Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Quick Bread

 
During my first year of graduate school, I started making oatmeal for breakfast when the weather turned cooler. There was something that felt so cozy and satisfying about enjoying a hot breakfast after returning from a run in the brisk autumn air… Especially when it took barely any effort to make!  

I’d pour quick-cooking oats and water into a bowl, along with a little sweetener, and pop that in the microwave. Less than two minutes later when the timer rang, I’d stir in a generous amount of cinnamon (I love it as much as chocolate!), and I sometimes added in some fresh fruit or raisins.

The latter was my favorite… It made my breakfast taste like oatmeal raisin cookies!
 

 
When the next term began, I had to sign up for classes that started at either 7:30 am or 8 am almost every day of the week, which barely gave me enough time to exercise and shower before running out the door. As a result, I traded my bowls of oatmeal for a banana and a tupperware of dry cereal or an English muffin with peanut butter.

I needed something portable that I could easily take to campus, and back then, I just couldn’t figure out a way to do that with my “oatmeal cookie” breakfast bowl!
 

 
Finally, too many years later, I came up with a solution… This healthy oatmeal raisin breakfast quick bread! With its tender texture and cozy spices, it still tastes like oatmeal raisin cookies (hooray!), and it’s really easy to cut a slice or two as a healthy-yet-portable breakfast. This quick bread is also perfect for make-ahead breakfast meal prepping, if your schedule is as busy as mine was during that second term!

Now if only I could go back in time… My college self would be thrilled to nibble on slices of this on those cool and early mornings!
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A HEALTHY OATMEAL RAISIN BREAKFAST QUICK BREAD

Let’s talk about the key ingredients that you’ll need to make this healthy oatmeal raisin quick bread! Since you probably have staples like baking powder, vanilla, and salt in your kitchen already, we’ll stick with the more interesting items for now.

Oats. For this recipe, you’ll use instant oats. They’re also called “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats, and they’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned oats. That size difference is important! It means they soften faster, which gives your oatmeal quick bread the best moist and tender texture.

Tip: You can find instant oats in containers right next to the regular old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store. If you don’t see “instant” oats, then check for bags or canisters with their other names: quick cooking or one-minute oats!

Hint: Instant oats are not the ones that come in individual packets with flavors like apple cinnamon or maple brown sugar. Just like old-fashioned rolled oats, they only contain one ingredient: oats!

Flour. To make this oatmeal quick bread healthier, I opted for white whole wheat flour. Yes, such a thing actually exists — and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour!

Here in the US, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from heartier red wheat. White whole wheat flour boasts the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, like extra fiber and micronutrients, yet it also has a lighter taste and texture. That lets the oatmeal cookie-like flavors really shine in this healthy breakfast bread!

Hint: It’s similar to red and green grapes. Noticeably different appearance, slightly different flavors, but similar health benefits!

Spices. That’s right — plural! You’ll add both cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter. Cinnamon provides that familiar and extra cozy flavor, while nutmeg creates a deep richness and “comfort food” taste. Don’t skip it!

Tip: This is currently my favorite cinnamon! It has a slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor than regular cinnamon, which I absolutely adore. It’s basically the only kind I use in my baking now!
 

 
Egg whites. The white contains the majority of an egg’s protein, and that protein helps (a) prevent your oatmeal quick bread from collapsing and (b) maintain its structure while it cools.

Greek yogurt. Even with merely ½ tablespoon of butter or oil, your healthy oatmeal quick bread will still turn out incredibly moist and soft. Greek yogurt is the reason why! It’s one of my favorite healthy baking ingredients. In this recipe, Greek yogurt adds the same moisture to the batter as extra oil or butter — but for a fraction of the calories! — and it also gives your oatmeal quick bread a protein boost.

Sweetener. You’ll sweeten this healthy oatmeal quick bread with another one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, sugar-free, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean-eating friendly!), and it’s very concentrated. You just need 1 ½ teaspoons for this entire loaf!

This is the kind I use because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste. Although you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

Tip: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. I highly recommend using the same one that I do for the best flavor!

Raisins. These just might be my favorite part of this healthy quick bread… I love the bright pops of natural sweetness that they add — and how every time I bite into one, I almost feel like I’m eating an oatmeal raisin cookie!
 

HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY OATMEAL RAISIN BREAKFAST QUICK BREAD

Time to go over how to make the best healthy oatmeal raisin quick bread! This recipe is easy and straightforward (I promise!), and I have some tips to share to ensure your loaf turns out perfectly.

Measure correctly. When measuring the oats and flour, it’s extremely important to do it properly. Use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) As tempting as it may be, do NOT scoop either one directly from the container with your measuring cups. This can lead to adding up to 1 ½ times as much… Which yields a bland and dry loaf. Not good!

If you take the time to measure correctly (try my special trick — or bonus points if you opt for a kitchen scale!), your oatmeal quick bread should turn out beautifully moist, soft, and tender with an irresistible cozy and sweet flavor. Yum!

Hydrate the raisins. This is one of my special baking tricks! I do this whenever I use raisins, and it makes a huge difference in their texture and flavor.

Unless you bought your raisins yesterday, there’s a very good chance they’ve been sitting in your pantry for a bit… And the longer raisins sit, the stiffer and drier they get. Yes — dried fruit often continues to dry out at your house!

But hydrating the raisins immediately fixes that! It’s super easy to do. Add them to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour in water until the raisins are fully submerged. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap or a lid, and pop that in the microwave for 1 minute. Let the raisins sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Just before adding them to your mixing bowl, drain them — and voila! Perfectly plump, really juicy, exceptionally sweet, absolutely irresistible raisins!
 

 
Soak the oats. I’ve already built this into Step 2, but I wanted to cover why you’re doing this. You’ll mix the oats with the Greek yogurt, some milk, and the vanilla extract before whisking together any of the other ingredients. This lets the oats start soaking up moisture ahead of time. Just like how overnight oats recipes work, the oats naturally start to soften when combined with liquid ingredients, which then yields an even softer and moister texture in your oatmeal quick bread.

Hint: It’s the same trick I use in all of my oatmeal muffin recipes and bran muffin recipes!

Mix by hand. Put away your stand mixer and hand-held mixer! Those tend to overmix low-fat and sugar-free batters, like this one. Overmixing leads to tough, gummy, rubbery, or dense textures… Not good! But if you mix by hand and use a gentle touch, your healthy oatmeal quick bread should turn out really soft and moist.

So use a whisk where explicitly instructed and a fork for everything else. Yes — a fork! The open spaces between the fork’s tines allow the ingredients to pass through and mix more efficiently, compared to the wide flat side of a spoon or spatula, so this also helps guard against overmixing. It may be unconventional, but it’s why a fork is my preferred stirring utensil!

Bake + cool. Your healthy oatmeal quick bread is done when the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with some crumbs attached. Once you’ve transferred it to a wire rack, let it cool completely before slicing it.

Yes, completely. Utterly, totally, fully, and completely to room temperature. The inside structure of a quick bread (or cake!) hasn’t fully set until it cools, so if you slice into it while it’s still warm, you’ll disrupt that process. Be patient and wait for the best soft and tender texture!
 

 
How tempting does this healthy oatmeal raisin breakfast quick bread look?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy oatmeal raisin breakfast quick bread!

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Quick Bread

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 loaf, 12 slices

This healthy breakfast loaf tastes like oatmeal raisin cookies! It’s really tender with lots of cozy spices, and the raisins add big bursts of sweetness. The quick bread will keep for at least four days (if not closer to one week!) if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, and individual slices also freeze well.

4.63 from 8 votes

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Ingredients 

• ¾ cup (75g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
• ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270mL) nonfat milk, divided
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
• ⅓ cup (53g) raisins (hydrated first – see Notes!)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, Greek yogurt, 6 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and liquid stevia. Stir in the oat mixture, mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining ¾ cup of milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the raisins.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's extremely important to measure the oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either one will make your quick bread turn out bland and dry. This is especially true of the oats because they act like sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the batter.

 

IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense, tough, gummy, or rubbery loaf. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else.

 

OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, so they soften faster (which gives this quick bread its moist and soft texture!). They only include one ingredient — oats! — just like old-fashioned rolled oats. You can find instant oats right next to the traditional old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store. (They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal!)

 

In a pinch, to make your own, add ¾ cup (75g) of old-fashioned rolled oats to a blender or food processor, and pulse until they’re ⅛ to ¼ of their original size.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.

 

SPICE NOTES: I prefer Saigon cinnamon (I buy it online here!) because it tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. The nutmeg adds richness and a lovely background warmth.

 

EGG WHITES NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: This quick bread requires 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the loaf maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without both egg whites, the loaf will collapse while cooling and turn out denser.

 

If you prefer to use whole eggs, then substitute 2 large eggs AND decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.

 

STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, use the same liquid stevia that I do. I buy it online here (← that’s the best price I’ve found!), and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. (It's one of my favorite ingredients!)

 

However, if you strongly prefer to omit the liquid stevia, substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar AND reduce the milk to ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (195mL). You may also substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150mL) pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND reduce the milk to ½ cup (120mL) instead. The baking time may vary slightly with either of those substitutions.

 

RAISINS NOTE: I highly recommend hydrating your raisins first. It makes them really soft, plump, and juicy! To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and cover the top of the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the raisins sit for 10-15 minutes (or while you measure and mix together the rest of the ingredients). Thoroughly drain the excess liquid before folding them into the batter.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 cups (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover quick bread in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap (I love this one because it seals more tightly than other brands!) or inside of an airtight container. It should keep for at least four days, if not a week or longer.

 

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Quick Bread
♡  Healthy Carrot Cake Breakfast Quick Bread
♡  Healthy Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Bread
♡  Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Scones
♡  Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies
♡  Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Snack Cake
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Oatmeal Muffins
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy quick bread recipes!