan banana bread with oats will keep (covered and airtight on the counter, or in the fridge) for up to a week, but it is best eaten in the first day or two for optimal softness.

Read more:

• How To Make Banana Chips: A Step-By-Step Guide
• 3 Ingredient Banana Cookies: Quick & Healthy
• German Bread Spice Mixes: 2 Simple Recipes

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Tags: Baking Guide healthy Recipes Vegan