Today, I'm sharing my new favorite healthy banana bread recipe with you! This Weight Watchers inspired recipe for Easy Oatmeal Banana Bread is enhanced with the goodness of oats for a healthy banana bread (no butter) full of banana flavor and a great chewy texture! It just might become your new favorite healthy banana bread too!
Sure, everyone has their favorite banana bread recipe. But it's always nice to try new things. What's that saying, "If you don't try it, how will you know?" I believe that saying applies to this banana bread recipe!
I know there are a gazillion banana bread recipes out there and you probably have your favorite recipe already...but, so did I! That is, before I met this better-for-you Weight Watchers inspired Oatmeal Banana Bread recipe.
I have to confess, I'm not a huge banana fan. I do like having them around the house for a quick bite when I'm hungry though.
I'm very picky about their degree of ripeness when I eat them out of hand though. In my opinion, if the bananas have any brown spots, the only thing they are good for is banana bread or muffins.
So, as you can guess, I almost always have bananas that are too ripe to eat out of hand (in my opinion) laying around.
I still love this recipe for Easy Banana Bread, but now that I'm back on the Weight Watchers wagon, I was looking for something a little more program friendly.
That's when I found the recipe for banana bread with oatmeal on their site. This bread is healthy comfort food I can get on board with!
The first time I made it, I made no changes to the recipe or the technique, and while the flavor was awesome, there was just something about the texture I didn't care for.
The second time I made it, I ground up the oats into a "flour" and added some vanilla and a little cinnamon. The second loaf had just the right texture...a little chewy, but not dotted with big hunks of oats. I had a keeper!
If you can wait that long, believe it or not, this banana bread actually tastes better the next day!
How do you make Easy Oatmeal Banana Bread?
- Do use a food processor or a high speed blender to grind the old fashioned oats into "flour" for a better texture
- Use a food processor or high speed blender to puree your bananas! I think mashing bananas this way gives breads and muffins they are used in a deeper banana flavor, plus it's so easy!
- If you have enough will power, wait and enjoy your Easy Oatmeal Banana Bread on day two. After the bread has cooled to room temperature, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and allow it to sit a day. The bread will become more moist and flavorful the next day! It will also be very easy to cut into 10 portions once it sits.
- Walnuts are optional! I used them in my bread, but you can leave them out if you want a lower point/calorie bread.
How do you make Banana Oatmeal muffins?
This recipe is perfect for making muffins instead of bread. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and scoop the batter into each well to fill approximately 2/3rds of the way.
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
(Bake times may vary according to how your oven bakes).
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Bake in a 375 degree F oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
(Bake times may vary according to how your oven bakes).
Yield: 10 servings
Easy Oatmeal Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 MCook time: 50 MTotal time: 60 M
Easy Oatmeal Banana Bread is enhanced with the goodness of oats for a healthy banana bread (no butter) full of banana flavor and a great chewy texture! It just might become your new favorite healthy banana bread too!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3 large, ripe bananas, cut into chunks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 TBSP cooking oil (corn, canola, etc)
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9" nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, add the 1 cup of old fashioned oats. Process until the oats are half their size or less. Add in brown sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Pulse to combine. Dump dry mixture into a large bowl.
- In a food processor or blender, add the bananas. Process until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and oil. Pulse to combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Fold in until just combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan, on rack, for 10 minutes, then cool on rack. Wrap tightly with foil or plastic wrap and store in cool, dry place or in refrigerator. The flavor tends to get better the next day.
Notes:
Oatmeal Banana Bread Recipe inspiration from Weight Watchers
Calories
237.58
237.58
Fat (grams)
8.55
8.55
Sat. Fat (grams)
0.99
0.99
Carbs (grams)
36.50
36.50
Fiber (grams)
2.64
2.64
Net carbs
33.86
33.86
Sugar (grams)
14.16
14.16
Protein (grams)
5.00
5.00
Sodium (milligrams)
209.49
209.49
Cholesterol (grams)
37.20
37.20
Nutritional Information provided is an estimate.
Copyright © 2018 Renee's Kitchen Adventures
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More easy banana recipes!
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Did you figure out the Smart Points for your recipe? I'm on WW too, and it's so hard to not bake yummy things b/c of the sugar content! Though this recipe is lower in sugar than some.
ReplyDeleteSusan
moot96 AT aol DOT com (I don't use gmail addy)
The recipe on the WW site is 5SP for 1/10th of the recipe. That is with no nuts and one egg and 2 egg whites. I did run my version through the recipe builder, and I got 6 SP for 1/10, but if you cut it in 12 servings it's less. Congrats with being on WW and yes, I agree about the sugar. I don't really like sugar substitutes, so I still use real sugar and just take the extra points for it.
ReplyDeleteI love it. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe. I made exactly as directed with the exception of adding 2 TBSP of flax and not adding the walnuts. So good and I will make again.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica! Great swap! I'm so happy you love it. Thank you for coming back to review!
DeleteCan quick oats be substituted in this recipe for the old fashioned oatmeal?
ReplyDeleteyes!
DeleteI am making this today, 5-16-23 and I’m trying it with strawberry and cream instant oats! I’m hoping it turns out great. Fingers crossed!
DeleteHi Renee! This sounds so good..if I replace half of AP flour with Whole Wheat White, what adjustments, if anyany, do you suggest...Thanks
ReplyDeleteHello! You shouldn't need to make any adjustments if you make that replacement. Enjoy!
DeleteI live in South America and our bananas are smaller. Would it. E possible to give me s cup measure?
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa! Thanks for your questioon. I don't have a cup measure, but if your bananas are smaller, using 4 or 5 small bananas instead of 3 bigger ones should work. Let me know how it turns out!
DeleteI was just wondering if you can use frozen bananas? I have so many in the freezer for my smoothies.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe sounds so good.
Hi Carol! You can definitely use frozen bananas. (I freeze bananas too) Just defrost them before you use them in this recipe and you should be good!
DeleteHave you ever added carrots to your banana bread?
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel. I have never added carrots but I think it would be a great addition! Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteTried this recipe, didn't have vanilla and with a new oven for some reason it overheated like crazy so I had dark brown sides and a raw middle, read somewhere to cover tight with tin foil and throw it back in the oven. It was life saver, because this banana bread was so yummy!!!! 😋Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Fiji! Happy to hear you were able to save it! Thank you for your review!
DeleteThis is the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted! I added in a grated zucchini (just because I had one) and used almonds instead of walnuts (didn’t have any walnuts at home). This is a great recipe, thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteHi Jesse! Love the idea of adding zucchini! Thank you for your review!
DeleteHi, I was thinking on not adding sugar since the banana is already sweet. Has anybody tried this? / I was also wondering if the estimated nutrition information corresponds to one portion, in this case How many portion would have the whole bread? Around ten? Or How many grams would correspond to a portion? Just to have an idea. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda! Thanks for your questions. I've never made this recipe without the sugar. I'm not certain the recipe would work because in baking, sugar is often a necessary ingredient for texture. But if you try it, please come back and let me know how it works! Yes, the nutritional information corresponds to one serving, which I believe is 1/10th of the whole bread.
DeleteI just halved the sugar and it is amazing. I don't like very sweet stuff and usually half the sugar in all my baking and it always works great.
DeleteHi !!! What do you mean by FOLD IN ? Should I just blend the 2 mixtures at the end?
ReplyDeleteHi Esti! Yes, just gently combine the two. The less you work the flour, the more tender the bread will be.
DeleteI only had two bananas, so I substituted grated zucchini. We prefer less sweet, so I also cut the amount of sugar in half. It came out perfect for our tastebuds. This recipe is a winner. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLove your substitutions and so very happy it came out to your liking! We do love this recipe too!
DeleteJust the recipe I have been looking for!I made this last night. I used overripe bananas that has sat in the fridge for 2 days and I added raisins (because my husband loves raisins) and walnuts. It turned out really good. This is a keeper. Thank you for sharing your recipe. We love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased to hear you love it! Thank you so much for your review!
DeleteHi can I use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour thank u
ReplyDeleteHi Farah! Yes, you can substitute whole wheat flour for AP flour. It may come out a bit denser.
DeleteThis was, far and away, the best banana bread recipe that I have ever used!!! What a wonderful, delicious bread! I did use GF flour and oats, and it tasted fantastic. This will be my ‘go-to’ recipe and the only recipe that I provide to my family and friends. Thank you sooo much!
ReplyDeleteI'm sooo happy you enjoyed this recipe DianneV! Thanks for your review!
DeleteSounds so good. I have been looking for a banana bread that uses healthy ingredients, this recipe has what I'm looking for. I will try it.
ReplyDeleteHi can I use regular brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
ReplyDeleteHi Analia! Sorry it took me a bit to answer your question but the answer is yes. Light or Dark brown sugar will work here.
DeleteI just wanted to say that this is my new favorite banana bread too! I use whole wheat flour instead of the all purpose flour and it is still delicious! With that substitution, the whole loaf has almost 36 grams of fiber.
ReplyDeleteI did have some trouble getting it baked all the way through, so on my second attempt, I cooked it about 20 minutes longer, but covered it with foil for the last half hour or so. That way it cooked through without getting too brown.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Erin! Thanks so much for your comment and review and your tip for baking. Ovens all bake differently, so I'm so happy you found a way to get this recipe to work for you!
DeleteGood bread. Thanks Erin. Did what you did. Replaced the AP flour with whole wheat and covered after 20 minutes and baked longer. Added raisins instead of nuts and used only 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that Erin's comment was helpful to you and that you enjoyed this bread.
DeleteTried this recipe yesterday. Substituted 1/4 cup of.flour with wheat germ. The bread turned out really good. It is really good topped with a small amount of peanut butter.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteThis is alright. I found it dry and a little tasteless. Made 2 of them and added the walnuts and also chocolate chips. I had even upped the amount of banana. Better when it is toasted.
ReplyDeleteI always add in some Rum to my banana bread recipes will do with this one to!
ReplyDeleteHello! That sounds like a delicious addition. Love it and thanks for sharing!
DeleteThis smells amazing when it’s baking however I was disappointed in the taste. It also didn’t rise much . I’ve tried other banana bread recipes but this one was a fail for me.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this didn't work out for you. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on this recipe, so not sure what went wrong for you. I appreciate your honest review though!
DeleteThank you for sharing this recipe! I don’t have Old fashioned oats on hand. Do you think steel cut oats would work?
ReplyDeleteHello and thanks for your question. No, steel cut oats will NOT work in this recipe. You want to stick to old fashioned or quick oats and stay away from instant and steel cut. Hope this helps.
DeleteWould almond or coconut flour work instead of ap or wheat flour?
ReplyDeleteI have not tried using either coconut nor almond flour in this recipe. I'm sorry, I don't know if they would work. Coconut flour is very fussy to bake with, so I know from experience you couldn't do a one for one swap with it. I don't have much experience with almond flour.
DeleteHello! I made this today. I substituted the brown sugar for truvia brown sugar and used apple sauce instead of oil! I made loaves and muffin tops. So far the muffin tops are a hit! Can’t wait to try the loaves!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your review! Happy you enjoyed it so far!
DeleteWOW! I’ve just many banana bread recipes over the years and still managed to be blown away by this recipe. Thanks so much for all the compliments I got from making it! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your review!! I'm so very happy you and your friends and family enjoyed this recipe!
DeleteThank you for this recipe! Have you tried substituting honey for the brown sugar?
ReplyDeleteHi! thanks for your question. I haven't tried using honey to replace the brown sugar in this recipe. If you do, let us know how it turns out for you.
DeleteLove this banana bread recipe! I just mixed it up with an electric mixer since I didn’t have a food processor and it was perfect! Yumm
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your review! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
DeleteI will be making this today. Making muffins. Adding in flax and chia, putting in half the sugar and adding raisins. I'm diabetic so muffins will be easier to portion control for me. I'll let ya know
ReplyDeleteHi Angie and thanks for your comment. Your additions sound great and I hope you enjoy your muffins!
DeleteHow to change cooking time for muffins instead of bread
ReplyDeleteHello and thanks for your question. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Hope this helps!
Delete