Easy healthy banana bread

This gluten free healthy banana bread recipe is so easy to make using a blender and a handful of pantry staples. Perfect as a make-ahead breakfast or snack.

I have been testing recipes for easy healthy banana bread for a few months now and I am so pleased that I have finally perfected the recipe. This recipes uses pantry staples that are affordable and easy to find at your grocery store. It’s also SO easy to make because the the batter gets made in a blender so it cuts down on prep time and washing up. But none of that means anything if it doesn’t taste good, right? I can say with full confidence that this banana bread recipe is so utterly delicious. It is based off of my Healthy banana oat muffins recipe and my kids ask for this banana bread all the time.

It has become a part of my Sunday routine now and I make this loaf or the muffins pretty much every Sunday in preparation for the week ahead. We have it with coffee for breakfast, the kids pack it for lunch and it makes an excellent guilt-free late-afternoon snack. This banana bread is made with rolled oats so it’s gluten free and packed with fiber. Eggs add a good boost of protein and the bananas are packed full of potassium. I love adding cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate chips as extra flavor bombs to make this bread even more delicious.

How to make healthy banana bread?

The ingredients needed for healthy banana bread are:

1. Ripe bananas. You want bananas that are ripe but not too mushy.
2. Eggs.
3. Oil. Coconut oil, canola oil or avocado oil all work well here. You can use butter as well.
4. Milk. Nut milk, lactose free or regular cow’s milk will all work.
5. Rolled oats or old fashioned oats. Quick-cooking oats and steel cut oats don’t work as well.
6. Baking powder.
7. Sweetener of your choice. I prefer using unrefined sugar. Coconut sugar, raw sugar, maple syrup and honey all work well.
8. Salt, cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate chips. The chocolate chips are completely optional and can be substituted with nuts.

Combine all the ingredients (except for chocolate chips or nuts, if using) in the jug of a powerful blender. Blend until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the blender first as this will ensure easy blending. Fold the chocolate chips or nuts into the batter. Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Bake the banana bread until a skewers inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving.

How to make banana bread moist?

The bananas and oil make this banana bread super moist. The oats result in a denser banana bread than when flour is used so it’s essential that the oil used is canola, avocado or another vegetable oil. This recipe was tested with butter and coconut oil as well but the vegetable oil resulted in a moister baked banana bread.

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

For banana bread made with flour, the bananas can be very over ripe (black and mushy are perfect). For this gluten free banana bread recipe though, you want the bananas to be ripe and not mushy at all. Because we don’t have the structure of gluten (in flour) to work with, the ripe but firm bananas and eggs help with the structure of this bread.

Can you freeze banana bread?

Yes, banana bread freezes very well. Freeze individual slices by wrapping in wax paper and plastic wrap and placing in a freezer safe container or freeze an entire loaf by wrapping well. Thaw completely before serving.

Banana bread recipes

1. Brown sugar cinnamon banana bread
2. Classic Banana Bread
3. Easy healthy chocolate chip banana muffins

Easy healthy banana bread

This gluten free healthy banana bread recipe is so easy to make using a blender and a handful of pantry staples. Perfect as a make-ahead breakfast or snack.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Healthy snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Gluten free banana bread, Healthy banana bread, Healthy banana bread recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 186

Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

• 3 large bananas
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup milk of your choice
• 2 tbsp canola/vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp sweetener of your choice (I used raw sugar but you can use honey or coconut sugar)
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC/320ºF and line a 22cm x 12cm (9" x 5") loaf pan with baking paper/parchment.

• Add the bananas, eggs, milk, oil, sweetener, oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to a blender in that order. (Adding the wet ingredients first will allow the blender to easily blend the batter.) 
• Blend until smooth, stopping and scraping down the blender if needed. 
• When the batter is smooth, fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. 
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan then transfer to the oven. 
• Bake the banana bread for 1 hour and 20 minutes, covering with foil after 30 minutes if the bread is browning too fast. 
• The banana bread is ready when it is golden brown and risen and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted should come out with moist crumbs. 
• Remove the banana bread from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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