Oat Flour Banana Bread

This oat flour banana bread is moist and flavoursome. Like all good banana bread recipes, it's comforting, delicious and satisfying. But this recipe comes with a difference. It's gluten free, low in added sugar and fat, and high in healthy fibre.

Ingredients for oat flour banana bread

This healthy banana bread recipe is packed with good ingredients:

Bananas

Although higher in natural sugars than many other fruits, bananas are also a great source of essential nutrients potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. They are often eaten by athletes as a healthy source of energy. And because bananas are naturally sweet, there's no need to add a lot of additional sugar or sweeteners to this healthy banana bread.
You'll need really ripe bananas for this recipe to maximise their natural sweetness. It's a great way to use up bananas which are over ripe. (You can also freeze over ripe bananas and then use them to make this recipe later if that is more convenient.)

Rolled or Porridge Oats

Oats are a key ingredient in this recipe, and no other flour is required. Oats are a wholegrain, which means that they are high in fibre, and a natural source of vitamins and minerals. They will help to stop your blood sugar levels spiking, and they are one of the best sources of a particular type of fibre called beta glucan which has been shown to be good for heart health.
If you are making the recipe in a food processor, you can use rolled or porridge oats. They will be ground down into a coarse flour as you process the mixture. If you prefer to mix the banana bread by hand, then start with ready ground oat flour. For a gluten free banana bread, make sure that you buy certified oats which have been grown and processed separately to other grains.

Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein, and are very nutrient dense. So they'll help you to feel fuller for longer, and pack in extra goodness.

Low sugar

This recipe uses a very small amount of honey, or you can use maple syrup instead. Although honey is still a type of sugar, you'll need to add very little. So each serving of this low sugar banana bread, has just one teaspoon of honey.

Low fat

This is a low fat banana bread recipe - there's just 3 tablespoons of oil in the whole cake. Even though it's low in fat, the banana bread stays moist due to the bananas. I use olive oil, but if you prefer, you could use another healthy fat such as coconut oil (soften it first so that it blends more easily with the other ingredients)

Spices

Although eaten in tiny amounts, spices still have a nutritional benefit. They are rich in plant compounds called phytochemicals, as well as antioxidants. Different spices have different health benefits, so it's worth including a good selection in your diet. Cinnamon, which is included in this oat flour banana bread, can help to maintain even blood sugar levels. In addition, cinnamon has a sweet, rich, warm flavour meaning that recipes with cinnamon need lower amounts of less healthy sweeteners.

Optional ingredients

If you like, you can also add half a cup of chopped walnuts, or half a cup of sultanas. You can also used mixed spice rather than cinnamon and allspice if you prefer. Or try alternative spices such as ground clove or cardamom.

Recipe tips

If you've got a food processor, then you can blitz up this healthy banana bread recipe in no time. Start by adding the oats, and process them until they look like coarse flour. Then add all of the other ingredients, and blitz until just mixed and smooth. There's no need to mash the bananas, as the processor will do that for you. You could also use a blender, but it will need to be a large one to accommodate this quantity of cake mixture.

If you want to make the banana bread by hand, then you'll need to use oat flour, and mashed bananas. (Just mash them with a fork in the bowl you are going to use for the mixture). Beat the eggs, then add them to the bananas along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well until you have a smooth batter.

This quantity of mixture will fit perfectly in a 2lb loaf tin. (A 2lb loaf tin is approximately 21 x 11 cm, or 8 x 4.5 inches). Even if you have a nonstick tin, it's best to grease and base line the tin to ensure you can remove your banana bread easily. Just draw around the base on a piece of greaseproof or baking paper and cut to fit. Place in the bottom of the tin, and grease the sides of the tin. A loaf this size can be cut into about 9 slices.

If you would prefer to make a smaller cake, then halve the quantity and use a 1lb loaf tin. You'll need to reduce the baking time by around 10 minutes.

Baking instructions for oat flour banana bread

Bake the banana bread for around 50 minutes until soft and springy. You can test to see whether the cake is properly cooked with a clean skewer. Insert it into centre of the cake. It should come out clean without cake mixture stuck to it.

It's best to cook this oat flour banana bread at a relatively low oven temperature (170 degrees) as it can burn quite easily. If you are using a fan oven, reduce this to 150 degrees.

Storage

Oat flour banana bread is relatively moist cake which will store in an airtight container for 2-3 days without spoiling. It also freezes well. You can either freeze the whole loaf, or freeze individual slices with baking paper between to stop them sticking. That way you can pop a slice out when you fancy a sweet, healthy snack:)

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a rating and/or comment at the bottom of the page. Your feedback and questions are much appreciated.
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Please note nutritional information is for guidance only.