Oatmeal Banana Bread

Name: Oatmeal Banana Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 4 overripe bananas (peeled and mashed (about 2 cups)); 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; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats (plus more for topping); 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¾ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Coarse sugar for topping (optional)

By Jamie

5 from 2 ratings

on Apr 17, 2024

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With the sweetness of bananas and the heartiness of oats, this oatmeal banana bread is delicious for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. Try it warm with a bit of butter or softened cream cheese!

Four slices of oatmeal banana bread stacked on a white plate. A pat of butter is on the top slice.

How to make oatmeal banana bread
Tip
Storage and freezing tips
Recipe FAQs
Oatmeal Banana Bread Recipe

“Jamie, another banana bread recipe?”

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

But as much as I love Dominique Ansel’s banana bread, I do like to change it up occasionally.

Sometimes it’s chocolate chip banana bread, sometimes it’s brown butter banana bread. In the fall, it’s pumpkin banana bread.

Right now, I’m really into this oatmeal banana bread. It’s a little bit heartier than some other versions thanks to the rolled oats, which also make it a bit nutty.

I’m a big fan of smearing a little softened cream cheese onto a slice while I sip my morning coffee.

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

How to make oatmeal banana bread

This oatmeal banana bread is every bit as delicious as your favorite classic banana bread. But the added oats in the mix make it just a little bit heartier and more 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 take on your day.

You can even use some of the slices to make banana bread french toast if you’re feeling fancy!

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

Ingredients you’ll need

This recipe starts with mixing the wet ingredients. Those include:

2 cups of mashed 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 that sugar doesn’t seem like it would be a “wet” ingredient, but for quick bread recipes it is often considered to be one!

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

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

Ingredients for oatmeal banana bread arranged on a light-colored countertop.

For the dry ingredients, you will need:

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

Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour. That way, your bread will come out perfect every time.

Tip

Sometimes I like to give this bread a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking for a crunchy sugar top. My go-to coarse sugar for this is the Sugar in the Raw Turbinado Cane Sugar.

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Making this bread

Like my pumpkin banana bread, this recipe uses a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Spray the pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment 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 ingredients for oatmeal banana bread mixed in a white bowl.

Whisking together the dry ingredients for oatmeal banana bread in a white bowl.

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

Use a spatula to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Batter for oatmeal banana bread in a white mixing bowl.

Oatmeal banana bread batter in a loaf pan, ready to go in the oven.

Now is the time to sprinkle the top with additional oats and/or coarse sugar if you’d like.

Bake the bread at 350°F for 70-75 minutes. The oatmeal banana bread is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

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

Oatmeal banana bread cooling in a loaf pan set on a wire rack.

Storage and freezing tips

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

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

I also like to freeze individual slices for a quick snack any time a craving for banana bread hits. Wrap the slices in plastic wrap and pop them in a zip-top freezer bag.

Thaw the slices, unwrapped, in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. This will thaw them and warm them through.

Sliced loaf of oatmeal banana bread on a wire cooling rack.

Recipe FAQs

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

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

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

Quick oats can be swapped in for the rolled (aka old-fashioned) oats in a pinch. The texture of quick oats is a little different than rolled oats, so the final texture of the bread might be a little different – but it’ll 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 really thoroughly combine all of the wet ingredients before adding in the dry ingredients.