No gummy, soggy or wet banana bread here! Read on for the basics of getting the most out of oat flour.

Oat Flour

Oat flour is made from finely milled oat groats. If you have a blender that has a milling option or has high speed whole juice option you can use store bought oatmeal, the same kind that you’d enjoy for breakfast, to make your own oat flour.

These have to whole rolled oats. Steel cut oats, quick oats or any other type of oatmeal will not mill into an oat flour suitable for this recipe.

How to make your own oat flour

Making oat flour at home is easy. Typically whole blended oats will yield about the same volume of oat flour. If you need 2 cups of oat flour, 2.5 cups of whole oats scooped and leveled will make enough for your recipe, give or take some oat flour. Unused oat flour can be stored in a dry, glass container for up to 3 months. Make more than you need and store away for a flour substitute for gluten free baking or for adding the cozy warmth of oats into any recipe. Oat flour waffles, pancakes and muffins come to mind immediately!

Note: Depending on how finely your blender will mill the whole oats, you may or may not have to sift them for a finer final ground.

Banana Bread

I think the past few years have been the Olympics of banana bread. No stone was left upturned in the parade of banana bread and between you me, I think it fab. Banana bread is no waste cooking, satisfying to all and normally uses just one bowl for the full baking process. You can use the batter for a bundt cake, make a standard loaf, make mini banana breads in mini loaf pans or muffins using a cupcake pan.

Use the ripest bananas you have. The riper the better.

Want banana bread but don’t have extra ripe bananas? Peel and freeze them overnight. Thaw on the counter and smash into your batter.

Banana Bread Pan Options

When using different shapes, sizes and materials ( silicone, Pyrex, enamel etc) adjust the baking time and temperature appropriately.

Items baked in darker pans can be baked at 25F less than the required baking temperature. Most bakes, use a 350F standard baking oven temperature. Lower that to 325F. That isn’t always the case and if you have a beloved recipe that works at 350F regardless of pan, why mess with success?

Mini loaf pans, bundt pans and cupcake tins will all require less overall baking time

For this particular cake, we’re using 325F regardless of pan. The batter is fairly wet and the oats need a low temp to get them cooking without resulting in a gummy unpleasant slice.

Let it Rest

This recipe can be made with all oat flour or combination of almond and oat or AP and oat flour if you find yourself wanting to bake but low on a single type of flour.

Allowing the batter rest, regardless of flour blend, gives the oats time to expand and hydrate with all the liquids in the batter and some other science occurs that helps your body digest better.

Ultimately resting the batter will benefit the batter, end product and your gut.

As of recently there has been debate surrounding the wholesome and nutritional qualities of oatmeal, namely phytic acid/ phytate and the absorption of valuable minerals like iron, calcium and zinc.

Phytate is naturally occurring in the hulls surround most seeds, like oats, buckwheat, pumpkin, brown rice, lentils and a a whole pantry of other commonly consumed grains/ pulses.

Heat, milling, soaking and low slow temperatures are helpful enough to substantially reduce the amount of phytic acid.

This is not a nutrition blog, please advise with your nutritionist, doctor or health consultant before making drastic changes to your diet.

Banana Oat Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup oat flour (scooped and leveled)

2/3 cup almond flour (packed)

2 eggs

2 medium ripe bananas mashed

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Single pinch of nutmeg (two scrapes on a microplane or hand grater)

1 tbsp vanilla

1/3 cup yogurt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp baking powder

.5 tsp baking soda + few drops vinegar or lemon juice to get it hissing

1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

2 tablespoons dried cherries

Other mix in options:

Chocolate

Pecans

Toffee bits

Butterscotch chips

Dried cranberry

Almond extract and additional almond topping

For a chocolate swirl banana bread:

Separate 1 cup from the completed, rested batter right before baking and mix in 3 tablespoon cocoa powder. Layer starting with 3 parts white batter, followed by half of chocolate, 2 parts white, remaining chocolate and topped with white batter. swirl using a thin pairing knife, skewer or chopstick.

Method:

In a large mixing bowl combine wet ingredients with sugars, spices and mashed bananas. Mix until fairly blended.

To wets add flours, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well and let the batter sit on the counter for 30minutes.

Pour batter in a well greased loaf pan.

Preheat an oven to 325F and bake for 45min to 1 hour. Check with a toothpick at 40minute mark. A Tooth pick should come out fairly clean, a few dry crumbs along the toothpick are alright.

Allow cake to cool completely before removing from mold to ensure it comes out in one solid piece.

As with most things in the kitchen, a good slathering of icing will cover up any cracks.

If you’ve made this or any recipe from my blog, share it with me on Instagram @thewonkystove ! I love being part of your kitchens . Tag me and I can see what you’re cooking!