This healthy oat flour banana bread is so good you'll want to enjoy it for breakfast, snacks, and dessert! It's lightly spiced, oil-free, naturally sweetened, and studded with crunchy walnuts. You'll fall in love with the irresistibly tender and moist crumb!
Dietary info: vegan, gluten-free, and WFPB oil-free, with a nut-free option.
Made with my favorite baking flour, the texture of this oat flour banana bread manages to be both hearty and light, which I love. It's also surprisingly tender, not at all gummy or dense.
With room for customization in toppings, sweetness, and the nut/seed butter, I have a feeling this will become your new go-to healthy banana bread recipe.
And if it does, you won't be alone... be sure to check out the reviews below.
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Ingredients
- bananas - make sure to use bananas that are very ripe. They should be fragrant, sweet, with plenty of dark spots. Using bananas that are ripe enough is important for moisture and overall flavor.
- oat flour - you can use store-bought oat flour or make your own by blending regular rolled oats until fine.
- nut or seed butter - though this recipe is free from extracted oils, a little bit of fat improves the texture. I like to use smooth raw almond butter for its neutral, nutty flavor. Feel free to substitute another nut or seed butter if needed. Keep in mind that it will alter the flavor.
- leavener - eggless banana bread gets its rise from baking powder and soda.
- sweeteners - a combination of coconut sugar and maple syrup creates the perfect amount of sweetness while balancing the moisture added. Another granulated sugar can be used instead of coconut sugar.
- additions - we love sprinkling walnuts or pecans on top of the loaf. To reduce the fat or avoid nuts, decorate the top with sliced banana.
How To Make Oat Flour Banana Bread
Originally, I'd planned to make a caramelized banana bread, which definitely added a couple of steps. But after the first test batch I decided easier is almost always better.
And during the next test batch I realized easy did indeed outweigh any flavor benefit added by caramelization. Easy it is!
Making vegan banana bread is as simple as this:
- Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Mash the bananas and whisk together with the wet ingredients in another bowl.
- Stir the wet and dry ingredients together, then pour the batter into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
- Sprinkle on the nuts or other topping, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Tips
That last tidbit I mentioned in step 4 is pretty important, about using a toothpick to test for doneness. Underdone banana bread still tastes great, but texture-wise it's actually pretty sad!
So don't be afraid to stick that tooth pick (or chop stick or butter knife) in there and really make sure it's done, okay?
Substitutions and FAQs
Absolutely. The recipe uses a small amount of almond butter for added richness and moisture, but you can also use sunflower seed butter or tahini. And instead of walnuts on top you can add chocolate chips, raw pumpkin seeds, or slices of banana.
By all means! And if you're interested in a double chocolate banana bread, check out the one linked below.
Oat flour is the only flour I've tested so far with this recipe, so I can't say for sure, though I have heard from others who subbed whole wheat pastry with great success.
No, the bananas and almond butter work together to add moisture, binding, and fat, while baking soda and baking powder help the bread rise.
Serving Suggestions
For breakfast a slice of warm banana bread topped with a dollop of cashew yogurt or almond yogurt is pure bliss!
You can also easily transform this healthy banana bread into an amazing dessert. Imagine this...
Warm up individual slices of banana bread. Top with a scoop of Butter Pecan or Vanilla-Maple Oat Ice Cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon. Oooooh, that's my kind of dessert, friends!
You can also gift loaves of this vegan banana bread to friends, pack slices in your lunch box, or take it with you on a hike.
Honestly, I can't think of an occasion or time of day where I wouldn't want to eat this banana bread.
How to Store
Store vegan banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. It also freezes well. Once cool, wrap well to protect from air, and freeze for up to 1 month.
More Oat Flour Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- Oil-Free Vegan Banana Brownies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies
- Oil-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
- Golden Milk Muffins (also oil-free)
- Oil-Free Chocolate Cake With Strawberries
- Loaded Breakfast Muffins (oil-free)
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Video
I hope you love this tender and healthy oat flour banana bread. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know!
📖 Recipe
Oat Flour Banana Bread (Vegan, Oil-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour (180 g); see Notes about measuring - Make your own by blending rolled oats.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg, optional
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 medium very ripe bananas, when mashed should equal 1 ⅓ cups
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar - Sub cane sugar or brown sugar, if desired.
- ¼ cup smooth almond butter - Or other nut or seed butter; will alter flavor.
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup walnut or pecan halves, optional - For reduced fat or nut-free option, sub sliced banana.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Line an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. The paper doesn't have to cover the ends; just make sure there's enough overhang on the sides to easily lift the loaf from the pan after baking.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a medium-size bowl, mash the bananas until mostly pureed (a few larger bits are okay). Measure to make sure you have 1 ⅓ cups. If you have extra banana, either eat it or set it aside to drizzle on top of the loaf just before baking.
- To the 1 ⅓ cups mashed banana, add maple syrup, coconut sugar, nut butter, milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir very well until nut butter is completely incorporated. Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir to combine. Pour batter into pan. If you had extra banana puree, place dollops of it on top of the batter. Arrange nuts on top - feel free to chop the nuts or break them up with your hands. I like to leave a few whole for appearance.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then use the parchment to lift the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing (about 1 hour).
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Liz
Hi,
I am interested in knowing what role apple cider vinegar has in the recipe.
Lori
Hi Liz,
Vinegar reacts with baking soda to help the bread rise.
Kailey
I made this today & when my husband ate a piece he looked at me and made love to me with his eyes. 10/10
Lori
Kailey, thank you so much for the laugh. I cackled! LOL So glad you both enjoyed it!