Oat Flour Banana Bread (Vegan, No Oil)

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This 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! This healthy banana bread recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and WFPB oil-free, with a nut-free option.

Overhead view of oatmeal banana bread in a metal loaf pan.

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 and moist, even without eggs, oil or butter!

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, too.

And if it does, you won't be alone! Be sure to check out the rave reviews below.

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Ingredients
How To Make Oat Flour Banana Bread
Top Tip
Substitutions and FAQs
Serving Suggestions
How to Store
More Oat Flour Recipes
Recipe Video
Recipe
💬 Comments

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 make it nut-free, decorate the top with sliced banana.

See the recipe card below for amounts and full step-by-step instructions.

How To Make Oat Flour Banana Bread

Mixing the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls before combining into a batter.

First, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C), and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas until creamy, then whisk in the other wet ingredients.

The banana bread batter inside a parchment lined loaf pan sprinkled with walnuts.

Stir the wet and dry ingredients together, and transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or other topping (like chocolate chips or sliced banana), and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Top Tip

That last tidbit is pretty important, about using a toothpick to test for doneness. Underdone banana bread still tastes great, but texture-wise it's not going to win any hearts.

So don't be afraid to stick a tooth pick or knife (a chop stick also works well) in there to make sure it's done!

Substitutions and FAQs

Can I make banana bread without nuts?

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.

Can I add chocolate chips?

By all means! And if you're interested in a double chocolate banana bread, check out the one linked below.

Can I sub a different kind of flour?

Oat flour is the only flour I've tested so far with this recipe, but I have heard from readers who used whole wheat pastry with great success.

Do I need an egg substitute for vegan banana bread?

Not necessarily. In this recipe the bananas and almond butter work together to add moisture, binding, and fat, while baking soda and baking powder help the bread rise.

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Serving Suggestions

For breakfast: Enjoy a slice of warm banana bread topped with a dollop of cashew yogurt or almond yogurt and fresh fruit on the side.

For dessert: You can easily transform this healthy oatmeal banana bread into an amazing dessert! Imagine this... Gently reheat individual slices of banana bread. Top each one with a scoop of Vegan Butter Pecan or Vanilla Oat Milk Ice Cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon. Oooooh, that's my kind of dessert, friends!

Afternoon snack: Enjoy a slice of oat flour banana bread with a cup of coffee or tea at your desk for a pick-me-up. Or pack some to-go before you head out shopping or running errands.

Honestly, I can't think of an occasion or time of day where I wouldn't want to eat this banana bread.

For gifting: This vegan banana bread also makes a lovely gift! Nothing says "I care" quite like healthy homemade banana bread.

Sliced oat flour banana bread showing the moist and hearty texture.

How to Store

Store oat flour banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

It also freezes well. Let cool completely, wrap well to protect from air, and freeze for up to 1 month.

More Oat Flour Recipes

Recipe Video

I hope you enjoy this oat flour banana bread. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know!

Recipe

close up overhead of healthy banana bread in a loaf pan

Oat Flour Banana Bread (Vegan, Oil-Free)

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Oat flour banana bread that's so good you might forget how healthy it is! Lightly spiced with an irresistibly tender and moist texture. Vegan, WFPB oil-free, and gluten-free; nut-free option.

5 from 71 votes

Servings: servings

Prep:15

Cook:1

Cooling time::1

Total Time:2 15

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Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups oat flour (180 g) - See Notes
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg, optional
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 medium/large very ripe bananas - should equal 1⅓ cups when mashed
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 chopped walnuts or pecans, optional - For reduced-fat or nut-free option, sub sliced banana

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°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 1⅓ cups. If you have extra banana, you can drizzle on top of the loaf just before baking.
To the 1⅓ 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. Transfer batter to the 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.
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.

Notes

Measuring Oat Flour

There are contradictory weights for oat flour depending on the package or online source. I have measured and weighed Arrowhead Mills organic oat flour (90 g per cup) and my own oat flour I blended in the Vitamix with similar results. Some sources indicate that a cup of oat flour weighs up to 130 grams - ignore that!

For the best results use a kitchen scale and weigh out exactly 180 grams oat flour for this recipe. If you don't have a scale, whisk the oat flour first, then spoon it into a measuring cup and level off the top.

If you use a measuring cup to scoop the oat flour straight out of a bag, you'll likely scoop up too much which will result in a dry bread.

How to Store

Store banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 6gFat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 92mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 5.7mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.

Did you make the recipe?Comment below to share your feedback!