We love a good, healthy recipe like this 4 ingredient banana bread that can be eaten for breakfast or as a dessert. Pair it with this Banana Pineapple Smoothie, full of fresh fruit and spinach for a delicious, cold drink. Or try this Healthy Mashed Sweet Potato recipe that is made with a secret ingredient.
Healthy Banana Bread
We love an easy banana bread recipe and I make real banana bread on a regular basis, but sometimes I want to make a bread that is just a little bit healthier.
That’s why I love this healthy banana bread recipe!
Yes, this is a healthier version of banana bread or banana muffins. This simple banana bread recipe only contains oatmeal, peanut butter, dark chocolate chips, and of course, sweet bananas!
This banana bread recipe is flour free, egg free, dairy free, and oil free. It doesn’t even have baking powder or baking soda!
Fewer ingredients means a savings on your grocery bill, which is always a plus.
Banana Quick Bread – Easy Banana Bread Recipe
Keep those old bananas! It is a must for this recipe to use those super ripe bananas that are a little soft. Now I am not talking about the bananas that are completely black, I have found that they give my baked goods a funny flavor that I don’t personally like.
You just want the bananas browned and to feel a little soft when you gently squeeze them.
If you like to use black bananas in your banana bread, be my guest!
Flourless Banana Bread
This recipe has everything you want banana bread to be except without any extra added oil, sugar (except what you get from the chocolate chips), eggs, and flour.
This simple banana bread is great for a gluten free diet and it is vegan, too!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
We could have made this easy banana bread recipe with out chocolate chips, but who wants that? The chocolate chips add not only a delicious chocolatey flavor but also the little bit of sugar that helps the bread become a little sweeter.
Why we Love This 4 Ingredient Banana Bread
- Healthy-ish. It’s a healthier version of the banana bread that we all know and love.
- Few ingredients. This is a few ingredient banana bread, meaning it only needs a handful of ingredients to make it.
- Delicious. My family devours this bread every time I make it.
- Snack or Dessert. This banana bread is healthy enough to eat as a snack but sweet and delicious enough to pass as a dessert.
Pro Tip!
Have a lot of really ripe bananas on the counter, but not ready to make banana bread? The next time this happens, just save them for later! Peel the bananas, cut them up into slices and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you are wanting to make banana bread just pull the bananas out and thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Best Chocolate Chips for Baking?
When making this bread I like to use either semi sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. It really is up to you on what type of chocolate to use. If you like it a little sweeter you can try milk chocolate chips (won’t be vegan) or if you want no added sugar, use bittersweet chocolate chips.
You can also choose to use either regular sized chocolate chips or the miniature chocolate chips.
Best Banana Bread Add Ins
We love this banana bread as is with just the simple 4 ingredients. But, it’s fun to add an extra ingredient every now and then. Here is a list of toppings to add into banana bread.
- Warm spices – Add a little extra warmth with 1/2 teaspoon of a spice like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or allspice.
- Vanilla extract – Add in a teaspoon of vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla flavor) for delicious flavor.
- More chocolate flavor – Use some cocoa powder in the batter to make this chocolate banana bread.
- Orange zest – Zest an orange (make sure you don’t get any of the pith) and add it into the dough along with the chocolate chips.
- Toasted nuts – Toast up some chopped up nuts like walnuts and mix them in when you mix in the chocolate chips. Add in about 1/8-1/4 cup.
Oat Banana Bread Ingredients
- Bananas: You want to use bananas that are If using thawed frozen bananas just make sure you have them come to room temperature.
- Nut Butter: I like to use peanut butter, but any nut butter like cashew butter or almond butter would work here.
- Oatmeal: You will need to use old fashioned oats. Be sure to get the gluten free oats if you have a gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease.
- Chocolate Chips: Add some sweetness and chocolate flavor. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips (won’t be vegan), or bittersweet chocolate chips.
How to Make 4 Ingredient Banana Bread
Here are the basic instructions for making this easy banana bread, for even more detailed directions check out the recipe card below.
Making 4 Ingredient Banana Bread in a Food Processor
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non stick cooking spray and line that with a bread sling.
- Add the oats to a food processor. Mix until well ground.
- In a small bowl mash the bananas with a fork. Add the banana into the food processor with the ground oats and mix just until combined.
- Add in the peanut butter and mix just until combined.
- Hand mix the chocolate chips in with a spoon.
- Pour bread into the prepared loaf pan. Garnish the top with more chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the loaf completely cool in the loaf pan. Enjoy!
4 Ingredient Banana Bread Tips & Variations
- Ripe bananas. Use ripe bananas (I don’t like using black bananas) to add to the sweetness and softness to the banana bread.
- Don’t over mix batter. If the batter gets overly mixed it won’t cook properly.
- Don’t overcook. Make sure not to overcook this banana bread. You don’t want it dried out.
- Use frozen bananas. If you are using bananas from the freezer, just be sure to pull the bananas out of the freezer the night before so that they can thaw. Have them come up to room temperature before using.
Banana Bread with Cake Mix
One of my favorite ways to make banana bread is with a cake mix. If you love cake mix banana bread too, then try this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze this banana bread? I don’t recommend freezing this 4 ingredient banana bread.
Storage Instructions
How to refrigerate banana bread? Let the bread cool and put in an air tight container. It should last about a week in the fridge. It may need to be warmed up in the microwave for a few seconds before eating.
How to store banana bread at room temperature? Let the bread cool completely before putting into an air tight container. It will last for 1-2 days at room temp.
Explore more banana recipes!
- Mini Banana Muffins
- Banana Pineapple Smoothie
- Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes with a Secret Ingredient
- Chocolate Banana Bars
- Banana Maple Cranberry Cookies
NEVER MISS A RECIPE!
Follow me on social for more recipe ideas & inspiration!
PINTEREST / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM
4 Ingredient Chocolate Oat Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium bananas
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup chocolate chips, plus more for top garnish, optional
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non stick cooking spray and line that with a bread sling.
-
Add the oats to a food processor. Mix until well ground.
-
In a small bowl mash the bananas with a fork. Add the mashed banana into the food processor with the ground oats and mix just until combined. Add in the peanut butter and mix just until combined.
-
Hand mix the chocolate chips in with a spoon.
-
Pour bread into the prepared loaf pan. Garnish the top with more chocolate chips if desired.
-
Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the loaf completely cool in the loaf pan. Enjoy!
Equipment
-
Food Processor
Recipe Notes
- Ripe bananas. Use ripe bananas (I don’t like using black bananas) to add to the sweetness and softness to the banana bread.
- Don’t over mix batter. If the batter gets overly mixed it won’t cook properly.
- Don’t overcook. Make sure not to overcook this banana bread. You don’t want it dried out.
- Use frozen bananas. If you are using bananas from the freezer, just be sure to pull the bananas out of the freezer the night before so that they can thaw. Have them come up to room temperature before using.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out!
If you’ve tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and leave me a comment. I love hearing from you! Share a picture on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookedharvest.
Leave a Reply