This hearty banana bread recipe makes a moist and oaty bread which is super easy to make. There are five basic ingredients – which you probably already have in your pantry. The bread is naturally sweetened and gluten free. A great way to use up your over ripe bananas!
This recipe is a simple five ingredient banana bread recipe that you can make with ingredients you probably have on hand in your pantry. This is a dense and moist bread that is mildly sweet and tastes strongly of bananas and hearty oats.
Using up Brown Bananas
I like this recipe for using up over ripe, brown bananas. My husband likes to eat bananas that are green, and the kids and I like them when they are fully ripe. But if they sit around too long they go beyond ripe to brown, at which point no one will eat them!
I hate to throw out perfect good food! Over ripe bananas work ok in some smoothies, like this chocolate peanut butter smoothie or in muffins like peanut butter banana muffins. Banana bread is another great way to use brown bananas.
Breakfast Bread
This recipe is made without flour, which means if you use gluten free oats it makes a nice gluten free bread recipe. In place of flour it uses old fashioned oats.
I am not on a gluten free diet, but I have been trying to replace some of the gluten and carbs in my diet with healthier carbs like oatmeal.
The oats combine with honey and eggs to make a very moist and dense texture. Most quick breads are sweet and this one isn’t very sweet. So the bread is more like a breakfast or dinner bread than a dessert bread.
The combination of bananas and oatmeal makes it similar to a baked oatmeal, which makes it deal for breakfast. It is a fun way to use common ingredients in a new and surprising way.
The other reason I like this recipe is how easy and foolproof it is. You combine everything in a blender, blend, pour, and bake. There are no special tips or complicated steps. Sometimes beginning cooks are intimidated by making bread, but it doesn’t get much easier than this recipe.
How to Make Banana Bread
1. Mix
Put all the eggs, honey, bananas, oats, baking soda and salt (if using) in a blender. Put them in the order listed, so the liquid ingredients are on the bottom for easier blending.
I used three regular sized over ripe bananas in this recipe. My bananas were really brown and mushy. You don’t want to try to make this with harder bananas because they won’t blend as well.
2. Blend
Put the lid on the blender and turn it on. Let the ingredients mix until well combined. If it seems like things are stuck and not moving turn the blender off, take the jar off and shake it. Then put it back on and continue to blend it.
High powered blenders like a Vitamix or Blendtec will blend this batter more quickly. But for these pictures I made this bread in a bottom of the line $30 blender and it worked fine.
In my cheap blender I did have to take the jar off and shake it once, and it took about 3 minutes to completely blend the batter. But it does work!
3. Pour
Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. I used a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan which was the perfect size for the amount of batter I had. Pour the batter from the blender into the prepared loaf pan.
If you want to top the bread off with walnuts sprinkle them on now. Some other good ideas for sprinkling on top of the bread:
- chopped pecans
- chocolate chips
- banana chips
- old fashioned oats
You can skip the topping completely, it just makes the bread look nice and adds some crunchy texture.
4. Bake
Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. The baking time will vary depending on your oven and the size loaf pan you are using.
Start checking the bread after 30 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the middle. The bread is done when the toothpick comes out clean. In my oven baking takes about 40 minutes.
Recipe Variations
This is also tasty made with maple syrup instead of honey. My kids favorite is when I stir in a cup of mini chocolate chips to the bread – fold them in after blending.
What to Serve With Banana Bread
This bread has a heart and firm texture which makes it excellent for eating by itself. I like to eat a slice for breakfast with a hard boiled egg on the side for a complete and filling morning meal.
Find More Easy Recipes
Easy Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Put all the eggs, honey, bananas, oatmeal, baking soda and salt in a blender. For best results layer the ingredients with the eggs and honey first.2 eggs, 1/4 cup honey, 3 medium ripe bananas, 2 cups oatmeal, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Blend until mostly smooth. This might take 2-3 minutes depending on your blender. If necessary turn the blender off, shake it and turn it back on.
- Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired.1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Bake for 30-45 minutes until the middle is firm and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The time will vary depending on the size of your loaf pan. Check every 5-10 minutes after 30 minutes have passed.
Notes
- You can substitute maple syrup or molasses for the honey
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
can i use one egg instead if i only have 2 medium bananas?
I made it in the end with 2 eggs and less honey and it came out ok. my second attempt was so much better than the first and less ingredients. Will be making this often until it’s perfect. I think it made in 40mins.