Best Healthy Oat Banana Bread with a Secret Step

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I am currently composing this post amidst quarantine due to Covid-19. During this time, I have witnessed numerous banana bread photos flood my social media feed. Recently, I read an article on the most internet searched recipes during quarantine, and banana bread was among those recipes. I don’t know why self-isolation has suddenly spiked it’s popularity, but I am not complaining. Banana bread has got to be one of the most comforting and nostalgic foods to exist. And it happens to be easy to execute.

It’s increasing popularity prompted me to reveal my favorite healthy banana bread recipe. I adore it because it includes oats, which are extremely accessible and nutritious, in place of flour. Unfortunately, oats often result in dense baked items, but I have discovered a way to contradict that density with a “secret” method that always elicits a fluffy banana bread loaf. The method involves separating egg yolks from the whites and whipping the whites until stiff peaks form. You proceed to create the batter and gently fold in the whipped egg whites. This evokes a light and fluffy batter. 

Another enormous plus to this recipe is that it is mostly sweetened from the bananas, with a hint of maple syrup. It is always best to use black bananas in banana bread to yield the most flavorful, sweet, and moist loaf.

The bread is also gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, leavening free, and made in a blender with only 5 ingredients. My goodness, that is a mouthful to say!

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Best Healthy Oat Banana Bread with a Secret Step

Recipe by Megan Renee

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

This healthy banana bread is also gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, leavening free, and made in a blender with only 5 ingredients. It hits all the marks!

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats 

• 1 ¼ cup VERY RIPE mashed bananas – I advise you use black bananas

• 1/4- ½ cup maple syrup, honey, or other liquid sweeteners

• 2 eggs with the yolks and whites separated

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• optional additives

• cinnamon, stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, any nuts cocoa powder, nut butter, homemade Nutella, cocoa powder, various spices, pumpkin, sweet potato puree, blueberries

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper. 
• Add the oats to a blender and blend until a fine, flour-like consistency forms. Remove the oat flour and set aside. 
• Add the mashed banana, maple syrup, egg yolks, and vanilla to the blender. Blend until completely smooth, then blend in the set-aside oat flour.
• Add the egg whites to an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and allow to whip until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the rest of the batter. If you want to include other additives, now would be the time to fold in those ingredients. 
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with banana slices, cinnamon, chocolate chips, nuts, or oats if you wish. 
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
• Store this banana bread at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, I advise freezing it in individual slices and then toasting the slices when ready to preheat.

Notes

• Easily make muffins by pouring the batter into a muffin pan and baking with a shorter time period.
• Use apple sauce in place of maple syrup for a 100% fruit-sweetened loaf.
• Some ideas of pairings to top this banana bread with include coconut butter, coconut oil, nut butter, homemade Nutella, or jam.
• You can go a step further and create a crumble topping for the bread by mixing 1/2 cup oats, ¼ cup coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil. Top the batter with this mixture before baking.