Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Banana Bread

Jumpstart a perfect morning with a cozy drink like hot coffee or tea and a bite of this moist oatmeal chocolate chip banana bread. It's a comforting breakfast food that is packed with flavor and chocolate chips in each bite. This loaf is also easy to make in advance, freeze, and slowly enjoy over weeks or months. It's an ideal make-ahead situation that you'll probably want to just eat all in one sitting or two. 🙂

Jump to:

• 🍌 Why You'll Love this Recipe
• 📋 Key Ingredients
• Best Results: Baking in Grams
• Recipe Substitutions and Variations
• 📖 Prep and Baking Instructions
• 💡 Pro Tip for this Oatmeal Banana Bread
• ❓ Recipe FAQ and Troubleshooting
• How to Store, Refrigerate, and Freeze
• 🎉 Brunch Party Suggestions
• More Baking Tips
• Related Recipes
• Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Banana Bread

Like my easy recipe for banana cake with chocolate frosting, this loaf here is yet another great recipe for using overripe bananas that might otherwise go to waste.

If you're in search of morning treats like this one (especially ones that have chocolate), you'll love my:

• Small batch chocolate chip muffins
• Blueberry chocolate chip muffins (Why choose blueberry or chocolate when your muffins can have both?!)

And while no chocolate is involved, don't sleep on these mini apple Bundt cakes or mini pumpkin muffins! They're so, so good and cozy.

🍌 Why You'll Love this Recipe

• Rolled oats - This loaf maintains its delicious flavor while also packing in nutrients from rolled oats. You'll use them to create oat flour, which is simply ground oats. They add texture and nutrients to this breakfast treat.
• Easy to meal prep and freeze - Make this loaf today and freeze it to enjoy in the coming weeks and months. It's a great option to have on-hand at the ready when you are craving something sweet yet filling for breakfast.
• Did I mention chocolate? - While I don't need an excuse to have chocolate any time, it's an added bonus when chocolate finds its way into my morning routine! And this loaf has *just* the right amount of sweet chocolate without going overboard
• Filling and wholesome - While I definitely wouldn't describe this loaf as a "healthy" breakfast option, it is healthier than other loafs and more filling, due to the rolled oats in it. A slice of this keeps me full for hours longer compared to other breakfast treats.
• Versatile and adaptable - But if you're less into chocolate, that's okay! You could sub in ingredients like chopped nuts or dried fruit for a different take on this yummy breakfast option.

📋 Key Ingredients

This easy banana bread recipe gets its texture and delicious banana flavor from simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Here I'm calling your attention to a few MVPs from the recipe card.

• Rolled Oats as Oat Flour - I'm a fan of oats, and this loaf is full of them. You can read up on the nutritional value of them in this article from Healthline on the benefits of eating oats. Just a cup of oats contains 13 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. The recipe contains about two and a third cups of oats. That means oats add about 30 grams of protein and nearly 20 grams of fiber to this recipe. Not too shabby for a tasty breakfast treat! And it's easy to make your own oat flour by simply grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor. Voila!
• Bananas - Brown bananas provide sweetness and moisture as well as some nutritional value. Here they contribute a couple more grams of protein, fiber, and close to 1000 milligrams of potassium.
• Greek Yogurt - Greek yogurt makes the loaf more moist and also gives it some added protein.
• Brown Sugar - One of my favorite ingredients in baked goods, brown sugar adds a depth of flavor and moisture to this loaf.
• Semi-sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips - I used a combo of mini and regular-sized chocolate chips in this recipe. The small chips distribute throughout the batter more than larger ones do, meaning you get more chocolate in each bite. Who would be mad about that?! But regular-sized chips work great, too, if that's all you have on hand.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Feel free to adapt this banana oat bread to your liking with various swaps and tweaks like the ones below:

• Dried Fruit: Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips with an equal amount of dried fruit like raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots. These will add a chewy texture and bursts of sweetness that pair well with the bananas.
• Different Chocolates - Instead of dark, you could add white chocolate or milk chocolate chips to the oatmeal banana bread batter.
• Nut Butter Options: For a flavor variation, experiment with replacing some of the butter with almond butter or peanut butter. I suggest starting with a 75/25 split (so using a quarter of the nut butter alongside three-quarters of the unsalted butter) to maintain the balance of moisture. Nut butters are denser than butter and can alter the texture slightly, making the bread a bit heavier. I haven’t tested this version, so proceed with caution, but I'd love to hear about your end results!
• Sweeteners: You can replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar for a refined sugar-free option. This substitution shouldn't affect the texture much, but it will add a subtle caramel flavor. This may also darken the bread's color.
• Other Add-ins: Feel free to add in up to ½ cup of nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or seeds (like chia or flaxseeds) for extra crunch. This won't significantly alter the outcome but will add more texture and nutrition.

If you make any other changes to the recipe and they turn out well, I'd love to get feedback to share those ideas with other readers!

📖 Prep and Baking Instructions

1. Prep the pan: Grease and flour an 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan, or use baking spray. Alternatively, line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.

2. Make oat flour: If you don’t have oat flour, pulse old-fashioned oats in a food processor or blender, leaving some texture for added bite in the loaf.

3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine oat flour, baking soda, nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

4. Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the melted butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar for 5 minutes on medium-high, scraping the bowl halfway.

5. Add yogurt and banana: Mix in Greek yogurt and mashed banana for 2 minutes on medium speed.

6. Incorporate eggs: Add eggs one at a time, mixing the first before adding the next. Mix on medium-high for 2 minutes.

7. Combine dry and wet: Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients. Mix for 15 seconds on medium-high.

8. Fold in chocolate chips: Gently fold mini chocolate chips into the batter with a spatula to avoid over-mixing.

9. Bake: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, until the loaf pulls away from the sides. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a cooling rack.

💡 Pro Tip for this Oatmeal Banana Bread

❓ Recipe FAQ and Troubleshooting

How to Store, Refrigerate, and Freeze

Room temperature - If you'll be eating this loaf in the next 2-3 days, it'll remain flavorful and safe to eat if you wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. Leave it on your counter between servings.

Refrigerating - Want to eat it throughout the week? Store the loaf in your refrigerator in an airtight container. When ready to serve, warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds on low power.

Freezing - Freezing is a great option, too. Keep in an airtight container, or wrap this loaf well in wax or parchment paper before placing in the freezer. It'll be freshest within two months, but I have definitely stretched that timeline by a week or two.

To enjoy, let. the loaf come to room temperature before serving. You may also gently warm slices for a few seconds on low speed in the microwave. 

If you aren't sure if your container is airtight, cover it snugly in plastic wrap for added moisture lock.

🎉 Brunch Party Suggestions

Making brunch and planning to have a fun, dessert-y spread?

If you're serving this chocolate chip oatmeal banana bread among friends and family for a breakfast or brunch gathering:

More Baking Tips

Below are some general tips to keep in mind when baking recipe and any recipe, really:

1. Periodically check the freshness of your leavening agents. Mix a pinch of baking powder with hot water to see if it reacts. For baking soda, you can mix a pinch of it with a few drops of something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. If your leavening agents have no reaction (i.e. you see no fizzing or bubbling), it means they also won’t help your ingredients rise during the baking process. 
2. Before diving into the recipe, clear your workspace and set out all your ingredients in front of you. This will make it less likely that you’ll forget to leave something important out of your mixing bowl! 

Related Recipes

If you liked this loaf cake, you may also want to try these homemade funfetti muffins! They're as tasty as they are cute and colorful.

And if you're more into lemon than chocolate, I recommend checking out these very cute mini lemon Bundt cakes. They're great for sharing with a crowd, and everyone gets to enjoy his or her own mini cake!

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