Sugar Free Oat Flour Banana Bread

This Oat Flour Banana Bread is super moist, sugar free and loaded with banana flavour, giving it the perfect level of sweetness.   It's cozy, familiar, full of protein and fibre and great with your morning coffee, just like these fluffy banana pikelets.

Recipe Highlights

• Makes 8 big thick chunky slices, and No Oil
• It's excellent for freezing in ziplock bags so you can grab and go as you head out the door
• Its naturally sweetened with the perfect amount of sweetness and lots of banana flavor. No added sugar banana bread and it's dairy free!
• Avoid the sugar high you get from traditional sugar laden banana bread
• Quick, simple and easy to make using your food processor without the need to mash bananas
• Make it with just 8 simple ingredients including overripe bananas
• Its perfect with your morning tea or coffee, or even as a breakfast on the run
• No flour banana bread is higher in fibre and protein than regular banana quickbreads

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Choosing the right bananas: the more overripe the bananas the better. If they have a few brown spots then they're perfect.
• Oats: Big rolled oats are ideal to use as they are full of fibre and blitz up nicely to make oat flour. Alternatively you can buy oat flour from the grocery store. One of my other favorite oat flour recipes are these Oatmeal Blueberry Banana Muffins.
• Sweetener: I used Golden Earth Brown Granulated Sweetener. It looks just like brown sugar and has the same consistency and taste but without the calories. Its also a natural sweetener without any nasties or aftertaste. I use this sweetener in my Banana Carrot Muffins and Apple Banana Muffins.
• Medjool Dates: These add moisture and sweetness to the banana bread. Medjool dates are soft and plump with a caramel like sweetness. They are also full of fibre.
• Vanilla Essence (or Vanilla Extract) and Ground Cinnamon: These provide extra flavor and help to bring out the sweetness of the bananas.
• Eggs: these are the binder that hold the bread together. Fresh eggs at room temperature will give the best result.

What is Oat Flour

Oat Flour is simply finely ground oats that have a  flour like appearance.

• Its great to use if you're looking for a healthier alternative to highly processed white
• Its easier to digest and great if baked goods contain flour upset your stomach
• Oat flour is also richer in fibre and protein which means it keeps you fuller for longer, so you can eat less, but feel more satisfied.
• You can buy store-bought oat flour from the supermarket in the baking aisle or you can make homemade oat flour by adding quick oats or rolled oats into a high speed food processor and blitzing them until finely ground.

How To Make Oat Flour Banana Bread

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat fan oven to 180°C/400 F. Lightly spray a 5 inch loaf pan with oil and line with baking paper or parchment paper.
2. Soften Dates: Combine dates and 1 cup boiling water in a bowl. Let them sit for 10 minutes to soften and them drain or press out excess moisture. (can skip this step if dates are already soft and pliable)

3. Make Oat Flour: Process oats in the food processor until they resemble a flour consistency

4. Add remaining ingredients and Blitz: Add wet ingredients and dry ingredients to food processor and process until it turns into a smooth batter (a few small lumps are ok).

5. Pour into cake tin and bake: Spoon mixture into prepared tin and smooth surface with back of a spoon. Bake for 35 minutes at 180 degrees fan forced (360 F) or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Rest and Cool: Set loaf aside in tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cut into 8 slices and serve

Recipe Variations and Add-ins

Before transferring banana bread batter into a loaf pan, you may like to add a little something extra. If using add-ins, transfer batter into a large mixing bowl to combine the add-ins then transfer to pan.

• Chocolate Chips: Add a delightful twist by adding ½ cup of dark chocolate chips for a sweet and rich flavor.
• Nuts: Add texture and taste with ½ cup of chopped almonds or pecans.
• Berries: Fold in one cup of fresh or frozen mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries,

How to Ripen Bananas

1. Paper Bag Method: Place unripe bananas in a paper bag and fold the top to close it. The ethylene gas they release will ripen them faster due to the confined space.
2. Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C), place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet, and bake for about 15-20 minutes until the skins turn black. Let them cool before using.

Tips for Best Results

• Ripe Bananas: Use overripe bananas for the best flavor. They should be heavily speckled or even mostly brown. They're sweeter and provide a more intense banana flavor.
• Oat Flour Consistency: If you're making oat flour from rolled oats, make sure it's finely ground to avoid a gritty texture. A food processor or high-speed blender can help achieve the right consistency.
• Balancing Moisture: Oat flour can make the batter dense. If the batter needs more moisture, try adding a tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, or a bit of oil for moisture.
• Resting Time: After baking, allow your oat flour banana bread to rest for about 10-15 minutes in the pan before transferring it to a wire rack. This helps it set and prevents it from falling apart when sliced.

Storing Oat Flour Banana Bread

• To Store. It will keep  in an air tight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.  If you aren't going to eat it all in that time, freezing is an option.
• To Freeze.  Slice into 8 portions, pop into ziplock bags and into the freezer. Freeze for upto  8 weeks.
• To Reheat. Let the banana bread defrost naturally to room temperature if possible, then reheat in microwave for 10 seconds.  If you can't let it defrost naturally, microwave it at 50% power for 30 -50 seconds.

This oat flour banana bread is way healthier than store  bought banana breads that are  loaded with sugars, and it's easy to make.  It's the ideal high fibre, protein packed, sugar free snack to keep your energy levels up and to enjoy with your morning coffee.

Common Questions

I pretty much make this banana bread with oat flour every week because its my go to with my morning coffee? Its my breakfast, my morning snack and its so filling it sees me through until lunchtime!

More Sugar Free Baking Recipes

• Dairy Free Moist Banana Bread
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Easy Sugar Free Lemon Loaf
• Warming Sugar Free Gingerbread Loaf
• Healthy & Simple Date Loaf
• Sweet Orange Polenta Cake with Orange Glaze
• Low Carb Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting