Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread
Our Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread is one hundred percent natural and delicious. It gets its curiously rich sweetness from plump little nuggets of dates. And the beautiful thing about this recipe is that there’s not one refined or processed ingredient. So go ahead… enjoy a slice for breakfast; it’s THAT healthy! And the best thing ever is that it’s undeniably tasty; kids love it!
Sometimes when I am testing out a recipe, it takes a ton of trial batches before the flavor starts to work well together. But with this banana bread, everything fell into place rather quickly. From the very first loaf, the batter tasted divine. In fact, I should give you fair warning. When you’re stirring this together, you may have to stop yourself from eating the loaf before it makes it to the oven.
I mistakingly thought that by the time I tested this recipe a few times I might tire of licking the bowl, spoons, spatula… basically, anything that came in contact with the batter. But boy, oh boy, was I ever wrong!
I’m pretty sure you could put a couple of heaping scoops of this batter in a cup and sell it at a theme park for ten bucks a pop!
So, if you ever notice that I’ve suddenly stopped sharing new recipes, look for me at the parks. I live near Disney and Universal Studios. I may have to take this raw batter for a taste test… by The Mouse!
That reminds me of a remarkable little detail about plant-based vegan baking that’s definitely worth a mention. Eating raw vegan baking batter does not raise the same concerns that eating raw batter using eggs produces. Since your batter will be egg-free, you can “sample” as much as you like. And you can let those little chefs help without concern of tummy troubles. In fact, be sure to give them the outstanding helper award of licking the bowl once the loaf is in the oven. You can have peace of mind when you’re following this recipe and any other that I share. There’s never any bacteria from raw eggs or any other animal product to worry about in my recipes.
As always I must take a moment to share one quick nutritional bit of info for one of the main ingredients in this recipe, oatmeal. In this recipe, oatmeal takes the place of traditional flour. One of my reasons for using oatmeal is that it’s gluten-free which means more people can enjoy this recipe without digestive issues.
The ease of digestion is because of the fiber in oatmeal. Its high level of fiber can help lower blood cholesterol level so that less gets stuck in our arteries. Anti-inflammatory properties are another benefit of oatmeal. And ultimately, according to Dr. Michael Greger, a plant-based diet that includes whole grains such as oatmeal can reverse the progression of heart disease. WOWZA! Click here to watch his video link on this promising topic.
So, you may be thinking to yourself, enough about the nutrients of oatmeal, how does the Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread taste?
Your freshly baked loaf of the Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread will taste:
- chewy
- sweet
- rich
- satisfying
- tender
- and it feels comfy cozy, like a hug
I’m not even kidding about the hug part. Maybe it’s because I know for sure that this bread is made with healthy ingredients. Or perhaps it’s because I watched test batch after test batch disappears as soon as I sliced it. It’s possibly because the house smells fantastic while it bakes. But one thing I know for sure is this; you’re going to want to repeat this recipe, so Pin it for safe keeping.
Happy eating!
For MORE Plant-Based Vegan RECIPES Like Our Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread, Try These!
If you want to bake a loaf of Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread, you’ll probably want to take a go at these healthier-minded, plant-based, oil-free treats, too.
And as always, remember that every recipe we share is not only vegan using no refined ingredients, but they are also naturally gluten-free! So enjoy, and… “Let food be they medicine!”
Everyday Chocolatey Chickpea Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies with Bananas Cranberries & Walnuts
Mango Basil Rice Breakfast or Dessert
30-Minute Blueberry Lemon Oat Crumble
Best Ever Vegan & Gluten-Free Waffles
Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread
- 15Prep:
- 55Cook Time:
- Yield: 10 Servings
Healthy, stealthy, guilt-free, Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread is date-sweetened, plant-based, dairy-free, vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free, without lacking one crumb of flavor or decadence! It’s super moist, flavorful, and jam-packed with ALL of the good stuff. Make some for home and take a loaf to work to share.
Ingredients
- two flax eggs - 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tbsp water
- 2 cups of oat flour - make your own using about 2 1/2 cups of oats milled in a food processor or blender - and if gluten is a problem for you, make sure that your oats are certified gluten-free
- 1/2 cup of nuts or seeds, very finely chopped - I used walnuts - or add in 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats for nut-free
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda - I use this brand because it is gluten-free
- 1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan sea salt or another salt - We like this brand in bulk to save money!
- 1 tbsp of chia seeds - plus more for topping
- three medium-size ripe and spotty bananas, mashed - that's about 1-1/2 cups or so
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, packed - that's about 8 dates - Here's an incredible stock up deal for those who use a lot of dates!
- 1/2 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 inch bread pan with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can opt to grease the pan with a light coating of oil.
- Before you get too far into the recipe, take a moment to mix the flaxseed meal, or ground flax, with the water. Set it aside to allow it to thicken. It should be ready to go in about 10 to 15 minutes or sooner. By the way, if you are new to dairy-free baking, don't sweat the flax egg replacer process. It thickens up easily. Just combine the flax and water together and let the mixture sit a few minutes.
- Now, in a large bowl, add the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, salt, nuts, if using, or old-fashioned oats. Mix these dry ingredients well to combine and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the dates, almond milk, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Process the date mixture until it's smooth, like a paste or sauce.
- Next, in a medium-size bowl, mash the banana with a spoon or fork and then stir in the chia seeds and flax egg mixture until well combined. Add the blended dates to the banana, flax, and chia mixture and stir. After that's mixed, add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients mixing just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan lined with parchment and top with a sprinkling of the optional additional chia seeds. (I use about one teaspoon on top - I like how it looks and tastes.)
- Place the batter filled pan into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork comes out fairly clean. Remove the gorgeous bread from the oven to cool. And be sure to cool completely before cutting to achieve pretty, uniform looking slices.
Notes
- If you ever happen to have bananas on hand ripening sooner than you can eat them, peel them and store them in a closed container in the freezer.
- Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to about a week or frozen for months at a time.
- If you would like to bake these as muffins rather than a loaf one reader did so by doubling the almond milk so they would be sure to stay moist. This recipe makes about two dozen muffins. Add a few chopped nuts to the top of each muffin along with a sprinkling of the extra chia before baking. I recommend these parchment baking cup liners to reduce sticking.
- Ingredients and supplies that are posted in orange can be clicked and purchased for your convenience. There is no fee added to the price of the item you are buying though each item purchase does help support our free use, website.
- To save money on the Medjool dates used so often in plant-based vegan cooking, I usually purchase this brand in a five-pound quantity. Since I use dates as the sweetener in almost everything I make, it just makes sense to buy in bulk... it's like getting two pounds of organic Medjool dates for free! Once I reorganize my pantry to make room I will likely jump up to purchasing fifteen pounds of organic Medjool dates at a time to save even more money... it will be like getting five whole pounds for free! Since I know they will get used and will not go to waste, that's too good of a deal to pass.
Nutrition
% DV
- Total Fat 5.3 g 8 %
- Saturated Fat 0.6 g 3 %
- Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
- Sodium 232.8 mg 10 %
- Carbohydrates 30.8 g 10 %
- Fiber 4.6 g 19 %
- Sugar 8.7 g ---
- Protein 4.9 g 10 %
- Vitamin A 1 %
- Vitamin C 5 %
- Iron 10 %
- Calcium 9 %
Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread
BY VEEG.CO
Ingredients
- two flax eggs - 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tbsp water
- 2 cups of oat flour - make your own using about 2 1/2 cups of oats milled in a food processor or blender - and if gluten is a problem for you, make sure that your oats are certified gluten-free
- 1/2 cup of nuts or seeds, very finely chopped - I used walnuts - or add in 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats for nut-free
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda - I use this brand because it is gluten-free
- 1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan sea salt or another salt - We like this brand in bulk to save money!
- 1 tbsp of chia seeds - plus more for topping
- three medium-size ripe and spotty bananas, mashed - that's about 1-1/2 cups or so
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, packed - that's about 8 dates - Here's an incredible stock up deal for those who use a lot of dates!
- 1/2 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 inch bread pan with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can opt to grease the pan with a light coating of oil.
- Before you get too far into the recipe, take a moment to mix the flaxseed meal, or ground flax, with the water. Set it aside to allow it to thicken. It should be ready to go in about 10 to 15 minutes or sooner. By the way, if you are new to dairy-free baking, don't sweat the flax egg replacer process. It thickens up easily. Just combine the flax and water together and let the mixture sit a few minutes.
- Now, in a large bowl, add the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, salt, nuts, if using, or old-fashioned oats. Mix these dry ingredients well to combine and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the dates, almond milk, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Process the date mixture until it's smooth, like a paste or sauce.
- Next, in a medium-size bowl, mash the banana with a spoon or fork and then stir in the chia seeds and flax egg mixture until well combined. Add the blended dates to the banana, flax, and chia mixture and stir. After that's mixed, add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients mixing just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan lined with parchment and top with a sprinkling of the optional additional chia seeds. (I use about one teaspoon on top - I like how it looks and tastes.)
- Place the batter filled pan into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork comes out fairly clean. Remove the gorgeous bread from the oven to cool. And be sure to cool completely before cutting to achieve pretty, uniform looking slices.
Notes
- If you ever happen to have bananas on hand ripening sooner than you can eat them, peel them and store them in a closed container in the freezer.
- Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to about a week or frozen for months at a time.
- If you would like to bake these as muffins rather than a loaf one reader did so by doubling the almond milk so they would be sure to stay moist. This recipe makes about two dozen muffins. Add a few chopped nuts to the top of each muffin along with a sprinkling of the extra chia before baking. I recommend these parchment baking cup liners to reduce sticking.
- Ingredients and supplies that are posted in orange can be clicked and purchased for your convenience. There is no fee added to the price of the item you are buying though each item purchase does help support our free use, website.
- To save money on the Medjool dates used so often in plant-based vegan cooking, I usually purchase this brand in a five-pound quantity. Since I use dates as the sweetener in almost everything I make, it just makes sense to buy in bulk... it's like getting two pounds of organic Medjool dates for free! Once I reorganize my pantry to make room I will likely jump up to purchasing fifteen pounds of organic Medjool dates at a time to save even more money... it will be like getting five whole pounds for free! Since I know they will get used and will not go to waste, that's too good of a deal to pass.
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Comments
This recipe looks great! Could you please post the recipe using metric units as well? I don’t have access to US cups and fruit sizes vary by brand. Thanks for posting this. Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for sharing your request, Jean. As soon as I familiarize myself with metric units of measure, I will update the recipes.
This was absolutely delicious. I am so happy I found your recipe.
I went no nuts and added the extra rolled oats- winner!!
Next time I’ll use the blender to mix the dates and non dairy milk as it was all over the counter, lol!
The finished bread is moist, comforting and guilt free.
Easy to make and 💯 winner!
Blessings and thanks.
I’m glad you found this recipe too, Elizabeth and it is good to know that you amended it to ‘no nuts’ to meet your preferences without a hitch. As for the milk on the counter, I will make a note of that for next time. My processor holds 13 cups, I believe, so I do large quantities of liquidy stuff in it without a spill. Thank you for that reminder. Your thoughtful comment was both kind and helpful.
Looks delish! What can i substitue with apple cider vinegar? I don’t have it :(!
If you have another variety of vinegar, such as rice white or wine, that would be my first choice as a substitute for the apple cider vinegar. If no other vinegar is available, an equal amount of lemon juice should do the trick in this recipe.
Love this recipe. Today is the second time making it.
Thank you so much, Arnold. It’s one of our favorites, too!
I’m going to make this.
You were so great give tell “how to” (make your own oat flour, for instance).
I’ll google it but it would be helpful to know how much flax seed is needed to make the ground flax.
Thanks for mentioning that you appreciate the suggestion of making the oat flour. Karen. As for the ground flax, it should be pretty close to the same measurement whole or ground, but be sure to use it in its ground state.
Can I substitute oat flour for coconut or another one?
You can substitute the oat flour for another flour of choice, thank you for asking, Eva. When substituting flour just watch the moisture of the batter. Sometimes coconut flour drinks up the moisture. So if the mixture seems dry after flour substitution, add a tiny bit more liquid.
The best breakfast in months. I had about 1 cup of Oatmeal and 1 – 1/2 Banana topped with Chia Seeds and Walnuts. Glad you posted this on the FB Group. I know this will be one of those go-tos when I want a lot of flavor and need that comfort food satisfaction.
So good to know you enjoyed your delicious oatmeal breakfast, Cynthia. And it’s terrific to hear that this will be one of your go-tos when you crave tons of flavor and comfort food satisfaction. Thank you for your thoughtful words and stop by again, soon because new recipes are coming. We’re cooking up a loving veggie storm over here!
I tried this recently and I am by NO means a baker but it turned out great!! I had all ingredients on hand except the ACV which, when I queried, I was reassured would work fine without. This is such a comforting recipe and tasted fantastic but even better than that – it’s GOOD for you!! This one is a keeper – thank you xx Hannah
Thank you for sharing such kind words about your experience with this recipe, Hannah. We’re always happy to share alternative ingredients, and if you ever happen to find yourself without apple cider vinegar, lemon juice usually works well in its place.
This Best Ever Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread was AMAZING, soooooo moist and full of flavor. I am super excited to make more of your recipes, Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for letting us know how delicious your Best Ever Oatmeal Banana Chia Bread turned out, Gina – that’s great to know! There’s nothing quite like a slice of banana bread that tastes terrific while also being GOOD for you.
Not all oatmeal is GF. If it doesnt say so on the container, it’s not GF. My SIL with celiac found out the hard way.
Thank you for sharing your experience that not all oats are gluten-free, Laura. There is now a note in the list of ingredients to convey that not all oats are gluten-free. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
Could a different sweetener be used in place of the dates? ie: agave or somesuch? I’m assuming so because you’re just blending in w/ the milk…
I’m pretty sure you can switch out the dates for another sweetener without a problem. I’d love to hear how it goes when you try it, Julia. You might want to try a bit more banana and maybe some prunes or even perhaps applesauce. Or if you want a little more sweetness, unrefined coconut sugar or another sugar of choice or maybe pure maple syrup. This recipe is super forgiving, so experimenting with a sweetener you have on hand or prefer will probably turn out terrific!
Really enjoy the healthy ideas.
Thank you for reading, Madeleine, and your kind words of encouragement are very much appreciated!
Can you substitute date paste for pitted dates? I have a whole unopened container of date paste I would like to use. If so, how much date paste would you use? Thanks for sharing the recipe! It looks delicious!!
Great question, Kathy! And thanks for bringing up the subject of date paste since it seems to be getting pretty popular.
I think that since I use about one cup of pitted dates in this recipe, it’s safe to anticipate that about one cup of date paste would work just as well. Still, I’d probably start with about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of paste and give it the old taste test. Add a bit more, up to 1 cup total, as needed for sweetness.
I’d love to hear how it goes and, do know, this is just an educated guess on my part as I have only used actual pitted dates in this recipe. I’m thinking less is more regarding the paste, so start with the 1/2 cup and taste before adding more. Sure hope that helps!
Hello,
Are chia seeds neccesary? I have them on hand but was wondering if they are thrown in for nutritional punch or for taste? Thanks!
Thanks for asking about the chia in this recipe, Malini. While chia doesn’t provide a lot of flavor, it does serve a purpose.
The chia seeds on the top add a bit of texture in the way of crunch. The chia in the batter assists the moisture. While you could probably skip the chia in either place, the chia seeds add valuable layers of interest to this delicious banana bread.
I do not have any flax seeds or flax meal, I do have the other ingredients. What could I use in place of the flax.
Great question and thanks for asking, Peggy. In place of the ground flax, it could work to grind up an equal amount of chia seeds, or maybe even a little less, and use it just as you would the flax. The only issue will be that the chia may look a little grayish. Another option would be to use a little more banana or possibly a combo of the ground chia and extra banana. I hope that helps, and enjoy your baking time!
Made some today. Didn’t cook all the way but I still enjoy it, thanks!
Not sure if you ended up making any changes that you had mentioned earlier or not but so glad to hear you enjoying it, Malini – great flavor!
I followed the recipe exactly and it still came out mushy.. especially at bottom. Should I cook it for an hour your think?
Hi, Malini – Before I say anything, thank you for repeating this recipe – you’ve touched my heart.
You could try baking it a bit more as ovens do vary. After that, the first thing I thought of is that once the bread has cooled enough to touch, about 10 minutes or so, remove it from the pan to cool the rest of the way before slicing since, depending on the pan you are using, cooling it in the pan can cause extra moisture from condensation.
The next suggestion, or trouble shooting attempt, is this: if the batter is continually coming out too moist, perhaps it’s that the bananas are super-ripe, and therefore, super moist, so perhaps add a bit more oats or oat flour.
I hope one of these suggestions help you get to the bread consistency you desire – and thank you, again, for writing.
I’ve made this a few times. Ow and it is AMAZING! And my super picky 5 year old who will only eat a handful of things (and not even treats like cookies) devoured this – and it’s so good for him!
Thank you for your kind words about our Oatmeal Chia Banana Bread. And a big thanks to your super picky 5 year old for their heartfelt thumbs up!
Hi Renee! Would you have a suggestion on how much honey to try subbing in in place of the dates for this recipe? The recipe looks great- can’t wait to try it! Thank you so much x
Even though the recipe calls for quite a few pitted dates, I would begin with 1/4 cup of honey and then give it a taste, adding more to preference. I have not made this recipe using honey, but that’s how I find the right amount of sweetness when subbing one sweetener for another.
This turned out so good. I’ve tried many different WFPB banana bread recipes but this one might be the best yet. The texture was not gummy and the flavor was spot on. Only thing I did different was double the amount of cinnamon. Loved the chia seeds… Adds a tiny little crunch that is so enjoyable. Will definitely make this again.
It’s so great to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Tammy! And thank you for sharing your banana bread experience in a comment here to let others know that they should give it a try. Oh, and should you be so inclined, Pin this recipe so that even more gluten-free vegan cooks can find and enjoy it, too.