This easy oat flour banana bread is made in one bowl without any other flours for a soft, fluffy, and hearty loaf with tons of banana flavor.
I’ve made banana bread out of pretty much every flour there is by now, and this variety is by far my absolute favorite. Bananas and the subtle sweetness of oat flour are a perfect match.
my take
Nicole’s Recipe Notes
- Texture and flavor: Every slice is fluffy and soft, full of naturally sweet banana flavor, and hearty from all that oat flour but still tender.
- Never fails: Unlike some quick breads that tend to burn before they bake through, this easy recipe bakes to golden brown perfection all over, every time.
- My absolute favorite: I’ve made gluten free banana bread out of an all purpose gf blend, and an almond flour banana bread, and the texture, taste, and ease of this bread make it my favorite!
- Oat flour only: No need to combine oat flour with starches or all purpose flour to get a beautiful loaf with the perfect taste and texture.
Recipe ingredients
- Oat flour: Finely ground and sifted flour made from whole oats gives this bread its basic structure, and a slightly nutty sweetness.
- Baking powder/baking soda: Provide rise in the oven, plus help in browning.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the banana flavor.
- Xanthan gum: Totally optional, but helps bind the bread together.
- Butter: Adds richness, flavor and moisture.
- Bananas: Add tons of flavor and lots of natural sweetness.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps keep the bread tender.
- Honey: Adds some depth of flavor and some subtle sweetness. You can sub it for maple syrup.
- Eggs: Binds the bread together and provide lift.
How to make oat flour banana bread
Place melted butter, eggs, sugar, honey and mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine well. Sprinkle baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum on top, and whisk to combine. Add 2 1/2 cups of oat flour, and mix just until combined.
The batter will be soft. Scrape it into a greased and lined loaf pan, and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the top with a couple tablespoons of old fashioned rolled oats, and slice the batter down the center.
Bake in the center of a 350°F oven for 50 minutes. If the loaf isn’t fully baked yet, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F so it doesn’t burn while it finishes baking all the way through.
My Pro Tip
Expert tips
Use commercial oat flour, or sift
In this recipe, the bread rises taller if you use commercially prepared finely ground and sifted oat flour. If you make your own oat flour by grinding oats in a blender, sift it before using it in this recipe to ensure that you only include finely ground flour in your bread.
Don’t overmix
The batter for this bread is quite soft, and you want it to stay that way. Don’t mix it in a blender or food processor, and after you’ve added the oat flour, only mix until just combined. That way, your bread will turn out tender and soft.
Measure your bananas by weight
For consistent results, measure your ingredients, including the mashed bananas, by weight. I usually get the 400 grams of mashed bananas I need for this recipe from 3 large peeled ripe bananas. But since bananas vary in size, sometimes I need a bit of a 4th banana, or a little less than 3. If you overmeasure your bananas, the bread will be too wet to rise without sinking.
Ingredient substitutions
Dairy free
In place of melted butter, you can make this bread dairy free using block-style vegan butter like Miyoko’s Creamery or Melt brand. I think that Earth Balance buttery sticks would also work here, but reduce the salt by half because Earth Balance is really salty. Avoid any nondairy butter that comes in a tub, since that type is mostly oil.
Egg free
Try replacing each egg with one “chia egg” or “flax egg” each. Flax eggs provide more structure, and I think the banana flavor is enough to hide any unpleasant flax flavor. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer should work, too.
Oat free
You can usually find a good substitute for oats in baking, but since this banana bread is made with 2 1/2 cups of oat flour, and no other flours, it might not be possible to make this recipe without oats entirely.
Xanthan gum
You can make this bread without any xanthan gum, but it helps the bread hold together better and keeps it fresh for longer. You can also try guar gum in its place, or even 5 grams of psyllium husk powder.
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
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In a large bowl, place the melted butter, eggs, the mashed bananas, honey, and sugar, and whisk to combine well.
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Scatter the xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the top of the wet mixture. Whisk to combine. The mixture will still be thin but will have a white cast to it.
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Add the oat flour, and mix until just combined. The batter will be soft and very sticky.
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Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top into an even layer. Use a butter knife or offset spatula to score about 1/4 inch deep down the center along the length of the batter in the pan.
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Scatter the optional old fashioned rolled oats on top of the wet batter.
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Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is relatively firm to the touch, the loaf is golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
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If the loaf isn’t fully baked yet, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F, and continue to bake until the loaf is fully baked (usually less than 10 minutes more).
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Slice and serve.
I highly recommend using commercially-prepared finely ground oat flour for the smooth texture and even rising of this banana bread (rather than grinding your own, which I do in other cases). Bob’s Red Mill has finely ground oat flour, and so does nuts.com. If you’re gluten free, be sure to buy the Bob’s Red Mill bag that says “gluten free” on the label.
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
make ahead/leftovers
Storage instructions
Once completely cooled, wrap the bread (or individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap, and it will stay fresh for about 3 days.
For longer storage, wrap tightly in freezer-safe wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost individually wrapped sliced at room temperature or in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Refresh previously frozen slices in the toaster oven. If there are any slices that seem to have gotten a bit stale, sprinkle lightly with lukewarm water and place in a toaster oven at 300°F for about 5 minutes or until warmed through. It will taste freshly baked.
FAQs
You can sometimes replace oat flour with finely ground blanched almond flour, but I’m not sure if that would work here. Instead, use our recipe for almond flour banana bread to use that flour. You can’t use coconut flour in place of almond flour or oat flour, since it behaves very differently in baking.
This recipe would probably work as muffins. They might need a little bit more structure, so be sure to use the optional xanthan gum, and try replacing 2 tablespoons or 20 grams of oat flour with an equal amount of cornstarch.
Yes! Try adding about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, small dried fruit, or chopped pecans or walnuts. Anything that doesn’t add moisture should work!
That should work. Fill each mini loaf pan about 3/4 of the way with batter, and begin checking for doneness at about 35 minutes, depending on the size of the pans.
Yes! I always peel, chop, and freeze my really ripe bananas if I’m not ready to use them yet. Then, defrost at room temperature or in the microwave, and mash. Include any liquid along with the mashed bananas.
