This cozy, nourishing Queen of Quick banana bread is everything we love about baking — moist, warmly spiced, and just sweet enough. Made with pumpkin butter, oats, and banana, these mini loaves are naturally gluten-free and flourless (just make sure your oats are certified GF if needed). They freeze beautifully, make great gifts, and are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or packed lunches.
Best of all? You mix everything in one bowl — no stand mixer or fancy tools required.
This recipe makes 7 mini loaves and can be easily halved.
What I Love About This Banana Bread
- No flour or added sugar — just natural sweetness from banana, pumpkin butter, and dried fruit
- One bowl = easy cleanup
- Hearty enough for breakfast, with no crash later
- Great way to use up an overripe banana
- Freezer-friendly and portable — ideal for snacks on the go
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Banana Bread Nutrition Spotlight
This quick bread is more than just cozy and delicious — it’s filled with ingredients that support steady energy, digestion, and a grounded mood. From a Western nutrition perspective, it offers fiber, healthy fats, and natural sweetness without refined sugar or flour. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, it’s a spleen-supportive recipe that’s especially balancing during the late summer and fall, when our bodies benefit from warm, nourishing foods.
In TCM, the spleen is the main organ responsible for digestion and converting food into energy. When it’s strong, we feel energized, clear-headed, and emotionally balanced. Warm, cooked foods like this are easier to digest and help keep that system humming.
You can learn more about Traditional Chinese Medicine Nutrition here.
Eastern Nutrition
- Pumpkin: Gently strengthens digestion (spleen qi) and supports immunity during seasonal shifts
- Oats: Nourish the digestive system and help regulate bowel movements
- Walnuts: Considered a brain-boosting and warming food — they support kidney health and vitality
- Eggs: Help rebuild energy and fluids, especially when feeling depleted
- Banana: Cools and moistens the body — especially helpful if you’re overheated or prone to dryness
Western Nutrition
- Oats: Full of fiber to support digestion, reduce cholesterol, and keep blood sugar stable
- Walnuts: High in omega-3 fats, which support brain health, reduce inflammation, and help you feel full
- Banana: Adds natural sweetness and potassium, which supports healthy blood pressure and nerve function
- Eggs: A high-quality protein that helps stabilize blood sugar and support muscle repair
- Pumpkin butter: A great source of vitamin A and warming spices, with far less sugar than typical jam or syrup
Whether you’re looking for an easy breakfast, a nourishing snack, or something wholesome to share with friends, these mini loaves check all the boxes. They’re simple to prep, endlessly adaptable, and full of flavor — no refined sugar or flour required. Keep a few in the freezer for busy mornings or cozy fall afternoons with tea.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Banana Bread with Walnuts and Golden Raisins
Ingredients
- 19 oz jar of pumpkin butter can substitute apple butter
- 1 very ripe banana
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups whole oats oatmeal
- 2 cup walnuts- chopped
- 1 cup golden raisins can use dark raisins, cranberries, dried cherries
- Cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl blend the pumpkin butter and eggs
- Mash the ripe banana and add to pumpkin butter mixture
- Add the oatmeal and mix it in until well blended
- Fold in walnuts and raisins until they are evenly distributed
- Spray mini loaf pans with nonstick spray
- Fill about ¾ full and lightly sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tops are lightly brown
- Let loaves cool for 10 minutes and remove to cooling rack
Notes
Queen of QuickTMQueen of Quick CookingTMSources: TCM World, Acupuncture Today, eatright.org, Harvard Nutrition
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