Healthy Oatmeal Strawberry Banana Bread

Healthy Oatmeal Strawberry Banana Bread made dairy-free and lower in sugar. This wholesome banana bread recipe is a nutritious option for those who prefer healthier treats. 

If you saw my Oatmeal Blueberry Banana Bread you’re already familiar with the nourishing deliciousness we’re getting into here.

Rather than using regular all-purpose flour, we’re blending up some oats to create a whole grain flour for the banana bread that also comes with that delicious oatmeal flavor.

In order to keep the banana bread lower in sugar relative to a classic banana bread recipe, the majority of the sweetener is the bananas themselves and we add just a touch of pure maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit.

For those who enjoy sweeter banana breads, fear not! You can absolutely add any granulated sweetener to boost the sweetness.

The end result of the recipe as written is a healthier banana bread recipe that boasts little bursts of berry delight.

Perfect for strawberry season and for changing up your healthy breakfast and snack!

If you follow a grain-free diet, make my Paleo Strawberry Banana Bread recipe, which calls for coconut flour.

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this delicious banana bread recipe.

Ingredients for Oatmeal Strawberry Banana Bread:

Rolled Oats: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, we blend up some oats to create a whole grain flour. You can use old-fashioned oats, quick oats or instant oats.

Any type of oats except for steel cut oats will work.

To make the bread gluten-free be sure you’re using gluten free oats that specify on the package that they are certified gluten-free. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.

As an alternative to blending up rolled oats, you can use 1 and ⅔ cup of any gluten-free flour blend.

Ripe Bananas: Large mashed bananas serve as the majority of the sweetness in this healthy banana bread recipe.

Be sure to use bananas that have plenty of brown spots to ensure they are nice and sweet. The natural sweetness of the overripe bananas go a long way here!

Fresh Strawberries: We chop up some fresh juicy strawberries and add them into the banana bread batter so that we have berry studded pockets of deliciousness!

If possible, go with ripe, sweet strawberries for the best flavor.

Large Eggs: A couple large eggs make for a fluffy banana bread with amazing texture. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before starting the recipe to bring them closer to room temperature.

I haven’t tested the recipe using flax eggs yet for a vegan option, but drop a comment below if you do. 

Avocado Oil: A little avocado oil brings moisture to the banana bread so that it has a tender crumb, rich flavor, and healthy fats.

If you don’t mind adding a little extra fat, you can add in another 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil for ultra moist banana bread. 

You can also use melted coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil here. If you use melted butter, go with 4 tablespoons instead of 3.

If you eat low oil or oil-free you can use 1/4 cup of almond milk or oat milk instead. Just note that the bread won’t be as moist without the fat.

Pure Maple Syrup: Bringing some added sweetness to this oatmeal strawberry banana bread, we use a little pure maple syrup.

If you’re looking for a sweeter banana bread, add 1 to 4 tablespoons of a granulated sweetener rather than adding more pure maple syrup for extra sweetness.

Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla extract adds a little warm flavor to make this oatmeal banana bread recipe taste so enticing.

Baking Powder: The leavening agent here, a little baking powder helps the bread rise. 

Sea Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the banana and strawberry flavors and also makes the bread taste sweeter without the need to add excess sugar.

Looking to make some changes to the recipe? Here are some potential customizations to this healthy strawberry banana bread.

Recipe Adaptations:

• Replace the oats with 1 ⅔ cups of a gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, King Arthur Measure for Measure, or Pamela’s Artisan Gluten-Free Flour. As an alternative, you can make The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe which is a classic banana bread recipe made gluten-free.
• If you have homemade or store-bought oat flour on hand, use 1 ¾ cups to replace the oats.
• Add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips.
• Mix in ⅔ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty banana bread.
• For sweeter banana bread, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of any granulated sweetener such as regular white sugar, brown sugar, sugar-free sweetener, or coconut sugar.

Now that we’ve covered the wholesome ingredients for this delicious banana bread recipe, let’s bake a loaf!

How to Make Oatmeal Strawberry Banana Bread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper makes for easy removal. You can also spray the bread pan with cooking spray if you’d prefer. 

Transfer the oats to a high-powered blender and blend for 30 seconds at a high speed, or until a flour forms. 

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until they’re creamy. Mix in the eggs, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract until the wet ingredients are well-combined.

Transfer the oat flour, baking powder and sea salt (dry ingredients) to the mixing bowl with the wet mixture. Mix until everything is combined and a thick batter forms. 

Stir in the chopped fresh strawberries.

Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared bread pan and spread it into an even layer. If desired, sprinkle the top of the batter with more chopped strawberries.

Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil, leaving it tinted for the bread to grow. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes, removing the foil half-way through.

The foil ensures the bread doesn’t get too brown on top and removing the foil part way through allows for a perfect golden brown top.

The bread is considered fully baked once it tests clean and reaches 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can test the internal temperature of the bread by inserting a digital thermometer into the center. For the best results, use the thermometer trick to know the perfect bake time.

Slice the bread into individual slices, and enjoy! I love eating the strawberry banana bread warm with either almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or regular butter on top. Sometimes with a drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup and fresh fruit to add some pizzaz!

Store leftover bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the bread by transferring it to a zip lock bag and freezing for up to 3 months.

The next time you’re craving banana bread and have some strawberries on hand, toss this beauty into the oven!

The way I see it, recipes like this are marvelous for putting on constant rotation because they provide a healthier option for those times your sweet tooth is talking. but you don’t want to send your blood sugar through the roof.

An amazing breakfast for busy mornings, you can easily use this quick bread recipe as meal prep. 

If you love healthy quick bread recipes like this, also try out these reader favorites.

More Healthy Bread Recipes:

• Paleo Banana Bread  
• The Best Almond Flour Zucchini Bread
• Healthy Oatmeal Zucchini Bread
• Paleo Morning Glory Quick Bread
• Almond Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
• Double Chocolate Gluten-Free Banana Bread  

Enjoy this lovely strawberry banana combination!

Oatmeal Strawberry Banana Bread

A berry-studded banana bread recipe made with whole grains for a healthier treat! This dairy-free, refined sugar-free banana bread recipe is easy to adapt to your heart's delight and makes for the perfect breakfast or healthy snack.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

1 Loaf

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups rolled oats*
• ▢ 2 large ripe bananas, 1 cup mashed
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 3 Tbsp avocado oil
• ▢ 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• ▢ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 1 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper makes for easy removal. You can also spray the bread pan with cooking spray if you'd prefer. 
• Transfer the oats to a high-powered blender and blend for 30 seconds at a high speed, or until a flour forms. 
• Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until they’re creamy. Mix in the eggs, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract until the wet ingredients are well-combined.
• Transfer the oat flour, baking powder and sea salt (dry ingredients) to the mixing bowl with the wet mixture. Mix until everything is combined and a thick batter forms. 
• Stir in the chopped fresh strawberries.
• Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared bread pan and spread it into an even layer. If desired, sprinkle the top of the batter with more chopped strawberries.
• Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil, leaving it tinted for the bread to grow. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes, removing the foil half-way through. The foil ensures the bread doesn’t get too brown on top and removing the foil part way through allows for a perfect golden brown top. The bread is considered fully baked once it tests clean and reaches 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You can test the internal temperature of the bread by inserting a digital thermometer into the center. For the best results, use the thermometer trick to know the perfect bake time.
• Slice the bread into individual slices, and enjoy! I love eating the strawberry banana bread warm with either almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or regular butter on top.

Notes

*Or 1 ⅔ cup gluten-free flour blend

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice (of 10) – Calories: 173kcal – Carbohydrates: 23g – Protein: 4g – Fat: 7g – Saturated Fat: 1g – Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g – Cholesterol: 37mg – Sodium: 345mg – Fiber: 4g – Sugar: 9g

Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten free banana bread, gluten free quick bread recipes, healthy banana bread, healthy bread recipes, oatmeal banana bread, oatmeal strawberry banana bread, strawberry bread

Servings: 1 Loaf

Calories: 173kcal

Author: Julia

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