Blueberry and Banana Oat Loaf

16 Apr 2023

A slice of this quick and easy-to-make loaf is ideal for dessert or for a picnic.

Ingredients

200g self-raising flour
1 x 5ml spoon baking powder
50g caster sugar
100g oats
1 large orange
3 medium bananas (ripe)
2 eggs
6 x 15ml spoons sunflower oil
1 x 5ml spoon vanilla extract
1–2 x 15ml spoons semi-skimmed milk
175g blueberries


Equipment

Weighing scales
500g loaf tin
Pastry brush
Greaseproof paper
Scissors
Sieve
Large mixing bowl
Grater
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Juice squeezer
Medium bowl
Fork
Small bowl
Measuring spoons
Wooden or plastic spoon
Spatula
Oven gloves
Cooling rack


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan or gas mark 4.
  2. Grease the loaf tin with a little of the oil. Cut a strip of baking parchment and line the base of the loaf tin.
  3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar and oats.
  4. Grate the orange zest, cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice.
  5. Peel the bananas and mash with a fork in a medium bowl.
  6. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl with the fork and stir in the oil.
  7. Add the bananas, vanilla extract, orange zest, and oil and egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Measure the orange juice and make up to 6 x 15ml spoons with the milk if there is not enough juice. Add to the bowl and stir to combine.
  8. Add the blueberries and gently stir them into the mixture.
  9. Pour into the prepared loaf tin, scraping the bowl clean with the spatula.
  10. Bake in the oven for 45–50 minutes or until golden brown and firm and springy when pressed on the top. It should have shrunk away from the sides of the tin.
  11. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, peeling, grating, squeezing, sifting, whisking, mixing/combining and baking.


Top Tips

  • Try to keep the blueberries whole by stirring the mixture gently when you have added them. If they burst you will have a purple loaf.
  • This recipe is best made using ripe bananas as they taste sweeter and are easy to mash.
  • The loaf tastes even better the day after it is made.

Something to try next time 

  • Replace the blueberries with fresh raspberries. Fold the fruit into the mixture in the same way as the blueberries.