Honey Oat Banana Bread Recipe

This honey oat banana bread is a soft, moist loaf made with 3 ripe bananas, 1 cup of rolled oats, ½ cup of honey, Greek yogurt and melted coconut oil, with no white or brown sugar at all. It takes 15 minutes to mix, bakes at 350°F (175°C) in a 9×5 inch loaf pan for 50 to 55 minutes, and gives 10 slices.

The honey and very ripe bananas do all the sweetening. The oats make the crumb a little hearty, and the yogurt keeps it tender for days. The one thing to watch is the top: honey browns faster than sugar, so a sheet of foil may be needed near the end.

Pan, Oven and Timing for One Loaf

• Yield: one 9×5 inch loaf, 10 slices
• Time: 15 minutes prep, 50 to 55 minutes baking, about 1 hour 10 minutes in total plus cooling
• Oven: 350°F (175°C), greased pan lined with parchment
• Sweetener: ½ cup honey, nothing else
• Oats: 1 cup rolled oats in the batter, a handful more on top
• Keeps: 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, 3 months frozen

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Baking Banana Bread With Honey Instead of Sugar

There is no white or brown sugar in this loaf. The ½ cup of honey and three very ripe bananas do all the sweetening, so the bananas really need to be soft and covered in brown spots. Yellow bananas make a bland, slightly starchy slice.

Honey changes a quick bread in three ways. It browns sooner, which is why the crust turns deep amber. It holds on to moisture, so the crumb stays soft for days and the top can feel a little tacky by day two. And it is liquid, so this batter is written for it: you do not need to cut anything else back.

Is it healthy? It is a lighter breakfast loaf, not a health food. The recipe card lists about 263 calories, 19 g of sugar, 5 g of protein and 2 g of fiber per slice. Honey is still sugar, but there is none added beyond it.

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Rolled Oats, Quick Oats or Oat Flour

The recipe uses old fashioned rolled oats, stirred into the dry mix whole. They soften in the oven and give each slice a gentle chew. Quick oats work cup for cup and make a smoother, softer crumb. Steel cut oats stay hard in a loaf this size, so leave them for porridge.

For a finer texture without changing the recipe, pulse the 1 cup of rolled oats in a blender for a few seconds before measuring them in. Swapping all of the flour for oat flour is a different recipe: oat flour has no gluten, and the loaf turns fragile and crumbly. Keep the 1½ cups of all-purpose flour for this one.

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Honey or Maple Syrup, Coconut Oil or Butter

Maple syrup swaps in for the honey at the same ½ cup. It tastes milder and woodier, browns a little less, and makes the loaf free of refined sugar. Honey gives a rounder, floral sweetness that goes well with the cinnamon.

For the fat, ⅓ cup of melted coconut oil keeps the flavor light. Vegetable oil works the same way. Melted butter gives a richer, more buttery slice. If you want a nuttier loaf, my butterscotch walnut banana bread and peanut butter banana bread go in that direction.

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Mixing the Batter Without Making It Tough

Whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Whisk properly so the baking soda does not leave bitter pockets.

In a second bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth, then stir in the honey, Greek yogurt, egg, vanilla and melted coconut oil. Have the egg and yogurt at room temperature. Cold yogurt and a cold egg set the coconut oil into small white flecks. Measure the oil first, then use the same cup for the honey and it slides right out.

Pour the wet mix into the dry and fold with a spatula until you no longer see dry flour. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy. Keep stirring past that point and the loaf bakes up with tunnels and a rubbery bite.

Spread it into the lined pan, level the top, and scatter a handful of oats over it. They toast in the oven and keep the top from looking flat.

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Knowing When the Loaf Is Done

Start checking at 50 minutes. The loaf is ready when the dome springs back under a finger, the crack along the top looks dry rather than wet and shiny, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Most ovens need 50 to 55 minutes.

If the top is already dark brown around the 35 to 40 minute mark, lay a piece of foil loosely over the pan and keep baking. That is the honey browning, not the loaf being done. Give it the full 10 minutes in the pan afterwards, then lift it onto a rack. Cut it hot and the middle squashes under the knife.

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Why a Honey Loaf Sinks or Turns Gummy

• Sunken middle: pulled too early, or the oven runs cool. Check with an oven thermometer and bake until the toothpick test passes.
• Gummy streak near the bottom: sliced while warm, or the bananas were very wet. Cool it fully on the rack first.
• Burnt top, raw center: the honey browned before the inside set. Tent with foil earlier and keep the pan on the middle rack.
• Dense, heavy slice: the batter was overmixed, or the flour was packed into the cup. Spoon and level the flour.
• Bland flavor: the bananas were not ripe enough. Wait for brown spots all over.

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Keeping Slices Soft for Breakfast

Once it is cool, keep the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. A folded paper towel under the lid soaks up the moisture honey pulls to the surface. To freeze, wrap the whole loaf or single slices tightly in plastic wrap, put them in a freezer bag, and keep them up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

A slice warmed in the toaster with a thin layer of butter is how I like it best. A spoon of jam or a drizzle more honey works too. On busy weeks it sits next to banana overnight oats and banana walnut muffins in the breakfast rotation.

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Other Banana Breads to Bake Next

For a plain loaf with sugar, start with my classic banana bread. For fruit, try blueberry banana bread or the peanut butter and jelly banana bread. If you need a gluten free version, the almond flour banana bread uses no wheat at all. Leftover bananas and oats also make good spiced banana oatmeal cookies.

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Small Questions About This Loaf

Can I use honey instead of sugar in any banana bread?

Yes, with changes. Honey is sweeter and liquid, so a common rule is about ¾ cup honey per 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup less liquid, and an oven 25°F lower. This recipe is already balanced for honey, so bake it as written.

Can I make it without Greek yogurt?

Yes. Use the same ¼ cup of sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt. The crumb stays just as tender.

Can I add nuts or chocolate chips?

Fold in up to ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips with the last few strokes of mixing. The baking time stays about the same.

Why is my honey banana bread wet in the middle?

It needed more time. A dark top can look finished while the center is still raw, so trust the toothpick and the spring back, not the color.