There are banana breads… and then there’s this banana bread. Moist, hearty, and just the right amount of sweet, this Oatmeal Banana Bread is the kind of recipe you make “just to use up bananas” and then hide from your family so you can have the last slice. Not that I would do that.
It’s got the cozy flavor of cinnamon, the goodness of oats, and a honey sweetness that makes you feel like you’re eating dessert — but hey, there’s whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt in here, so it’s basically breakfast food.
Ingredients
(For one glorious loaf)
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats (plus 1 tbsp for topping) – Quick oats in a pinch, but not instant (I always use old fashioned so I’m not sure if the consistency would change using instant).
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium bananas)
- ⅔ cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (always go for butter over oil)
- ¼ cup milk
- 2.5 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the Dry: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in toasted oats.
- Mash & Mix the Wet: In a large bowl, mash bananas (double check you have 1½ cups). Whisk in honey, melted butter, milk, and Greek yogurt. If butter re-solidifies, microwave in 10-second bursts until melted again. Whisk in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to wet. Stir by hand slowly and gently until the flour just disappears — no overmixing or your bread will get cranky.
- Bake: Pour into loaf pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with remaining oats (if you’re feeling fancy). I wasn’t as I’m an eager baker and ready for banana bread at all times. Bake for 30 minutes, cover loosely with foil (to prevent over-browning), then bake another 35–45 minutes. Bread is done when a knife or thermometer reads 200–210°F in the center.
- Cool & Slice: Cool in the pan for 1 hour, then lift out with parchment and cool completely before slicing. (Or, let’s be honest, slice warm and slather with butter.)
Pro Tip: This banana bread is amazing on its own, but also next-level toasted with a smear of peanut butter. Or toast it and then lay some chocolate chips on it!
- Toasted oats add texture and flavor, while Greek yogurt keeps the bread moist without loads of oil — proven baking techniques.
- Tested in a real kitchen by someone who also has a freezer full of “banana bread bananas.” That’s so true.
- Uses ingredient ratios and baking methods recommended by professional bakers (not that I know any) for tender, flavorful quick bread.
- Exact times, temperatures, and doneness cues ensure a perfect loaf every time — no guesswork.
Only thing needed is to add a cup of coffee with it! Yummy and so wholesome. This banana bread you won’t soon forget. It will become your go to banana bread.
Oatmeal Banana Bread recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that two sides hang over like handles. Lightly mist with nonstick spray. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oats. Set aside. Mash the banana in the bottom of a large mixing bowl and double check to make sure you have 1 1/2 cups. Whisk in the honey, melted butter, milk, and Greek yogurt. One at a time, whisk in the eggs. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the banana-honey mixture. By hand with a wooden spoon, stir very slowly and gently, stopping as soon as the flour disappears. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the batter with remaining 1 tablespoon oats for decoration.Bake for 30 minutes, then loosely cover the pan with foil, making sure that the foil shields both ends of the pan (because the bread is sweetened with honey, it will caramelize and become dark at the corners). Let it continue to bake for 35 to 45 additional minutes (65 to 75 minutes total) or until a small, thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Repeat the test once or twice. An even easier way to tell is to use an instant-read thermometer. When the bread reaches between 200 to 210 degrees F at the center, it’s done. This is my new favorite way to test the doneness of my bread. It comes from making sourdough. Place the pan on a wire rack, and let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour. Using the parchment paper handles, lift the bread and set it out on the rack to finish cooling completely. Slice and enjoy!
Thanks for dropping by to bake and drink coffee with me today!
Check out these other favorite bread recipes.
- Perfect pumpkin bread recipe
- My favorite Zucchini bread recipe
- Yummy Homemade Cinnamon Roll bread recipe
- Delicious banana bread recipe
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