This single-serve banana bread is soft, moist, and packed with 16g of protein - naturally sweetened, made with oat flour, and ready in 20 minutes (or 90 seconds in the microwave). It's a healthy, high-protein twist on classic banana bread, sized just right for one.
Single-Serve Banana Bread At a Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Healthy Single Serve Banana Bread (High Protein, Oat Flour)
- 🕒 Ready In: 20 minutes (or 90 seconds in the microwave)
- 👪 Serves: 1 (generously) - bakes in an 8-ounce ramekin
- 🍽 Calories: ~463 per serving with 16g protein
- 💪 Protein: 16g per serving (about 2x classic single serve banana bread recipes)
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Spotty banana, oat flour, one egg, nut butter, maple syrup
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, naturally sweetened, no refined sugar, and dairy-free
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A real banana bread made just for one. It's soft, fluffy, and tastes like banana cake - bake it in a ramekin in 20 minutes, or microwave it in 90 seconds when you can't wait.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I started making this single-serve banana bread when I got tired of the same problem: one lonely brown banana on the counter, not enough for a full loaf.
So I made a version just for one. It bakes in a ramekin in about 20 minutes, or you can microwave it in 90 seconds when you really can't wait.
The base is the same one I use in my single-serve baked oats and 1-minute protein mug cake - oat flour, one egg, and a spoonful of nut butter for protein and texture. Just enough banana to keep it moist and naturally sweet.
It took a few tries to get right - too much oat flour and it dried out, too little and the middle stayed gummy. The version below is what I make a few times a week now: soft, fluffy, a little buttery, with 16g of protein and no refined flour or sugar. Same flavor as my oat flour banana bread and dairy-free banana bread, sized for one.
Jump to:
- Single-Serve Banana Bread At a Glance
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Single-Serve Banana Bread (Step-by-Step)
- Microwave Single Serve Banana Bread (90-Second Method)
- My Best Tips for a Soft, Moist Texture
- How to Store & Freeze
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Single-Serve Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's actually made for one. Most single-serve recipes are just a regular loaf cut into a tiny pan. This one bakes in a ramekin from the start. No leftover loaf, no waste.
- Two ways to make it. Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes, or microwave it for 90 seconds when you can't wait.
- High protein without protein powder. 16 grams per serving from one egg, a spoonful of nut butter, and oat flour. No chalky aftertaste.
- No refined flour or sugar. Just a spotty banana, a drizzle of maple syrup, and pantry staples you already have.
- Tastes like real banana cake. Soft, fluffy, a little buttery. Not the dry, dense texture most healthy banana breads have.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Banana. Half a spotty banana. The browner the better. If yours isn't ripe enough, save it and grab a frozen one.
- Oat flour. Keeps the bread soft and tender without being heavy. Buy it or make it at home by blending rolled oats until fine. It's the same flour I use in my oat flour banana bread and oat flour buttermilk pancakes.
- One whole egg. Not just the yolk. Adds structure, moisture, and most of the protein.
- Nut butter. Peanut, almond, cashew, or sun butter all work. Adds richness and another few grams of protein.
- Milk. Any kind. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
- Maple syrup or honey. The only added sweetener, and you barely need any. The ripe banana does most of the work.
- Vanilla extract. Don't skip it. Small recipes need every bit of flavor.
- Baking powder. Make sure yours is fresh. Old baking powder is the main reason single-serve breads come out dense.
- Cinnamon and salt. A little more cinnamon than most recipes use. A pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Optional mix-ins. Mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or both.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Make it vegan. Use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2.5 tablespoons water, sit 5 minutes), plant-based milk, and maple syrup instead of honey.
- Make it nut-free. Sunflower seed butter or tahini in place of the nut butter.
- No oat flour? Blend ⅓ cup of rolled oats in a blender or food processor until fine. That's all oat flour is. I don't recommend swapping in all-purpose flour. The ratios are calibrated for oat flour, and the bread comes out dense.
- Different milk or sweetener. Any milk works. Honey, agave, or maple syrup are interchangeable.
- Double Chocolate. Remove 1 tablespoon of oat flour. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips.
- Blueberry. Fold in 2 tablespoons of fresh or frozen blueberries, just like my healthy blueberry banana bread.
- Apple Cinnamon. Fold in 2 tablespoons of finely diced apple. Bump the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.
- Banana Nut. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or pecans.
How to Make Single-Serve Banana Bread (Step-by-Step)
- Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients. Mash the banana in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the egg, milk, maple syrup, nut butter, and vanilla until combined.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips or walnuts if using.
- Step 3: Transfer to a ramekin. Pour the batter into a greased 8-ounce ramekin. Top with extra chocolate chips or walnuts.
- Step 4: Bake. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Microwave Single Serve Banana Bread (90-Second Method)
Short on time? You can microwave this banana bread instead of baking it.
Mix the batter as written and pour it into a microwave-safe mug or ramekin. Microwave on high for 90 to 120 seconds, depending on your microwave's wattage. The bread will puff up while cooking and settle as it cools.
The texture is slightly different from the oven version (a little softer, less of a golden crust), but the flavor is just as good. For another quick microwave dessert, my protein powder microwave mug cake uses the same approach.
My tip: Start at 90 seconds. If the top still looks wet, add 10 to 15 seconds at a time until it's set. Overcooking by even 20 seconds turns it rubbery, so check early.
My Best Tips for a Soft, Moist Texture
- Use a very ripe banana. The browner and softer, the better. If yours isn't ripe enough, microwave it for 20 seconds to soften and sweeten it.
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear. Overmixing makes oat flour breads gummy in the middle.
- Check at 18 minutes, not 22. Oat flour browns more slowly than regular flour, so the top won't look as golden. Trust the toothpick, not the color.
How to Store & Freeze
- Storing. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Keeps for 2 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
- Freezing. Wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Reheating. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours at room temperature. Warm slices in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, or pop in the toaster.
Frequently Asked Questions
This version is. It's made with oat flour, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and gets 16 grams of protein per serving from a whole egg, nut butter, and oats. There's no refined flour, refined sugar, or butter. Most classic single-serve banana bread recipes use white flour, white sugar, and butter, which is why this one has about half the sugar and double the protein.
Yes. This recipe uses just half a banana for one serving, and you can easily double it to use a whole banana and feed two. Most full-size banana bread loaves call for 3 to 4 bananas, which is overkill if you only have one ripe banana on the counter.
Yes. Microwave on high for 90 to 120 seconds, depending on your microwave. The texture will be a little softer and less browned than the oven version, but the flavor is the same. See the microwave method above for full instructions; it's the same technique I use for my microwaved baked oats.
An 8-ounce ramekin is the right size. A smaller ramekin will overflow, and a larger one will give you a flatter, more cake-like bread. If you don't have a ramekin, a microwave-safe mug or a small oven-safe baking dish works too.
I don't recommend it. The recipe is built around oat flour's higher absorption, and a 1:1 swap with all-purpose flour will give you a dense, gummy texture. If you don't have oat flour, blend ⅓ cup of rolled oats in a blender or food processor until fine. It's the same trick I use in my healthy chocolate chip oatmeal bars when readers don't have specialty flours.
More Single-Serve Recipes You'll Love
If you loved this banana bread for one, here are a few more recipes to try next:
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Single Serve Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ large ripe banana, spotty and brown for extra sweetness
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoon almond milk or oat milk, I love vanilla unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup, or honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon nut butter, peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter, or cashew butter
- ⅓ cup oat flour, homemade or store-bought
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Optional: 2 tablespoon mini chocolate chips and/or chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (180°C) and lightly grease an 8-ounce ramekin or single-serve baking dish. READ NOTES FOR MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Whisk in the egg, milk, maple syrup (or honey), nut butter, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until no dry flour remains. Fold in chocolate chips or walnuts if using.
- Transfer to the greased ramekin. Pour the batter into the greased ramekin. Top with extra chocolate chips or walnuts if desired.
- Bake. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of peanut butter, a dollop of yogurt, or fresh fruit.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower and Ironman triathlete based in Austin, TX, Tati develops high-protein recipes that taste like the real thing. This single-serve banana bread is one she makes a few times a week.
Nicole says
Can I use all purpose flour the same measurement as the oat flour?
lauren ames says
Wow, absolutely delicious! I made the 2x version and cut into quarters for a very satisfying snack!