Oatmeal Banana Bread
Published May 25, 2026
This Oatmeal Banana Bread recipe is the perfect recipe to make moist banana bread. Greek yogurt and ripe bananas are two key ingredients!
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Oatmeal banana bread is soo good!
You guys know I love oats, so it’s probably no surprise that this oatmeal banana bread made it into my top three for quick breads. The oats add a little texture without making the loaf heavy, and swapping butter for Greek yogurt keeps it really moist.
I make this oat banana bread on the weekends so we have something to slice through the week. My kids eat it for breakfast, sometimes warmed up with a little butter, and it holds up fine in a lunchbox. If I have enough ripe bananas, I’ll do two loaves and freeze one because it thaws really well. Just one of those things I’m always glad I made.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Oatmeal Banana Bread Ingredients
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas; the more spotty and brown the skin, the better. They mash more easily and are naturally sweeter. If yours are not quite there yet, peel them, lay them on a baking sheet, and bake at 300°F for about 15 minutes until the skins turn black. Let them cool before mashing.
- Quick oats: Use quick oats here, not rolled oats or steel cut. Quick oats blend into the batter more smoothly. Rolled oats will give the bread a chewier, denser crumb, and steel cut oats will not soften enough during baking. A small handful also gets sprinkled on top before baking.
- Wet ingredients: Eggs, maple syrup, and Greek yogurt. Use room-temperature eggs and Greek yogurt to help everything mix more easily. Honey works as a 1:1 swap for the maple syrup. Do not use granulated sugar; it won’t work the same in this recipe. Use plain full-fat Greek yogurt for the best moisture. Non-fat yogurt can leave the loaf a little dry, and regular plain yogurt works but has more moisture in it, so check for doneness a few minutes earlier.
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make sure the baking soda is fresh since that is what gives the bread its lift. Whisk the dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet so everything is evenly distributed.
- Pecans: Roughly chop them so they spread through the batter evenly. I like to toast my pecans before chopping. Walnuts work just as well in the same amount.
How to Make Oatmeal Banana Bread
The photos below walk you through this oatmeal banana bread step by step. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, jump to the → Oatmeal Banana Bread Recipe
1. Beat Eggs and Maple Syrup
Mix in a large bowl until the mixture turns slightly frothy and has lightened in color. This only takes a minute or two and helps the bread rise.
2. Add the Bananas and Yogurt
Once the egg mixture is frothy, stir in the mashed bananas and Greek yogurt until everything is combined. The batter will look lumpy from the banana at this point, which is completely normal.
3. Fold in Dry Ingredients
Whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a separate bowl, then add them to the wet ingredients. Mix just until no dry streaks remain. A few banana lumps are fine; stop as soon as it looks combined.
4. Stir in the Pecans
Once the dry ingredients are folded in, drop in the pecans and stir until evenly distributed through the batter.
5. Add the Oat Topping
Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle a handful of quick oats across the top before it goes into the oven.
6. Bake Until Golden
The banana bread is done when the top is deep golden brown, the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning quickly before the center is ready, loosely tent the pan with foil after the 40-minute mark.
Full Homemade Oatmeal Banana Bread Recipe
Oatmeal Banana Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas about 3
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup quick oats plus more for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang the edges for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and maple syrup until frothy and lightened in color. Whisk in yogurt and mashed banana.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in pecans, if desired. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with additional oats on top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown at the edges and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may need to tent the banana bread after 40 minutes if it starts to brown too quickly.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add chocolate chips. Fold in ½ cup of dark chocolate chips along with the pecans or in place of them. They melt through the loaf and add sweetness without overpowering the banana.
- Bake as muffins. Pour the batter into a lined muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 12 muffins.
- Fold in blueberries. Add ½ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries with the pecans. If using frozen, keep them frozen until you fold them in or they will bleed into the batter.
- Add a peanut butter swirl. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter onto the top of the batter just before it goes in the oven, then drag a toothpick or skewer through it to swirl.
- Add a cinnamon sugar layer. Mix 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Pour half the batter into the pan, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over it, then add the remaining batter on top before baking.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-mix your ingredients. Your batter isn’t going to be smooth, and that’s fine! Don’t stress about getting out the lumps. Just mix so that everything is combined well without any flour streaks, or else you’ll risk a rubbery banana bread.
- Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. If you don’t want the banana bread to stick to the pan, line it with parchment paper before pouring in the batter. It releases effortlessly from the pan that way.
- Tent your bread if needed. It’s a good idea to check on your loaf more than halfway through the baking process to check if the top is browning too fast. If so, it might be helpful add a piece of foil over the banana bread to allow it to finish baking without burning on top.
- Let the bread cool completely. Before removing the bread from the pan or slicing, let it cool down. If you try and slice it too quickly, it may crumble and fall apart.
FAQs
If you try to add too many bananas, there’s a very good chance that your bread will have too much moisture, creating pockets or areas in the middle that remain undercooked.
Most likely, it was not baked long enough. Banana bread takes more time than expected, especially with the added moisture from ripe bananas and yogurt. Test with a toothpick if it comes out with wet batter on it, add 5-10 more minutes, and keep checking. It should come out clean or with just a few dry crumbs.
This usually happens when the bread is underbaked or when the oven door is opened too early. Avoid opening the oven in the first 40 minutes. If it sinks after you pull it out, it likely needed more time.
Comments
Just made 2 banana loaves and omgeee, so freaking delicious! I tweaked it a tiny bit. instead of regular flour, I used whole wheat. instead of 4 eggs, I used 2 and eggwhites. added chocolate protein powder in half of the mixture and a few scoops of collagen powder. so it would give it a marble effect. and powdered sugar free sweetener along with the recommended maple syrup since not all my bananas were ripe. Sugar free chocolate chips instead of nuts. my kids aren’t crazy about nuts. holy moly, so delicious!!!! this will now be my go to recipe!
thank you 🌸
Wow, your version sounds delicious! Love the tweaks you made to the recipe. A chocolate protein marble swirl is a great idea. So glad you all enjoyed it!
This banana bread turned out amazing . I sprinkled brown sugar on the bottom before pouring in batter and mixed in mini chocolate chips. Might be the best banana bread I ever had
Yay, that makes me so happy to hear! I love the idea of sprinkling brown sugar on the bottom and adding mini chocolate chips too. That sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your experience making it!
I was wondering how to make these into small muffins? What temp and how long?
The recipe should work as muffins but I haven’t tried it myself so I’m not sure how long you need to bake them or at what temperature. So sorry!
What do you think about swapping the yogurt for a smoothly blended cottage cheese for added protein?
I haven’t tried that myself but I think it could work well! I would love to hear how it turns out if you end up trying it!!
I have just made these. Turned out great. This is a fabulous healthy recipe. Thank you 💖
So happy you liked it, Julie! Thank you!!
I’ve made this twice now, and I love it! The first time I used sugar instead since I was out of maple syrup. It turned out a bit dry but you can’t tell when it’s toasted. I made it again yesterday with maple syrup this time, a whole cup of chopped pecans, and 90% dark chocolate chopped up. Turned out super moist and sooooo delicious! I used a disposable aluminum tray and I think that’s why I had to bake it for much longer, put up the heat to 375, then 400, and tent it. Worth the effort. I also used gluten free all purpose flour both times since it’s all I had. As someone with a sweet tooth, it’s so nice to grab a slice as a snack during the work week knowing it’s guilt free, and made with love using all high quality and healthy ingredients. Big fan!
Aww, so happy you like it!! Love all the tweaks you made and so glad to hear that the recipe works well for you with gluten-free all-purpose flour! Thank you, Shruti!
Turned out well and delicious, I added chopped dates and walnuts.
Yum, dates and walnuts sound like a great addition! So happy you liked it, Annie!
Can I substitute the 1 1/4 cup flour for oat flour? Thanks!
So sorry, I haven’t tried this recipe with oat flour yet. You’ll have to try it and let me know how it turns out!
Hi just a quick question, love the banana bread and wondering how to store it. Does it need to be refrigerated?
Great question! You just need to store this banana bread in an airtight container to keep it moist. You don’t have to store it in the fridge but absolutely can if you want!
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