Family favorite banana bread packed with a fiber rich oatmeal spin, and real food fuel for busy kids!

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Homemade comfort food with active kids in mind!

Earlier this spring, one of my girls saw the “getting to ripe” bananas in the fruit bowl, and sweetly hinted that banana bread sounded “soooo” good! Hint taken 🙂 With the running schedule she was pulling on the distance team for track at school, I decided to put a little bit more of a nutrient spin on typical banana bread to give her an extra boost!

A happy new breakfast favorite, perfect for school mornings!

That banana bread ended up turning into an almost weekly staple, and all 3 of my kids commented how it was their new favorite. It kept them full all morning, and as active as my crew is, that is a huge win! And of course it was taste and texture approved.

What makes this banana bread “power packed?”

When I’m picking ingredients out for a breakfast that my kids are having on a normal school day, there is so much intention put into nutrient variety and keeping them full and focused.

Using a blend of flours instead of just one flour allows me to get minerals, nutrients, and even a little protein and fat into an otherwise mostly carb heavy quick bread.
Of course, I do use a little gluten free flour blend (you can use AP flour) to help with getting that perfect texture.
But, the majority of this bread is actually whole grain rolled oats packed with fiber and protein, buckwheat flour loaded with minerals and protein, and almond flour to help with moist texture and provide nourishing fat. I even threw grassfed collagen in there for joint protection and gut health if you enjoy using that.

Sweetener options for growing kids

While one of my main focuses for my distance runners is to get carbs into every meal to fuel their muscles, I do care about the type of carbs! I’m not interested in inflammatory, processed sugar. We dial in on fruit and natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup mostly. This banana bread is mostly sweetened with ripe, nutrient rich bananas! I do also like using coconut sugar in baked goods as it lends a warm sweetness, structure, and it also happens to be lower on the glycemic index so the sugar spike isn’t as drastic as regular sugar.

Let’s get this oatmeal banana bread started!

I’m a huge one bowl baking fan, my friends! I want this to be a no fuss recipe that I actually want to make more than just once. Get your bananas into a bowl and mash them up with a fork or potato masher.

Next, add the wet ingredients….

Once the bananas are mashed, you can add the super simple wet ingredients and blend it up until it is creamy. And by simple we’re just talking a couple eggs, vanilla, butter, and sweetener!

Continue with the dry ingredients into the same bowl!

Just keep piling in the rest of the ingredients and use your hand mixer to mix it all up. You’ll be able to see the pretty flecks of oats throughout, which I just love! They give the banana bread the best, soft texture with a very slight chew.

Let’s talk about bread pans for baking your oatmeal banana bread!

Use a standard loaf pan for this quick bread recipe size, which is 8 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches. If your pan is a 9×5, the recipe will still work but will be more spread out. A double recipe should fit in a 9×5 pan though. I absolutely adore my non-toxic standard loaf pan here. I barely have to grease it, and all of my quick breads just slide right out! I’ve had it for about 5 years, and it still functions like brand new!

Baking your oatmeal banana bread

Bake the oatmeal banana bread for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Oven temps can vary, so start checking it around 45 minutes. Cool the banana bread for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out to cool completely on a cooling rack.

How to serve and store the oatmeal banana bread

My teenagers eat their banana bread slices with a side of eggs and chicken sausage. If your kids like the banana bread warm, a simple toaster works so well! If you have little ones, you can definitely get away with a slice of banana bread and butter, with a cup of raw milk or an egg depending on their morning appetite. I keep my banana bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. We usually have it gone in 2 breakfasts with teenagers! If you make extra to store, you can freeze slices to make for easy grab and toast breakfasts!