Blueberry Bread with Oats and Bananas
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This blueberry bread is moist, tender, and easy to make! It’s healthier than traditional versions made with ripe bananas for sweetness, fresh blueberries, rolled oats and cinnamon.
Traditional quick breads (banana bread, blueberry bread, zucchini bread, etc.) are like comfort food for me. It’s a complete weakness of mine. It’s so hard to resist eating a slice when I see it at a breakfast bar or brunch buffet.
But why would I want to resist eating a slice of banana oat bread for breakfast? The thing is, traditional quick breads, like banana and blueberry bread, might as well be called banana cake! They’re usually loaded with fat and sugar, and are much closer to dessert than a viable breakfast option.
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If it weren’t so delicious, it would bother me that “banana bread” sounds like a healthy breakfast dish, when in fact it’s not.
I’m always looking for recipes that turn this traditional quick bread into a healthy recipe while maintaining the moistness that traditional versions achieve with tons of butter.
This version of blueberry bread is a combination of blueberry and banana bread. The bananas are used to give the bread a natural sweetness, while the blueberries add great flavor and antioxidants! With rolled oats and whole wheat flour, this version is high in fiber and amazingly delicious, while still being lower in sugar and fat!
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
- Bread Loaf Pan
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- A good quality Whisk
- Set of Mixing Bowls
- Set of Silicone Spatulas
- Cooling Rack
Recipe Ingredients & Notes
- Flour: A combination of whole wheat pastry flour and rolled oats gives this bread a fluffy but still hearty texture. Feel free to substitute the flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour and use gluten-free certified oats to make this gluten free.
- Sugar: A little bit goes a long way in this recipe thanks to the bananas already being sweet! Feel free to adjust to be more or less depending on your tastes.
- Bananas: You want overripe bananas (as brown as possible!) The more ripe, the sweeter your bread will naturally be.
- Eggs: This recipe will work with flax eggs to make this an egg-free dish.
- Olive Oil: To reduce the fat even more, replace half the oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.
How to Make Blueberry Bread – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, banana, sugar and oil in a large bowl until well blended.
Step 2: Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl.
Step 3: Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined. Gently fold in blueberries.
Step 4: Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Step 5: Bake for 1 hour or until browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack completely before slicing and serving.
What Makes This Banana Oat Bread with Blueberries Healthy?
- Lower in Calories: One thing I love about this bread is it’s under 250 calories per slice. The slices are massive too! This is way fewer calories than traditional banana oat breads that can be up to 450 calories per slice!
- High in Protein and Fiber: This blueberry bread has almost 5 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, so you can feel good about filling up on a snack that’s going to satiate you!
- High in Nutrients: In addition to fiber and protein, this blueberry bread is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, zinc, iron, and more.
Will Kids Enjoy Blueberry Bread?
Oh yes! If you place a big old piece of this blueberry bread in front of your kids, they are going to eat every last crumb. I recommend cutting a slice in half for your kids, since the slices are so big. It’s very filling and satisfying, so most kids won’t feel like they need an entire piece to feel full.
Recipe FAQs
Can I replace the buttermilk in this recipe?
Yes, you can totally replace the regular buttermilk with a homemade version. I recommend combining ¾ cup of plain yogurt with ¼ cup milk. Mix well with a whisk, and you will have 1 cup of homemade buttermilk. I have used this method, and it works well.
Can you make this recipe into muffins?
Absolutely! Here’s what you’ll need to do! Use a large cookie scoop to add batter to a lined muffin tin. Because the muffins are so much smaller than the loaf, they will bake much more quickly. I recommend 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes! Nutritionally, there is no difference between fresh and frozen blueberries. If you choose to go with frozen blueberries, don’t let them thaw before use. I also recommend tossing them in some flour before adding them to the batter. This will keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf and will absorb up the extra moisture. Note: For frozen blueberries, you will need around ¾ cup.
How to Store and Keep Blueberry Oatmeal Bread
To Store In the Fridge: Let the bread cool completely, and then put it in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last up to a week in the fridge. You can also store this bread at room temperature, it will last 3-4 days at room temperature.
To Freeze: Cut the bread into slices and wrap each slice with aluminum foil. Put the wrapped slices in a ziptop freezer bag or airtight container. It will keep for up to 3-4 months in the freezer.
To Defrost: Let the slices thaw in the fridge and then come to room temperature. To serve warm, reheat in the oven or microwave.
Top Tips For Making Homemade Blueberry Bread
- Using some cooking spray and giving the pan a light coat of flour will keep the bread from sticking to the pan. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan by running a butter knife along the edges, and gently turn the pan over to release.
- Don’t overmix the batter. The blueberry bread will end up very dense and possibly even dried out.
- Measure the flour by using a spoon to fill the cups, rather than scooping the flour out of the flour bag. This will keep the flour from packing down, and will ensure that the bread is light and fluffy.
- Gently fold the blueberries into the batter, so the blueberry bread doesn’t turn out purple.
- To keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the bread, spoon some of the batter (without blueberries mixed in) into the prepared pan. Then add the blueberries to the rest of the batter, and then add the rest of the batter to the prepared pan.
Check Out These Other Quick Bread Recipes!
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten Free Bread
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Muffins filled with Raspberry Jelly
- Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
- Low Fat Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake by Table For Seven
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Blueberry Bread with Bananas and Oats
This blueberry bread is moist, tender, and easy to make! It’s healthier than traditional versions made with ripe bananas for sweetness, fresh blueberries, rolled oats and cinnamon.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 237.5kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 2 large eggs or 2 flax eggs to make this egg-free
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana about 2 medium
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil you can use 1/6 cup oil + 1/6 cup apple sauce if you like
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups Blueberries Contri
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.
- Whisk buttermilk, eggs, banana, sugar and oil in a large bowl until well blended.
- Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl.
- Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake about 1 hour, or until browned and a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Top Tips For Making Homemade Blueberry Bread
- Using some cooking spray and giving the pan a light coat of flour will keep the bread from sticking to the pan. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan by running a butter knife along the edges, and gently turn the pan over to release.
- Don’t overmix the batter. The blueberry bread will end up very dense and possibly even dried out.
- Measure the flour by using a spoon to fill the cups, rather than scooping the flour out of the flour bag. This will keep the flour from packing down, and will ensure that the bread is light and fluffy.
- Gently fold the blueberries into the batter, so the blueberry bread doesn’t turn out purple.
- To keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the bread, spoon some of the batter (without blueberries mixed in) into the prepared pan. Then add the blueberries to the rest of the batter, and then add the rest of the batter to the prepared pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 237.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4.9g | Fat: 8.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Cholesterol: 31.8mg | Sodium: 135.5mg | Potassium: 166.1mg | Fiber: 4.5g | Sugar: 14.9g
This blueberry bread came out so moist and delicious! I love the added nutritional value of the oats. My kids enjoyed it too!
That’s so awesome to hear! I’m so happy you all loved this recipe Alison!
Such a beautiful bread! I love that you made it healthier and all the color from the blueberries.
Thank you so much Tara!! I’m sure you’ll love this recipe!
What a cool spin on banana bread! I adore blueberries so this is right up my alley!
Yess! It was a fun way to switch things up for sure!
We had a stay at home, cooking day with my family. We each picked out a recipe and we made several together as a family! Fun way to food prep!
We made your blueberry bread and it was delish!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Cindy! 🙂
Love the recipe
Is there any way to lessen or sub the qty of brown sugar?
Thanks
Thanks! And yes absolutely – you can use unsweetened applesauce for 1/2 or all of the sugar! So you can do 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce + 1/3 cup brown sugar, or 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce and no sugar. Hope that helps!
Hi Anjali, is there a substitute for buttermilk. I usually dont keep buttermilk at home.
Hi! You can actually make your own buttermilk by just mixing water + yogurt 🙂 3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 cup water = 1 cup buttermilk. Hope that helps!
Awesome! Thank you. Always have home made yogurt. I am excited to try out this recipe now.
Oh great! Let me know how it turns out!
Good to know! I usually do not have buttermilk at home either. I’ve made this recipe 3 times, the best banana bread ever! I’ll make it again today, and will use the water + yogurt tip!
Oh awesome! Hope the water + yogurt tip worked for you Tai!! 🙂
I have done this banana cake this afternoon, and is great! My husband and I loved it! 🙂
Woohoo! Thanks for letting me know Taiana!
Can I replace the flour with more oats? Maybe I can process the additional oats in the food processor so it’s fine consistency? What do you suggest? Also, don’t use canola oil, just olive oil. Can I use melted butter? What do you suggest?
Hi Angie! Yes – you can replace all of the flour with oat flour (1:1 replacement) – you can make oat flour just like you said (by grinding the oats up in the food processor). You can also use olive oil instead of canola oil (1:1 replacement there too) — or you can use half olive oil, half applesauce. I’m not sure if butter would be a 1:1 replacement so I’d stick to olive oil if you can. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for this amazing looking recipe!
Thanks Tiana!! Enjoy!
Do you know the carb count? That is how I calculate my Weight Watchers points for a recipe.
Hi Ruth! One serving of this recipe has 46.6g Carbs. I’ve updated the printable version in the post with the nutritional info as well – I hope that helps!
I absolutely LOVE banana bread.Our whole family does, so we end up making it a lot. I’ve never added oats to it though. But I like them in other stuff, and it sounds really good. I’ll have to try this instead of our usual recipe!
Isn’t banana bread the best? My husband and I love it too 🙂 I’m sure you’ll love this twist on the traditional recipe! You’ll have to tell me how your family likes it too!
Just put this loaf into the oven! So excited to try it. I put in a little extra blueberries (I had misinterpreted the amount needed) but I love their taste so it’ll be a bit more fruit filled.
Woohoo! How did it turn out? And I’m all for more blueberries – bring on the fruit! 🙂
It turned out excellent! Even my sister who is usually not a big fruit person liked it. Definitely adding this recipe to my collection!
Hooray!! I’m so happy to hear that Aileen!
This looks like a great recipe! Quick question- do you think I could use frozen blueberries instead of fresh? My concern would be that frozen berries would be too “watery”…
Thanks!! Hmmm – regarding the frozen blueberries – I’d stick to fresh for exactly the reason you mentioned. I think the frozen ones would have way more water content and might change the consistency of the bread. Hope that helps!
I know this is over a year later but in case anyone else reads this and wonders-you can use frozen blueberries no problem. Toss them in flour before stirring them gently in. The flour will absorb the little bit of moisture that seeps and keep the ‘blue’ from bleeding to much into the bread. The worst that will happen is the blue will spread but the consistency should be fine.
Oh that’s a great tip! Thanks for sharing Katie! 🙂
“1 1/2 packages Driscoll’s Blueberries” – are their packages pint? half-pint? something else? can you ballpark the total either in ounces or cups?
Ohh good point Dave! So to clarify: 1 package of Driscoll’s Blueberries is about 4.4 oz. So 1.5 packages would be about 6.4 oz. – about 3/4 of a cup. Hope that helps!
This is baking up in the oven as I type – I can’t wait to see how it comes out! I’m always on the hunt for healthier versions of my favorite foods 🙂
That is awesome!! Can’t wait to hear what you thought about the recipe once it’s done. Hope your house is filled with the smell of freshly baked blueberry banana bread right now! 🙂
They’re just about to come in season here in New Zealand. We have a friend with a blueberry farm, so I’m being especially nice to him so that I can bake this (but I always am!. 🙂
That is such a great way to get your blueberries! I wish I had a friend who was a blueberry farmer 🙂 Btw – I was in New Zealand last year in January – we visited both the North and South Island – it is a BEAUTIFUL country!
Beautiful bread! Love that this one isn’t dripping with sugar and butter, instead it has oats and blueberries (some of my favorites by the by).
Thanks – so glad you like it! I’m totally with you – I LOVE that this recipe is lower in fat and sugar than traditional banana bread recipes, but it still tastes delicious!
This is a beautiful blue berry banana oat bread! The flavors are made for one another and your photos are spectacular! Thanks so much for sharing. Have a great night =]
Thank you so much – I know you will love this recipe! 🙂
This sounds like a fantastic change from banana bread. I love the addition of oats, it sounds like a portable blueberry oatmeal!
A portable blueberry oatmeal is a great description of this bread! It’s definitely a fun change from the original. Enjoy!
I LOOOOVE banana bread but my favorite part is the crusty edges and the top. If you see a loaf missing it’s top and outside then you know I was there haha. Sounds like a great recipe!
Haha! I love the crusty edges and the top too – I’m the one who eats the top off of muffins and leaves the rest behind. Good thing we can make our own versions of this bread, otherwise you and I would be fighting for the crust on this loaf! 🙂