Peanut butter oat banana bread

Since we are all going absolutely crazy for banana bread in 2021 I thought I may as well create a breakfast banana bread filled with delicious hearty ingredients that are already sitting in your pantry. Breakfast banana bread means more excuses to eat banana bread and I think we can probably all agree thats a good thing. This Peanut butter oat banana bread is hearty, filling, wholesome and easy. You’ll love it.

A see of Peanut butter oat banana bread with butter and honey
Peanut butter oat banana bread

Making your own oat flour

I used old fashioned rolled oats for the base of this recipe, simply blending them up in my vitamix until they resembled a course flour. If you do not own a how powered food processor, blender or grain mill then you can easily substitute the rolled oats for straight up oat flour just ensure you measure it by weight and not cups.

To make your own flour simply add the measured rolled oats to your blender or food processor and blend on high for about 30 seconds. I like to stop half way through and scrape down the sides just in case any rough oats get stuck to the blender walls. The result in a course flour- you wont achieve a fine flour unless you own a grain mill (which is totally something I hope to add to my kitchen one day). Since this peanut butter banana oat loaf is a rustic, hearty breakfast loaf course oat flour works just fine- in fact, it adds to the heart-ness. I have used my vitamix, ninja duo and magimix cook expert to grind oats with great success for all.

Sounds like too much effort? You’ll might like to try out this popular this tahini and maple banana bread.

Peanut butter oat banana bread stacked up on a wood board

Up close of the oat banana breadHow to avoid a gummy oat flour loaf

While I love using rolled oats in this recipe is must be noted that oat flour can and does create gummy recipes if not used correctly. Here are a few tips to creating the perfect texture when using oat flour

  • Use a variety of flours rather than just straight oat flour. My first loaf of Peanut butter oat banana bread used only at flour and while the taste was amazing my mouth felt slightly claggy afterwards. It was ok, but I knew we could de better. I added almond meal to balance this out and it worked perfectly.
  • Be gentle with your batter but do not worry about over mixing. While rolled oats may be contaminated with gluten they do not add the gluten protein into the mixture, and thus you do not need to worry about over mixing the batter. Gluten free loafs often require a few minutes of mixing, however combining the wet and dry ingredients well will be enough or this loaf
  • Waiting! This makes such a huge difference, so it is worth the pain of waiting. Once the Peanut butter oat banana bread has cooked turn off the oven and open the door. Allow the banana bread to stand in the oven for 3-4 minutes (this gives time for the cake to rest and set) then gently transfer the tin to a wire rack to cool. Once again, allow the banana bread to cool for 10 minutes in the tin then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing into it. If you want to serve warm you can toast a slice after this but do not cut into a warm loaf.
  • Finally, follow the method in the recipe card that used both oil and peanut butter. I have trialled both options many times and they are both wonderful- if you want the perfect texture the addition of oil helps. I have a great recipe for oil and grain free banana muffins that you should also check out.

Peanut butter oat banana bread slices

Up close of oat banana bread with fresh honeyIngredients for Peanut butter oat banana bread

Rolled oats– oats make up the base of this recipe, giving a hearty and wholesome feel to the end result. We make flour using the rolled oats but if this is not an option you can exchange with oat flour measured by weight not volume. Choose certified gluten free oats if needed.

Almond meal– adding almond meal to the mix helps to balance out the texture of the Peanut butter oat banana bread and creates a lighter, fluffier result. In a pinch you can substitute for extra rolled oat flour (measured by weight) however the result has a slightly gummy aftertaste. If you want to nail the texture of the healthy peanut butter banana oat bread then stick with the almond meal.

Baking powder and salt– usual baking things. Choose gluten free baking powder if needed.

Bananas. Choose ripe, spotty bananas for the best taste. You don’t want bananas that are so ripe that they are basically liquid- just look for dark spotty peel and sweet smell.

Milk of choice- I prefer almond milk like this one, though cows milk, soy milk or boxed coconut milk will all work well. Rice or oat milk have less fat and while they can be used for this recipe that are not my top choices.

Runny, drippy peanut butter. It is important that you choose a roasted, runny peanut butter (or tahini) because the stiff, thick peanut butter will not give a fluffy, moist and light loaf. I like this brand or this brand. 

Light olive oil. I prefer a light, cold pressed olive oil for my baking but you could use any neutral flavoured oil. If you want a oil free version I have tried and tested one, please refer to the recipe notes below.

Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. As this is an egg free recipe we are relying on both the apple cider vinegar and baking powder (or the baking soda present in the baking powder) for the cake to rise and be light and fluffy. You cannot omit this ingredient however lemon juice could be used if you have no vinegar on hand.

Coconut sugar. The recipe uses just 1/2 cup of coconut sugar making the final loaf just slightly sweet. If you want a sugar free version I would recommend using a monk fruit granulated sweetener like this one rather than just omitting the sugar. Sugar adds sweetness to a loaf, yes, but it also lowers the pH (making the batter more acidic) and adds moisture making it important in the baking process. You can reduce to sugar content to 1/4 cup or swap to brown or rapadura sugar if you prefer. See further down teh post for a maple syrup version.

Vanilla extract. Optional, but vanilla lawyers adds extra flavour to baked good and I prefer them with it. Not an essential ingredient.

A slice of healthy oat banana bread with yoghurt and honey
Oat banana bread with yoghurt, honey and walnuts

Peanut butter oat banana breadHow to make your Peanut butter oat banana bread gluten and oil free

While oats do not contain gluten themselves they are generally contaminated with gluten via the growing and processing stages. If you are making a gluten free loaf for a person with coeliac disease it is important to first check with them that they can eat certified gluten-free oats. Some people with coeliac disease do while others do not. Generally speaking when you use certified gluten free oats like these then you can serve this loaf to people on a gluten free diet.

I have trialled this recipe making an oil free option and while I don’t like the texture as much I am still really happy with the result. You can omit the olive oil in the recipe and increase the amount of milk and peanut butter. Please refer to the recipe card notes for exact measurements.

Maple syrup sweetened oat banana loaf

Due to popular request I want to include the variation for sweetening with maple syrup or honey. It must be said I prefer the texture when using coconut sugar, but I am all for maple sweetened baked goods so I totally get why you want that swap.

Heres what you do;

  1. omit the coconut sugar entirely and add 1/3 cup (100g) pure maple syrup instead.
  2. Reduce the milk content from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp
  3. If you have it on hand add an in 1/2 tsp baking soda when you add you dry ingredients.

Thats it! Many readers have tried and tested this version for me, and have reported back that it worked perfectly.

We hope you enjoy this peanut butter oat banana bread as much as we do. We welcome any comments or feedback below- your reviews are so helpful and others find this recipe too.

Here are some other delicious vegan baked recipes you might like to try;

A see of Peanut butter oat banana bread with butter and honey
Peanut butter oat banana bread
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A see of Peanut butter oat banana bread with butter and honey

Peanut butter oat banana bread

  • Author: Jade Woodd
  • Prep Time: 10-15 mins
  • Cook Time: 55 mins
  • Total Time: 54 minute
  • Yield: 8-12 1x
  • Category: Gluten free
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

A heart breakfast loaf containing rolled oats, peanut butter and banana. This Peanut butter oat banana bread has gluten and oil free options and makes a great on the go breakfast or snack option.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 312g (1 1/4 cups mashed) ripe banana
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) almond milk (see notes)
  • 55g (1/4 cup) light olive oil
  • 75g (1/4 cup) runny peanut butter
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 85g (1/2 cup) coconut sugar (see notes, or see blog post for maple syrup version)
  • 240g (2 cups) rolled oats (certified gluten free if needed, see notes)
  • 60g (1/2 cup) blanched almond meal
  • 2 tsp baking powder (gluten free if needed)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • Optional for decorating– 1 banana, peeled and sliced lengthways, 2 tsp honey or maple syrup, 1 Tbsp rolled oats.

Instructions

  1. I recommend using kitchen scales to weight the ingredients for accuracy. As thesis a rustic loaf it is fairly forgiving however measuring is always best. I use Australian standard cups and follow the spoon and scrape method to fill.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350F) and lightly grease a standard loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm). Use a piece of baking paper to line the bottom and long sides of the loaf tin, ensuring there is a bit of paper overhanging the top for easy removal of the baked loaf. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl add the bananas, milk, oil, peanut butter vinegar, vanilla and sugar. Use a stick blender to bend into a smooth batter. Alternatively you could blend all of these ingredients in a blender or food processor and then transfer to the mixing bowl. Set aside.
  4. If you are using remade oat flour please skip this step. Place rolled oats into a high-speed blender or food processor. If you have used the equipment to blend the above ingredients ensure the blender/food processor is completely dry before proceeding. Blend on the highest settings for approximately 30 seconds or until the oats have turned into a flour.
  5. Sieve the oat flour, almond meal and baking powder into the mixing bowl and add salt. Use a wooden spoon to combine well- it is better to slightly over-mix than slightly under-mix this loaf so ensure it is well combined. Transfer batter to your prepared loaf tin. The batter will be thick so use a spoon to spread it prod evenly. If desired top with etc sliced banana (press the banana down into the batter a little) extra rolled oats and honey or maple syrup.
  6. Bake for 50-55 minutes. In my oven 53 minutes is perfect. To test if the loaf is done insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf- you should feel resistance in the loaf and when removed the skewer should have quite a lot of moist crumbs on it but no wet batter. Now- turn off the oven and open the door completely. Leave the loaf in the over for 3-4 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool an extra 10 minutes. After this time using the overhanging baking paper to lift the loaf out of the tin and allow it to cool completely on the wire rack before slicing into it. Do not cut into the loaf when it is still warm, as this can compress the loaf and cause a gummy texture.

Storage

Once your loaf has completely cooled store in a container in the pantry (2-3 days in mild weather) or fridge (3-4 days). To freeze slice the banana bread first and freeze slices individually into ziplock bags or cling wrap (like this compostable one) for up to 8 weeks. 


Notes

  • You can substitute almond milk for your preferred milk. Cows, soy or boxed coconut milk work best.
  • You can reduce coconut sugar to 1/4 cup (42g) but I would not recommend omitting entirely. Sugar plays other important roles in baking, not just adding sweetness.
  • Rolled oats can be substituted for oat flour measuring by weight, not volume.
  • To make an oil free loaf omit the olive oil and increase the milk to 187ml (2/3 cup) and the peanut butter to 100g (1/3 cup).

Keywords: Oat bread, banana bread, breakfast loaf, oatmeal, baked oats, gluten free baking, vegan baking

23 Comments
    1. It will be sweet enough without sugar, however sugar plays other roles in baking. You could reduce it to 1/4 cup but I wouldn’t omit it completely as sugar plays a role in the cakes structural integrity. Alternatively you could use a monk fruit granulated sweetener.

  1. Soo goood ~ simply Devine recipe ~ followed recipe and turned out scrumptious ~ thank you ?????

  2. This has become my favourite type of banana loaf to make.
    Absolutely delicious and will become a favourite over and over again!
    I did swap out the sugar for 1/3 cup maple, and reduce milk to 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp as suggested by you!
    Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe! ♥️

    1. Hi Eli,

      I’m so happy to hear you loved it and thank you for testing out the maple version- I will try it myself soon.

  3. Finding egg free recipes that don’t require chia or flax seed is near impossible, so my appreciation levels for this recipe are high!
    It was a lovely simple recipe to follow (besides letting it cool completely before getting stuck in). Taste and texture were spot on!
    This will become a regular for me. Thank you ✨

    1. Hi Robyn,

      Thank you so much for teh review- I agree about the chia and flax eggs (I avoid when I can). Waiting sucks… but its worth it, hehe.

  4. Hi Jade, hope you’re well! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, I truly admire what you do and continue to be inspired by you. I tried this banana bread, and substituted the peanut butter for tahini. I reduced the amount of coconut sugar (so 42g). Also used almond flour instead of almond meal, and made it oil free, so increased the amounts of milk and tahini. However, my bread came out a bit flat on top (especially once it cooled a bit) in terms of height, mine looks a lot shorter or more compressed than yours in the picture. Texture-wise, I don’t think I quite got it, I will have to check in the morning once it has cooled completely, but I did cut off the end to check (I thought it was pretty much cooled already when I decided to) and it seemed a bit more gummy. I’m not happy with my texture. I’m definitely at fault here and just looking for advice/suggestions on what to try/do differently next time. Taste-wise it’s good. Do you have any idea why mine didn’t turn out so great considering the changes/info I mentioned above? Also, do you make your own almond meal? Lastly, I have different settings for the oven, and used the fan one with the circle around it, would you recommend a different setting for the bread? Sorry for all the questions, would really appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks very much!

    1. Hi Liliana,

      I’m happy to help here. First off- did you read the blog post? I have lots of tips there about nailing the texture, so just firstly checking if you followed those? As noted in the blog post if you do the oil free version is is slightly more gummy, however the texture should still be great. If you did already try all the tips in the post, do you think your baking powder is perhaps old?

      I didn’t make my own almond meal- I find store bought is much finer. Swapping for almond flour and tahini won’t have been an issue, nor reducing the sugar.

      Let me know on the above, and then let’s troubleshoot.

  5. Super delicious! A really nice flavour, moist crumb and not too sweet. Of course I couldn’t wait for it to be cool to cut a piece to try!

  6. The best banana bread recipe I ever tried! And I have tried many… 😁
    The banana bread I made after this recipe was delicious 😋. Thank you so much for so detailed instructions and all the good advice 🙏❤️

    1. I’m so, so happy to hear this! I worked so hard on this recipe, so your comment really means a lot Maria.

  7. Absolutely the best and the most delicious banana bread I’ve ever tried and baked so far! The combination of ingredients is just perfect – not too sweet, pinch of salt adds more taste, so flavourful and moist. Amazing breakfast idea or as a snack for coffee/tea breaks, love it! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us, Jade! Great job!

    1. Hi Katja. I always love seeing your recreations, you’re so talented with photography. Thanks for the wonderful review!

  8. Hi again Jade!
    Firstly, sorry for getting back to you after so long. I just managed to try the recipe again today, and it turned out great! I think the issue was actually the setting on my oven [Insert “monkey face covering eyes” emoji here]!
    The first time I tried this bread recipe, I had it on the full fan setting, today I used the upper/lower heating one.
    I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my previous message. I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
    All the best!
    Liliana

    1. Oh I’m so glad you figured this out- thank you for letting me know, it’s always great to discover trouble shooting. Enjoy!

  9. hola, aun no realice la rcceta. Soy Argentina, y aca los frutos secos como las nueces, almendras y demas son muy caros, por ende las Harinas de frutos secos son aun mucho mas caras, Mi consulta, puedo reemplazar la harina de almendras por harina de mani? tambien nos aportaria los aceites que tienen esas harinas, tambien se me ocurre las semillas de girasol, usar harina de semillas de girasol, acá son mucho mas economicos el mani y semillas de girasol. Saludos.

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