Oatmeal Banana Bread

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With the sweetness of bananas and the goodness of oats, this oat banana bread is delicious for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. Try it hot with a little butter or softened cream cheese!

Four slices of oatmeal banana bread stacked on a white plate. On the top slice there is a knob of butter.

“Jamie, another recipe for banana bread?”

Yes! If there’s one thing we almost always have at home, it’s bananas that need to be used. And banana bread is a great afternoon snack for both girls, so it’s something I always make.

But as much as I love Dominique Ansel’s banana bread, I like to change it up every now and then.

Sometimes it’s banana bread with chocolate chips, sometimes it’s banana bread with brown butter. In the fall there is pumpkin banana bread.

Right now, I’m really loving this Oatmeal Banana Bread. It’s a little heartier than other versions thanks to the oats, which also make it a little nutty.

I’m a big fan of spreading a little softened cream cheese on a slice while sipping my morning coffee.

Several slices of oatmeal banana bread arranged on a cooling rack.

How to make oatmeal banana bread

This oatmeal banana bread is just as delicious as your favorite classic banana bread. But the oats added into the mix make it a little more substantial and filling, perfect for breakfast or a snack to get you through the afternoon.

Serve it with an iced shaken espresso and you’ll be ready to face your day.

You can also use some slices to prepare them french toast with banana bread if you feel elegant!

Two plates, each with slices of oat bread and banana, next to a cup of coffee.

Ingredients you will need

This recipe starts by mixing the wet ingredients. These include:

2 cups pureed ripe bananas
½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

I know sugar doesn’t seem like a “wet” ingredient, but for quick bread recipes it’s often considered one!

For 2 cups of mashed bananas, you will need about 4 overripe bananas. You can mash them with a fork, with a potato masher, with a mixer or even with a potato masher.

Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream both work great in this oatmeal banana bread, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand or like best.

Ingredients for oatmeal banana bread laid out on a light colored work surface.

For the dry ingredients you will need:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: coarse sugar for garnish

Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour. This way your bread will always be perfect.

Tip

I sometimes like to give this bread a dusting of coarse sugar before baking to get a crunchy sugar top. My favorite raw sugar for this is the sugar in Turbinado raw cane sugar.

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Make this bread

Like my Pumpkin Banana Bread, this recipe uses a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Spray the pan with non-stick spray and line it with baking paper.

To make the batter, use a mixer to combine the mashed bananas, yogurt or sour cream, sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

Wet oatmeal banana bread ingredients mixed in white bowl.

In a second bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Use a spatula to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Oatmeal banana bread batter in a white bowl.

Now it’s time to sprinkle the top with additional oats and/or coarse sugar, if desired.

Bake the bread at 180°C for 70-75 minutes. Oatmeal banana bread is made with a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center it comes out clean.

I like to let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before using the baking paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing it.

Cooled oatmeal banana bread on a baking sheet placed on a rack.

Cooled oatmeal banana bread in a baking pan placed on a wire rack.

Tips for storing and freezing

Oatmeal Banana Bread will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Like many other quick breads, this recipe freezes well. You can freeze the entire loaf for 1-2 months by wrapping it in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of heavy-duty foil.

Allow the bread to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before slicing.

I also like to freeze individual slices for a quick snack whenever a craving for banana bread strikes. Wrap the slices in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag.

Thaw slices, unwrapped, in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. This will defrost and reheat them.

Sliced banana and oatmeal bread on a cooling rack.

Recipe FAQs

I don’t like cooking with vegetable oil. What can I use instead?

If you don’t want to use vegetable oil, you can replace it with any other neutral-flavored oil you prefer. Avocado oil would work great!

I’m out of oatmeal. Can I use quick cooking oats instead?

Quick oats can be substituted for rolled oats (aka old fashioned) in a pinch. The texture of quick oats is slightly different than rolled oats, so the final texture of the bread may be slightly different, but it will still be delicious!

DO NOT use instant oatmeal in this recipe, though.

I don’t have a mixer. Can I still make this Oatmeal Banana Bread?

Absolutely! You can use a whisk to mix all the wet ingredients well before adding the dry ones.

Two slices of oatmeal banana bread stacked on a plate, with a bite taken from the corner of the top piece.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 2.5-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the mashed bananas, yogurt or sour cream, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined. a well blended mixture.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until smooth.
Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle with additional oats.
Bake in the preheated oven for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before using the baking paper to lift the bread onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Store tightly wrapped bread at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 355kcal, Carbohydrates: 55G, Protein: 6G, Fat: 13G, Saturated fats: 2G, Polyunsaturated fats: 7G, Monounsaturated fat: 3G, Trans fats: 0.1G, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 347mg, Potassium: 276mg, Fiber: 3G, Sugar: 27G, Vitamin A: 79UI, C vitamin: 4mg, Soccer: 62mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.