Low Sugar Banana Oat Bread
With less than 200 calories per serving, this moist low sugar banana bread recipe cuts the sugar intake by more than half of standard recipes without sacrificing taste.
How I reduced the calories in this recipe:
- I added reduced-fat buttermilk for moisture and cut the oil by half. You can use any milk you prefer except almond milk.
- This recipe measures the bananas by the cup- not just by “bananas”. Using slightly underripe bananas will yield less sugar as well but still provide great texture.
- I amped up the spices to add in more flavor without just adding in butter and sugar.
- Old fashioned oats provide tons of fiber and texture.
- Vanilla paste add in lots of flavor as well. We prefer Wild Montana Foods Vanilla. It is lightly sweetened with local Montana honey, not glucose syrup or corn syrup.
- Microwaving the bananas creates a flavor wallop.
Ingredients in this low sugar banana bread recipe:
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger
- granulated sugar
- reduced fat buttermilk- OR you can substitute whole milk, 2% milk or oat milk.
- vanilla bean paste ( vanilla extract for a substitute)
- old fashioned oats- not instant oats
- canola oil
- eggs
- bananas
How I made this recipe with less sugar
This loaf only has 2/3 a cup of sugar. The standard banana bread recipe had anywhere from 3/4 cup to 1 cup of sugar. Yikes! If your bananas are very ripe- almost black, they have so much natural sweetness, you do not need to add much additional granulated sugar.
Other Banana Treats:
- Ultimate Banana Bread
- Banana Pots de Cremé
- Southern Banana Pudding
- Simple Banana Custard French Toast
How to make this low sugar banana bread even more yummy:
- Add 1/2 chopped walnuts or pecans
- Add 1/2 cup dark or semi sweet chocolate chips
- Add 1/2 cup flaked coconut
Tips for a really great banana bread:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Use a digital thermometer to ensure the bread is finished. A toothpick can sometimes miss pockets of raw batter. You want an internal temp of 200-205 degrees F.
- Measure the flour using a spoon and level method. Fluff the flour with a whisk or fork. Using a spoon fill your dry measuring cup then level off the excess with a knife.
- Make certain your spices and levelers ( baking soda and powder) are fresh. Check those expiration dates. If the spices have been open for more than 6 moths, they have lost most of their potency.
- Read the recipe card throughly before starting this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats not instant
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup slightly ripe bananas
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla paste
- 2 unit large eggs beaten
- softened butter or canola oil to grease pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally coat with softened butter or canola oil a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Dust with flour.
- Mix all dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large mixing bowl. Be certain to carefully measure the flour. Whisk in the dry oatmeal. In a separate smaller microwave safe bowl, place the bananas. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bananas render liquid. Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Mash the bananas in their liquid until you have 1 cup of puree. Add the buttermilk, oil, vanilla paste and eggs to the bananas
- Fold banana mixture into flour and oats until just combined. Do NOT over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let loaf cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes before serving.
- You can place a slice of banana on top of the loaf (see photo) just before baking and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of sugar to help caramelize the fruit.
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