I love when my weekends are full of good cooking.
Yesterday I enjoyed the day grocery shopping, eating a huge greek lunch with tzatziki (my favorite!), and drinking a little white wine… or A LOT of white wine. No biggie. For a quality nutritious dinner, I destroyed a giant cup of frozen yogurt with four flavors: pistachio, cheesecake, vanilla bean, and red velvet cake batter. Seriously extraordinary.
But then today a little bit of magic happened.
Cause I made this banana bread.
And I made it vegan.
And gluten-free.
And irresistibly healthy.
Because I love you, duh.
This chocolate chip oatmeal banana bread recipe was inspired by my dark chocolate raspberry oatmeal banana bread, which happens to be my favorite banana bread EVER.
How do you make your own oat flour?
The ingredients call for gluten-free oat flour and I love making it myself; all you do is throw rolled oats (oatmeal) into your blender and blend until the oats are ground into a fine flour. Simple and easy!
It’s important to note that if you want this recipe to be entirely gluten-free, then you should use gluten-free oats. I purchase mine from Whole Foods.
Besides providing delicious flavor, this banana bread is also the perfect choice for a snack. I used minimal sugar: only 1/3 cup for the entire loaf and a smudge of oil to provide some healthy fat. The oat flour is the real star here; it keeps the banana bread moist, chewy and dense.
Even if you aren’t vegan or gluten intolerant, you absolutely still have to make this recipe.
A little slice of love staring you in the face.
I think I forgot to tell you that I can predict the future; that means I know you will make it and LOVE IT. I’m full of surprises.
More healthy banana bread recipes to try:
My Favorite Healthy Banana Bread Recipe + why baking is all about love
Healthy Chai Banana Bread with Salted Cashew Butter Glaze
Chickpea Flour Banana Bread (gluten free!)
Double Chocolate Paleo Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Coconut Flour Banana Bread (gluten free, paleo!)
Vegan + Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Banana Bread
Healthy vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip oatmeal banana bread made with homemade gluten-free oat flour, and sweetened with just bananas and a bit of brown sugar. The perfect healthy oatmeal banana bread for breakfasts and snacks.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats (make sure you use gluten-free oats)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons rolled oats
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
-
Make oat flour: Place rolled oats into blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until oats resemble flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended.
-
Measure out just 2 cups of the oat flour and place in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
-
In a separate large bowl, beat mashed bananas, 1/3 cup brown sugar, vanilla extract, and oil for 1-2 minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy.
-
Slowly add in oat flour mixture and mix until just combined
-
Gently fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle 3 tablespoons oatmeal and 1 tablespoon brown sugar on top.
-
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.
-
Cool 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan and place on wire rack to finish cooling. Cut into 8-10 thick slices.
Recipe Notes
Bread will stay good for up to 3 days if wrapped well.
Feel free to use fewer chocolate chips.
Adding chopped walnuts or coconut flakes to the batter would provide additional delicious healthy fats.
97 comments
I can’t wait to make this,it sounds wonderful!What would happen if I just left the oatmeal as it was and didn’t put it in a blender?
Hi Julie, I don’t think the recipe would work the same. But you could try it in an 8×8 inch pan; essentially it would just be baked oatmeal squares. Let me know if you try it.
Looks very dense and heavy without much rise. Don't think I would try this one.
You missed out if you didn’t. It’s absolutely fantastic. I have had dozens of people ask me for the recipe over the past few years that I’ve been making it.
Wow. Those melt-y chocolate chips are calling to me!
This looks delicious! I have 15 bananas that I will be needing to make something with soon and then I was thinking how I haven’t found a GF, vegan banana bread recipe (or one that looks appetizing), but thanks to you I now have one. I will be trying this once the bananas ripen.
I can also bet I`ll LOVE this too! Added bonus that they`re gluten free and vegan!
i’ve made this bread twice in the last three days because my boyfriend loves it so much! the second time i swirled peanut butter in the top because he’s a pb fanatic:) thanks for the great recipe!
This was really good! Thanks
Meghan Deppenschmidt..here is one
thx jen
Ann Romero Thomas…gluten free
My obligatory Sandy bake-a-thon post…
btw, this is possibly the best banana bread i've ever made. And not nearly as "skinny" as the picture makes it look. I have a huge, hearty loaf and a hubby who wants to eat it!!!
Megan Opdyke Owens, I'm sure you already have a good banana bread recipe for the boys, but this is worth a try! 🙂
I have some bananas ready to go and always willing to try a new recipe:)
I had oat flour on hand so I didn't make it from scratch, but it looks really easy. That may be the only ingredient you have to plan ahead/around for.
Yum! Definitely on the list.
Yummy! I made mine into muffins and reduced baking time to 16 minutes! Thanks for the great recipe!
This is SUPER tasty. Like, shockingly so. I’m not sure if it messes up the healthy factor if you eat half a loaf in a day, but that’s definitely the direction I’m heading in. Not sure I mind too much. 😉
Haha it is delicious!
So good and came out exactly like your pictures! I was wondering if you have the nutritional value per serving. Thanks!
Sorry Scarlett, I don’t at this time. But in the future I plan on posting nutritional value for my healthy baked goods.
Thanks and I’m looking forward to it!
This bread is wonderful moist . It will be ashamed to skip it. I made it for a vegan friend and one for my family . It was delicious . Great job. I am making more to give them as gifts. Thank you very much.
This is defently something to be thankful for.
just made mine and it is in the ovennnn! I made half with chocolate and the other just plain because my sis cant have chocolate and she likes it with jam I'm excited! just waiting!
Sounds and looks divine. I'm making it for a Christmas treat!
love gluten free!
So great! Made this today and will definitely make it again!
This came out wonderful! I added blueberries and pecans instead of chocolate chips.
Thanks for posting, I’m defiantly making this again.
🙂
I think I'm going to try to make this with leftover baby food.
Very yummy!
I’m eating this bread as I type. OMG, so delicious! Monique, your recipes are so fabulous. Please, do not, EVER, stop posting recipes. Everyone needs to make this banana bread. This is now my go-to banana bread recipe. Thank you!
Great flavors! Bread stays moist, and toasted with butter, yummy.
Very tasty and moist! I added raspberries, and substituted honey for the brown sugar. Thank you for a wonderful and healthy recipe to enjoy!
This was excellent. Had some oat flour left over so I may use it for gluten free pancakes tomorrow morning…
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s very moist and not too sweet. Not dense at all. Just amazing.
I substituted the brown sugar for 1/4 cup buckwheat honey, omitted the salt, used small chunks of unsweetened 100% cacao baking chocolate, and sprinkled with hemp hearts. I made them into muffins and reduced the cooking time to 27 minutes. 🙂 Next time, I’ll add some ground flaxseed for extra nutrition.
I iust made it and it was fantastic. I used blueberries instead of chocolate and added ground flax seeds.
this was delicious and simple. I did not put chocolate chips in, but still delicious.
If I wanted to sub the bananas for canned pumpkin should I also add applesauce as a binder or no?
No, I think it should be fine on it’s own 🙂
I used chopped walnuts and pecans in place of the chocolate chips and this recipe is really good! Thanks for sharing.
Just made this….SO bomb.
Holy moose…this is AMAZING!!!! I love how simple it was to throw together too. I skipped the choc chips & wow…you rock!!!
I have enjoyed this bread many times – thanks for the great recipe. I just wanted to say when I ran out of bananas this week, I chopped up 4 small apples, boiled them into chunky applesauce, and used them instead, along with a handful of ground flaxseeds to absorb the extra liquid. I thought chocolate chips would melt with the hot apples (not such a terrible problem…) but I threw in frozen raspberries instead. It was a delicious variation.
There is no gluten free oatmeal in my country, i’m afraid if i do another oatmeal the bread will not be moist like you have made…
what do I do with the remaining cup of oat flour?
Hi! I used almond flour and coconut flour in place of the oats. I also used dates and stevia in place of the sugar. I added 2 egg whites to make sure it fluffed up…it was too dense, like a rock. I am assuming it’s the flours…what do you think?
Hi Julie – Using different flours, eggs and stevia completely changes the recipe. Different flour require different liquids and fats – as they all absorb differently. I recommend finding a recipe that using those flours!
3 cups pre-ground oats = ~2 cups ground flour
Will store-bought oat flour work? I dont own a blender.
Yes!
Hi Monique,
Can I sub raisins for chocolate chips? Thanks, Coup
This is my absolute favorite healthy banana bread recipe. I always sub out the brown sugar for applesauce and it turns out fabulous.
How do you sub out the brown sugar for applesauce? Do you use a 1:1 substitution? I have been thinking of how I should eliminate the brown sugar, so any advice is appreciated. Thank you!
I Just want to tell you….this bread is AMAZING! I love muffins and donuts and such with my coffee, and when trying to be healthy and gluten free, I rarely find treats that fit my cravings. This one certainly did the trick and I absolutely love it! Next time I’m going to try it with blueberries to be extra healthy. Thank you so much!
Isn't it to less wet ingredients in recipe?
Looks perfect so I'm going to bake it for my road trip 😉
I just made these into muffins… SO delicious and moist! Amazing!
Is the cooking time different if I use a glass loaf pan instead of a dark metal loaf pan?
I am gf, and this is by far the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted–wheat AND gf!
I used only 2 cups of the oat flour to make them less dense and added an egg because I am not vegan. They turned out delicious!! Only next time I will add another tablespoon of avocado oil because they did not come off clean on the paper cups I used.
Is the coconut oil room temperature or melted?
Melted!
Can I substitute whole wheat flour for the oat flour?
Hello! This recipe sounds divine! Can you tell me how I might sub raw honey for the brown sugar? Would it be 1:1?
YAY finally made this last night, and it was PERFECT this morning with my cup of coffee. Perfect amount of sweetness, and so moist. Love how simply healthy it is. Thanks, girl!
Oh, forgot to mention I was out of sugar, so I used 1/4 cup +2 tablespoons of maple syrup instead. I kept everything else the same though since the batter looked to be the perfect consistency. <3
My toddler and I made these today. Added some raisins too. Very delicious. I have to hold back from eating it all at once haha. Thanks for an easy and fun recipe!
Love the recipe! Made them as muffins and they are great. Just wondering; the ingredients lists 3 cups oats but then the instructions lists 2. Which is accurate? Thanks for your amazing recipes! Favourite baking website.
I didn’t use the chocolate chips and ended up using slightly less than 3 cups of ground oats with an extra half tsp of baking powder and an extra 1/8 tsp baking soda. I also added some cinnamon to the batter as well as the top crumble. It was a huge hit with the teenage boys who at first were reluctant to give it a try but then devoured it. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Delicious! I’m so glad the teenage boys loved it, too (that’s a tough crowd!)
I tried a non vegan, non gluten free highly recommended recipe for banana bread and it wasn’t nearly as good as this. This really makes the best banana bread ever. The boy-mob is obsessed with it! You really nailed it. Now I’m looking to see what else you’ve got!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Such a great go-to 🙂
(see above)
This is my go to recipe for banana bread! perfect for breakfast or a quick snack and so hearty and guilt-free!
So happy to hear that! Love banana bread snacks 🙂
I have made this recipe 20-30 times. It is always a huge hit. Made it as muffins today, and they were a bit dry. I baked it around 30 minutes, might try 25 minutes next time.
Anyway, thanks for this recipe Monique, it’s amazing!
Hello in 2019! We are family chock full of food allergies and this bread is amazing!! Fluffy but hearty and not too sweet. Thanks!
So glad you found this one! Great allergy-friendly treat 🙂
Holy Moly this is a 5 star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Winner!!!
I didn’t have much faith going in as there was no egg substitute, so little oil etc. But this recipe is simple perfection!!!
Thank you so much for generously sharing it with the world!!! 🌎
I added a little high quality chocolate powder and chocolate nibs instead of chocolate chips and it was delish 🍌
Thanks so much for your note Judy! The ingredients are definitely surprising with how simple they are 🙂 glad you loved these (and the chocolate powder sounds delicious!)
Sorry 😐 I forgot to rate the recipe
i love to cook! Was desperately looking for a good chocolate chip banana recipe. I made one with almond flour, and was very disappointed. It was too mushy, and tasted like it wasn’t done😞 found this recipe using oatmeal flour, and I was so pleased with the way it turned out! The flavor, and texture was just Like using regular flour. I used my vitamix blender to make sure the oats were ground very fine, like regular flour. . Sooooo good! I added walnuts! Thanks for such a yummy recipe!!
Perfect! I’m so glad you found this recipe. Great idea to add walnuts!
I had a sleeping baby, so didn’t have a chance to blend more oats. But! I had some remaining from the peanut butter eggs 😉 so I used that. Ended up being about 1/2 cup oat flour and then I added 1 cup all-purpose. There’s about 10 minutes remaining and it seems to be rising nicely! I also added a splash of almond milk because the batter looked thick. Otherwise, I followed your recipe! It’s still vegan, just not fully gluten-free. Oh and I also chopped up the remaining dark chocolate from the peanut butter eggs too. Haha I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Success!! And husband approved 👍🏻
Amazing! Happy to hear that 🙂
I only have quick oats (and am not gluten free). Do you think that would be okay? Thanks!!
Yes that’s fine!
Hey Monique, After blending 3 cups of oats just have to use 2 cups? Just want confirm that before making.
Thank you!
Hi! You can simply use 2 cups of oat flour!
Hello Monique, I am literally making this bread on each and every week from last 2 months. It is so simple and easy to make plus tastes amazing. Can’t thank you enough for the awesome breakfast recipe. Please share more egg-free recipes! Thank you so much for sharing!
So happy you love this one! Feel free to check out our whole vegan section for all egg-free recipes 🙂
OMG!! This is the best banana bread that has ever existed, vegan + gf or not 😍😍😍 super delish with vegan salted maple butter and enjoyed while warm 🤤🤤
So happy you love it!!
Absolutely delicious! I’m just confused about the directions, it says 3 cups of oatmeal is called for in the recipe, and then in the directions it says 2 cups. At the end of the ingredient list it also says another 3 tablespoons of oatmeal that I did not see mentioned again. I was also confused about the use of the word oatmeal instead of oats.
It came out absolutely scrumptious though!!! like I’m talking best banana bread ever. I used 3 cups of oat flour, I tried 2 cups, but the mix was way too wet. Excellent as always Monique & team!
Hi, Michelle! So happy you loved it. When blended, the oatmeal loses some volume. So 3 cups of oats turns into less than 3 cups of oat flour after blending it. Then 3 tbsp. oatmeal (not oat flour) is reserved for topping. Sorry if this was unclear, though, we’ll be sure to update the wording here!