Blueberry Banana Bread | The Picky Eater

This moist blueberry banana bread is tender, slightly sweet, and so easy to make! It’s healthier than traditional versions but tastes just as good! Ripe bananas, fresh blueberries, rolled oats, and cinnamon come together in this quick bread recipe the whole family will love.

Traditional quick bread recipes (banana bread, blueberry bread, zucchini bread, etc.) are some of my favorite comfort foods. They are a complete weakness of mine. It’s so hard to resist eating a slice when I see it at a breakfast bar or a brunch buffet. 

But why would I want to resist eating a slice of banana bread for breakfast? The thing is, traditional quick breads might as well be called banana cake! They’re usually loaded with fat and sugar and are much closer to dessert than an energizing and nutritious breakfast option.

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 to add a healthier twist to traditionally heavier or more indulgent recipes. That is, of course, while maintaining or improving upon the satisfying and comforting original flavors. This healthy blueberry banana bread recipe is no exception. It has the perfect combination of bananas and blueberries to create a delicious bread that is moist, sweet, buttery, and full of fruit flavor.

Overripe bananas are used to give the bread a natural sweetness, while the juicy blueberries provide pops of flavor and a host of 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! There isn’t much not to love about this banana blueberry loaf recipe. I’m sure this will become one of your favorite recipes!

👩‍🍳 Why You’ll Love Banana Blueberry Bread

• Nutritious and Healthy: With 200 calories less per slice than traditional banana bread, fiber, protein, and many vitamins and minerals this is a delicious and wholesome recipe!
• Simple and Easy: Whip this bread up with just two bowls, a handful of ingredients, and easy-to-follow steps! In fact, this blueberry banana bread recipe with oats is a great recipe even for beginning bakers.
• Family-Friendly: My kids love to eat this sweet bread as much as they like to help me make it! It’s a great way to enjoy time in the kitchen with your kiddos as well as a tasty way to sneak nutritious foods into their diet.
• Delicious Year-Round: Though this recipe shines with fresh summer blueberries, it’s just as tasty when made with frozen berries – so you can enjoy it any time of year. Make it in the winter to cheer up a drab day or in the fall to satisfy with a healthy comfort food snack!

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🥘 Ingredients

This buttermilk blueberry banana bread requires just a few basic ingredients, easily found at any grocery store! Here’s what you need:

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: This type of whole wheat flour contributes a nutty flavor to the blueberry banana nut bread without making it too dense or heavy. You can find whole wheat pastry flour at most major grocery stores, Whole Foods, and on Amazon.
• Oats: Old-fashioned or rolled oats are best here, and provide a great taste and texture for this bread. Avoid quick-cooking oats as they will make the bread gummy and dense.
• Very Ripe Bananas: You want overripe bananas — as brown or even black as possible! Yes, ugly brown bananas will work well in this easy recipe! The riper the bananas are, the sweeter your bread will naturally be.
• Olive Oil: To reduce the fat in the recipe, replace half the oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.
• Large Eggs: Binds the bread together and gives it structure and texture.
• Light Brown Sugar: A little bit goes a long way in this recipe thanks to the already sweet bananas! For the best flavor and texture, pack the sugar tightly in the measuring cup when measuring.
• Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries are both great in this bread, and give a nice twist to the classic banana bread recipe. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them before folding them into the batter. I haven’t tried this recipe with wild blueberries, but I’d imagine they would work. However, wild blueberries are smaller and less juicy than regular blueberries, so keep in mind it might change the texture of this bread.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Leavens the bread, giving it a nice rise and light crumb.
• Salt & Cinnamon: Salt accentuates the flavor of the other ingredients. Cinnamon adds subtle but warm and sweet spice to the bread.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Flour: If you do not have or cannot find whole wheat pastry flour, a 1:1 mixture of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour (or, 1 cup of each) can substitute for it.
• Oil: Avocado oil can work in place of olive oil for a lighter and more neutral flavor. You can also use melted butter if you don’t want to use oil.

🔪 How to Make Blueberry Banana Bread

It’s pretty simple to make this recipe for blueberry banana bread! Here’s how you make it:

Prep: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.

Mix Wet Ingredients: Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, extra ripe bananas, sugar, and oil in a large bowl until well blended. You can use a hand whisk or an electric mixer on low-medium speed for this step.

Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Combine: Stir the dry flour mixture into the wet buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Add To Pan: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan or bread pan. 

Bake: Bake the whole loaf for 1 hour or until browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool the banana bread with blueberries in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack completely before slicing and serving.

💭 Expert Tips

• Prepare the Pan: Spray the pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with a light coat of flour before pouring in the banana bread batter. This will prevent the banana and blueberry loaf from sticking to the pan.
• Make Your Own Buttermilk: Don’t have buttermilk? No worries — you can easily make your own! Combine 3/4 cup of plain yogurt with 1/4 cup of milk. Mix well with a whisk, let rest for a minute or two, and use in the recipe as directed.
• Don’t Overmix the Batter: To make the best blueberry banana bread recipe, make sure not to overmix the batter! The batter is ready to pour into the pan once no streaks of flour remain in the batter. Overmixing it any further will result in a very dense and possibly even dried-out loaf. Furthermore, gently fold the blueberries into the batter, so the blueberry bread doesn’t turn out purple.
• How to Measure the Flour: If you can, measure the flour by weighing it. If you don’t have a food scale, measure the flour by using a spoon to fill the measuring cups, rather than scooping the flour out of the flour bag. This will keep the flour from packing down and will ensure that your blueberry and banana bread is light and fluffy.
• To Keep the Blueberries From Sinking to the Bottom of the Bread: Before mixing the berries into the batter, spoon some of it into the prepared pan. Next, fold the blueberries into the remaining batter and then pour the rest of the batter into the prepared pan. If making this recipe with frozen berries, toss them with 1 tablespoon of flour before folding the berries into the batter.
• Carefully Turn Out the Blueberry Bread: Run a butter knife along the edges of the pan and gently turn the pan over to release the berry banana cake easily. 

🍽 Serving Suggestions

This healthy blueberry banana bread is delicious served warm with a pat of coconut oil or butter and a hot cup of tea or coffee!

I’ve also been known to enjoy it with my favorite mocha latte recipe, or for a treat I’ll serve it with this Biscoff latte, beetroot latte, or this healthy hot chocolate! For a more filling meal, you can served it alongside fresh fruit or this breakfast fruit salad, yogurt, or cottage cheese.

As noted above, the oats and whole wheat flour make this blueberry bread healthy and filling for an easy breakfast, but it is also sweet and satisfying enough to enjoy for a snack or dessert!

📖 Recipe Variations

Though this buttermilk banana blueberry bread recipe is perfect as written, you can make any of the following variations to make the bread your own!

• Delicious Banana Bread with Oats: Though I’m definitely a fan of blueberries you can also make this recipe without. To make a tasty & healthy banana bread with oats, simply omit the blueberries from the recipe.
• Berries: Use any blend of fresh berries or frozen berries in place of blueberries. Raspberries, blackberries, and sliced strawberries would all be perfect!
• Chocolate: Add an extra chocolatey touch to this easy banana blueberry bread recipe by stirring 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter.
• Walnuts: An extra crunch and a dose of heart-healthy fats make walnuts a great addition to this blueberry banana dessert! Just stir 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts into the batter before baking to make banana blueberry walnut bread.
• Banana Blueberry Cake Recipe: Bake the blueberry banana batter in a prepared 8 x 8-inch pan for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack while you whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a little bit of lemon zest. Drizzle the lemon drizzle over the blueberry banana cake and enjoy!

🫐 How To Make Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins With This Recipe

Enjoy a handheld and portable version of this banana berry bread by making it into muffins! Here’s how to make them:

• Make the blueberry banana bread batter as directed.
• Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners or non-stick cooking spray.
• Use a large cookie scoop to add equal amounts of batter to the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

It is super simple to adapt this healthy blueberry banana oat bread to almost any dietary preference:

• Gluten-Free: To make gluten-free blueberry banana bread, substitute Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour for the whole wheat pastry flour and use gluten-free certified oats.
• Dairy-Free: Make dairy-free buttermilk (also known as “sour milk) by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a 1-cup measuring glass and filling the glass to the 1-cup line with plant milk. Stir well, let sit for 3-5 minutes and use in this blue banana bread recipe as directed.
• Vegan Banana Blueberry Bread: To make this recipe for banana blueberry bread vegan, whisk up 2 flax eggs in place of the large eggs and use dairy-free buttermilk (directions above) instead of traditional buttermilk.
• Processed Sugar-Free Banana Bread: Skip the brown sugar and sweeten the batter with the same amount of coconut sugar to make processed sugar-free banana fruit bread!

🫙 Storage And Freezing Directions

• Storing: Leftover banana and blueberry bread keeps covered in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
• Freezing: This moist bread can also be wrapped in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. For the easiest defrosting, slice the berry banana bread first and freeze the individual slices with parchment paper or aluminum between them before wrapping the bread up to freeze.
• Defrosting: Let the entire blueberry banana loaf or slices thaw in the fridge and then come to room temperature. To serve warm, reheat in the oven or microwave.

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