This healthy peanut butter banana bread with oats will be your new favorite breakfast or satisfying midday snack; even my kids love it! It’s low sugar and full of nutritious and tasty ingredients like oats, ripe bananas, ground flax seed, and peanut butter. This banana bread recipe calls for white whole wheat flour, but you can swap it out for all-purpose flour if you prefer.
I love to eat it topped with extra peanut butter and banana slices, but it’s delicious on its own, too.
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Whole Wheat Oatmeal Banana Bread
There’s nothing better than moist banana bread in the morning. It goes great with coffee, it’s easy to make ahead, and it’s a great way to use up those browning bananas!
(Pssst: here’s some more recipe inspiration if you have leftover over-ripe bananas.)
My only problem with banana bread is that it can sometimes be way too sweet, and leave me hungry again an hour later. Don’t worry – this recipe solves that problem! It’s lower in sugar so you won’t have a big blood sugar rush and then crash. Plus, wholesome ingredients like ground flaxseed, peanut butter, and oats increase its staying power (via protein, fiber, and healthy fat), keeping you full longer.
The peanut butter eliminates the need for any butter or added oils in this recipe, while keeping the texture perfectly moist. And because the bread isn’t drowning in sugar, the banana and peanut butter flavors stand out even more.
This whole wheat banana bread recipe is quick and easy to make, too. It’s ready to pop into the oven in just 10 minutes, so it’s mostly hands-off.
(If you couldn’t tell, I love making healthier, more satisfying quick breads and muffin recipes. They can be just as flavorful and moist without the need for tons of sugar. Speaking of, have you tried my cinnamon apple crumble muffins yet?)
That said, if you like your baked goods a little sweeter, you can always add a drizzle of honey on top!
Recipe Ingredients
To make this peanut butter banana bread, you’ll need:
- white whole wheat flour (or regular all-purpose flour)
- oats (old-fashioned or rolled oats are best here)
- brown sugar (I highly recommend brown sugar for a better depth of flavor and added moistness, but you can swap out for white sugar if needed.)
- ground flaxseed (This adds healthy fats to the banana bread.)
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- milk (Any kind should work! Dairy milk, unsweetened almond milk, etc.)
- creamy natural peanut butter (I used salted peanut butter, but you definitely don’t have to! If your peanut butter isn’t salted, feel free to add a pinch of salt to the batter for a nice balance of flavor.)
- eggs
- ripe bananas (The riper they are, the sweeter they’ll be – and easier to mash!)
- vanilla extract
This bread would be amazing with chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans mixed in, too!
How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Bread
The full recipe with all the measurements is at the end of this post, but here’s a quick overview.
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mash ripe bananas.
Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the mashed bananas and mix well.
Then, pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir gently until the mixture is mostly uniform. (Optional: you can fold in some chopped walnuts or chocolate chips here for even more flavor and texture.)
Pour the batter into a non-stick (or cooking-sprayed) bread or loaf pan. (Mine is 9×5.) Sprinkle oats on top to make it look pretty.
If you want to add a cinnamon swirl, sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the mixture and swirl it around with a toothpick.
Bake for 1 hour. Do a fork or toothpick check near the end to test if it’s done. It should come out mostly clean if the bread is ready!
Once it’s ready, let cool on a wire rack. Then, enjoy on its own or top with additional peanut butter, sliced bananas, honey, Greek yogurt, or whatever your heart desires!
Storage Tips
Once the bread cools, simply slice, wrap in foil or plastic wrap, then place in a zip-able bag and store in the fridge for up to a week. Or, you can freeze it (I recommend pre-slicing, so it’s easier to quickly toast) for later! Just place the individually-wrapped slices into a freezer-friendly zip-able bag.
I love being able to grab a slice and toast it up for a quick and wholesome breakfast or snack. It’s totally kid-friendly, too!
Peanut Butter Banana Bread Mix-In Ideas
Want to switch things up a bit? Here are some delicious mix-ins for banana bread that you can easily add to this recipe:
- chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.)
- chocolate chips
- blueberries
- sunflower seeds
- dried fruit (raisins, dried cherries, chopped dates, etc.)
- cinnamon swirl (add cinnamon on top before baking and swirl with a toothpick)
Topping Ideas
This healthy banana bread is delicious on its own, but you can definitely add some toppings for extra staying power or a boost of even more flavor. Here are some ideas:
- creamy nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.)
- Greek yogurt
- honey
- sliced bananas
- berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.)
You’ll find the full peanut butter banana bread recipe at the end of this post. Enjoy!
And here are some similar muffin and quick bread recipes to try from my blog:
- Whole Wheat Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
- Healthy Strawberry Rhubarb Bread
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Zesty Lemon Zucchini Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (or bread)
- Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
- Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
- Pear Ginger Honey Muffins Recipe
Moist Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Banana Bread (Low Sugar!)
This deliciously moist peanut butter banana bread is made with wholesome ingredients like white whole wheat flour, oats, ground flax, and ripe bananas. It's sure to be your new favorite healthy breakfast or snack!
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 & 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or regular all-purpose flour)
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (or 1/2 cup if you like your bread sweeter)
- 1/4 cup finely ground flaxseed
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 & 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter (I used salted)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and mix with the other wet ingredients.
- Combine, adding the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Stir gently until the mixture is mostly uniform.
- Pour mixture into a non-stick or greased loaf pan (mine is 9x5) and sprinkle oats on top to make it look pretty.
- Bake for 1 hour. Do a fork check near the end to test done-ness - it should come out mostly clean. Enjoy!
Notes:
Feel free to add mix-ins like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or blueberries to the batter before baking!
