Turn this favorite classic cookie flavor into a loaf of tender sweet banana bread. Because, really, who needs a cookie when you have a slice of Gluten Free Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Banana Bread?
Well, it’s my birthday and it’s also my last year before I have officially arrived at my mid 30’s. What does life turn into once you reach 35???! Hopefully something equally fabulous and glamorous. I guess next year we shall see.
So apparently on your birthday you get to think all about yourself and do whatever you want to do, when you want to do it, how you want to do it and where you want to do it. But let’s be honest, if that’s what defined a birthday, my birthday would be every day of my life. I pretty much do what I want on a daily basis. Yes, I know. It’s a fault of mine. I just don’t want to change it…yet.
But, today I was actually justified in thinking all about me. It’s the one day I can be selfish and it’s actually to be expected. In fact, it’s encouraged. How great is that?!
So now you must be sitting there reading in anticipation wondering what I chose to do on my birthday. It must have been spectacular, right??? Well, wonder no more. I’ll tell you exactly what did I did on my special day. Just don’t hold your breath too long. It ain’t all that exciting.
Hmmm, let’s see…here it goes:
- I cleaned the kitchen. Don’t be jealous.
- I baked gluten free bread. Everybody’s dream come true, right??? (Insert the eye rolling emoji.)
- I waited at the bus stop in 110 degree weather for way too long because the kids had their first early release day and I had no idea what time the bus was coming. Good thing I hadn’t showered yet. Oh wait, I still haven’t showered…
- I got spoiled with gifts from Ben and the girls: headphones, a beautiful orchid, running clothes that most likely won’t fit (it’s the thought that counts), a cooling rag that smells like Play-Doh and makes me want to gag (again, it’s the thought that counts), and some adorably hand written cards from the kiddos.
- We went to a trampoline park with some free vouchers I had. Yep, there’s nothing like peeing your pants every time to jump to make a middle aged woman feel really old on her 34th birthday.
- We dined at a sushi restaurant (which I had been looking forward to all week) and I ordered ALL the wrong things only to leave dissatisfied and still craving sushi.
- Now we are currently catching up on an episode of So You Think You Can Dance and pretending we don’t realize it’s past the girls’ bedtime all while rationalizing that it’s the weekend AND my birthday…so it’s okay, right?
So yeah, it’s been a pretty great, low key birthday around here.
But, you know, if I wanted to continue focusing on just me for a little while longer, I should post a recipe that is ALL ABOUT ME! And you know what food screams my name??? BANANA BREAD!!!! Seriously, I am like the queen of banana bread. I don’t even use a recipe to make banana bread anymore, that’s how often I make it.
And not only do I make banana bread all the time, but I switch up the flavors almost as often as I change my underwear…almost. But really, banana bread is like a blank canvas taunting me to create something new every time. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. But more often than not…IT WORKS!
I’ll tell you, this last recipe worked. Oh, it worked good all right. I’ve kind of been on a banana bread roll lately. I have tons of new flavor recipes to post, but I have to make sure to space them out so you guys don’t get burned out of my obsession. I still have recipes for a cinnamon maple banana bread with maple glaze banana bread, a brown sugar streusel banana bread, and a lemon berry banana bread that I’m dying to post soon.
But for today, on my birthday, I am dedicating this day to posting about this Gluten Free Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Banana Bread that is chalk full of warm nostalgic flavors.
So basically, take all the flavors of an old fashioned oatmeal raisin cookie and transform it into a loaf of banana bread. There you go. That is exactly what this banana bread is. And it smells just as good as it tastes. I know people usually say the opposite…tastes as good as it smells…but I’ve made banana bread so many times now, it’s not a mystery anymore if it’s going to taste good. Now it’s just an extra bonus if my house smells lovely too.
This banana bread is basically a cinnamon spiced batter baked with layers of raisins and brown sugar and then topped with a mixture of cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins, and gluten free old fashioned oats. By layering the raisins and brown sugar with the batter, it creates these swirls of plump sugary raisins throughout the loaf. It’s downright darn delicious if you ask me…and you kind of are because you’re reading about this recipe on my blog. Sorry, that was kind of sassy. Oops.
Oh, and besides the yumminess inside the banana bread, the topping is probably my favorite. The mixture of cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins, and oats create this crispy, crunchy, chewy, sugary goodness. That’s pretty much the best way to describe it. So yeah, yummy indeed.
So there you have it folks. A little birthday present from me (the banana bread birthday lady) to you on my day of days. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Now let’s make it a great next year!
How do you celebrate your birthdays?
- ½ stick butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk (I used 1%)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour, plus more for coating pans
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (not quick cooking), plus more for topping
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for topping
- 2 small to medium mashed ripe bananas (mash until very soupy)
- ½ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (with cooking spray) and flour two mini loaf pans. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix on low until smooth. Add vanilla and milk and mix until smooth.
- Add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda and mix until combined. Mix in oats and mashed bananas and stir until combined. Let batter sit for 5 minutes.
- After batter has rested, stir one more time until smooth. Fill each pan ¼ full with batter. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of raisins and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar evenly on top of batter. Cover raisins and brown sugar with a thin layer of batter until pan is about ½ way full. Sprinkle another layer of raisins and brown sugar on top of batter. Add remaining batter on top of raisins and brown sugar. Top each loaf with a sprinkle of oats, raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
- Bake at 350 in the center of the oven for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of loaves comes out clean with very few moist crumbs.
- Remove from oven and set on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife along the edges of the loaves to loosen from pan. Gently flip loaves out onto palm of your hand (so you don't loose the topping) and invert right side up onto cooling rack to continue cooling. Allow loaves to completely cool before slicing and serving.
- If you enjoy warm banana bread, as we do, heat each piece in the microwave for 10 seconds before serving.
