A few years ago, I woke up at 3:30 am to head to the airport with my brother and hop on a flight to Arizona to visit our grandparents for Christmas. The roads were eerily black and empty at that early hour with only a handful of visible headlights and taillights glowing through the fog, but when we reached the airport…
It was a completely different story. In the second terminal from where our flight took off, the line for the security checkpoint stretched out and wrapped around the baggage claim twice, resulting in nearly a two-hour wait. And our flight left just 45 minutes later.
While I stood in the gigantic line and held our place, my brother scampered over to the first terminal, and only a couple of minutes later, he called me and told me to rush over to join him. “There’s zero line here!” he reassured me.
He was right, and we even made it to our gate with enough time to use the restroom before boarding. Whew!
As soon as we landed in Las Vegas for our one-hour layover, we walked around that terminal in search of food. Nearly five hours had passed since my alarm rang that morning, and I definitely needed breakfast!
Yet very few of the airport shops offered anything healthy. Instead, we found lots of sweet holiday treats: chocolate donuts with Christmas sprinkles, slices of maple glazed gingerbread, squares of jam-swirled streusel breakfast cake, and oversized eggnog flavored scones.
I ended up grabbing a simple banana and black coffee from Starbucks, but…
I would’ve loved a slice of this Healthy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Quick Bread too! It’s supremely moist, even with no refined flour or sugar, and it’s full of fresh bright cranberries and rich chocolate. (One of my favorite holiday flavor combinations!)
Even better? It’s simple to make (no mixer required!) and just 131 calories!
So let’s go over how to make this healthy cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast quick bread!
You’ll start with instant oats. Instant oats also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats, and they’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. This size difference ensures that they soften more while baking, which leads to a supremely moist and tender healthy cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal quick bread!
Hint: It’s extremely important to measure the oats (and flour, once you get to that point!) correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too many oats will dry out the batter and make your breakfast quick bread dry and crumbly, instead of moist and tender. This is because oats act like little sponges and soak up as much moisture from the batter as they can!
To help the oats soften ahead of time and therefore achieve the best possible texture, you’ll mix them with Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract. Let that bowl sit while you measure and mix together the rest of your ingredients. By the time you’re ready to mix the oats into the batter, they’ll be perfectly soft!
Like I alluded to just a moment ago, you’ll also need white whole wheat flour (that you’ve measured correctly!). 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 a heartier variety of red wheat. They have the same health benefits, like extra fiber, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture. That lets the moist texture of your healthy cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast quick bread really shine!
It feels nearly impossible to eat oatmeal in any form—a regular bowl for breakfast, cookies, muffins or quick breads like this one—without cinnamon. Maybe I’m a bit strange, but I always want to stir in at least a little bit! So that’s what I did in this healthy cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast quick bread too. It adds a nice warmth and richness!
Unlike many traditional quick bread recipes that call for ¼ to ½ cup of oil, you just need a mere ½ tablespoon of melted butter in this one. Whew! That shaves off 444-939 calories. That definitely helps keep your healthy cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal quick bread low fat and low calorie!
Then the rest of its tender texture comes from Greek yogurt! You already mixed that into the instant oats, but even so, it adds the same moisture to your breakfast quick bread as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories. It also adds a protein boost!
You’ll sweeten your healthy cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal quick bread with one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated. You only need 1 ½ teaspoons for this entire quick bread, which is the equivalent of nearly ¾ cup of granulated sugar!
Tip: This is the liquid stevia I use. I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!
Time to add the mix-ins! You’ll need fresh cranberries and mini chocolate chips. As a shortcut, I pop my cranberries in my food processor to quickly chop them. So easy! And as for the chocolate, I prefer mini chips because their small size ensures every bite contains a morsel of chocolate. Yum!
Once you’ve spread your batter into your loaf pan, you’ll actually cover the top of the pan with foil. Try to “bump” up the center of the foil to ensure your loaf doesn’t touch the foil as it bakes!
Covering your pan with foil achieves two things: (a) it ensures the center cooks all the way through without the top turning overly brown or burnt and (b) it creates a more even domed top, without any funky cracks or pieces jutting out. And I definitely love when my breakfast quick breads look pretty with that perfect domed top!
Even though it feels nearly impossible to wait until your loaf cools to room temperature, I promise it’s worth it! Your healthy cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast quick bread will have an even better texture if you wait for it to cool. And once it’s at room temperature…
It’s time to enjoy a slice or two! 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 cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast quick bread!
| Healthy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Quick Bread | | Print |
- 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 tsp ground cinnamon
- 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
- 1 ¼ cups (125g) fresh cranberries, diced
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9x5” loaf pan with 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, 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 cranberries and 2 ½ tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips on top. Cover the top with foil, and try to push up the foil in the center to ensure it doesn’t touch the batter while baking. Bake covered at 350°F for 35 minutes. Acting very quickly, remove the pan from the oven, and carefully remove the foil. Immediately put the pan back in the oven, and continue baking the quick bread for an additional 30-35 minutes (for a total of 65-70 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat flour.
Remember to measure your oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will make your quick bread turn out dry. This is especially true of the oats because they act like sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the batter.
The 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 much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) I buy mine online here because that's the best price I've found. However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the quick bread, substitute ¾ 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 with either of those substitutions as well.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
For a shortcut, I pulse my cranberries a few times in a food processor to chop them. For best results, they should be no larger than ¼ of their original size.
If you prefer, you may substitute ¾ cup (120g) dried cranberries in place of the fresh cranberries. Before beginning this recipe, add your dried cranberries to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover them with water. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the dried cranberries sit while preparing the quick bread batter. Once ready to add them, drain the dried cranberries and gently fold them into the batter.
Do not use an electric mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
You must cover the batter with foil during the first stage of baking. This allows the center to cook through without the top turning overly brown or burnt. Work very quickly when removing the foil! If you leave the pan out of the oven for too long, the loaf will start to collapse, and it won’t recover to fully rise properly.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Quick Bread
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
♡ Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Scones
♡ Healthy Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Muffins
♡ Healthy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Scones
Hi Amy. Just want to let you know that you mis-used the word “elude”l in your explanation for the cranberry choc chip oatmeal loaf. Elude means to avoid or escape from. The word you were looking for is “allude”.
I like your recipes, and especially the use of Greek yogurt to replace butter..
Thanks Janis. I’d love to hear what you think if you try this quick bread! 🙂
Do you have suggestions on baking times for smaller loaves? I would like to bake several smaller loaves of this recipe for holiday gift-giving. If you do not think baking smaller loaves would be successful, please say so. Thank you for your expertise and input.
I’m honored that you’d consider making this to give as holiday gifts Virginia! It should work to bake as smaller loaves, and you can omit covering the tops with foil while they bake because they’re so much smaller. I’m not entirely sure how much time they’ll take, but I’d begin checking after about 18 minutes. They may take more time, but it’s easier to bake them longer than for less time! They’ll be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your mini loaves turn out!
Hi Amy… I just finished baking a loaf and the top looks a little wavy with short peaks not as smooth and golden brown like your photo. Also, what was the extra 2 tbs. of milk for? Thank you for your reply.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Colleen! Did you cover the top with foil during the first half baking? I go over how to achieve the pretty and even domed top in the blog post above the recipe. I know it can be easy to scroll right past that section! I’m not quite sure what you mean by 2 extra tablespoons of milk. All of the milk is accounted for! You should’ve added 6 tablespoons to the oats in the beginning of Step 2 and ¾ cup at the end of Step 2. Six tablespoons is the equivalent of ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons, therefore the total equals 1 cup + 2 tablespoons. Does that make sense? 🙂
I brought this bread into the office and everyone loved it! It was very tasty and not too sugary. I will be making it again for Christmas Eve. I have to recheck my measurements for the milk as I used a measuring spoon when I measured the 6 tablespoons instead of converting it to cups! All your healthy recipes look great and will be trying a lot more!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this breakfast quick bread Colleen! That means the world to me that you’d share it with your office and plan on baking it again for Christmas Eve too! That’s the best kind of compliment! 🙂 I actually use measuring spoons for those 6 tablespoons as well. I have a handy 2-tablespoon measuring spoon, so I just use 3 of those! But if you’d like to use measuring cups, then 6 tablespoons is the same as ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons. 😉 I’m so excited to hear what recipe of mine you decide to try next!
This recipe looks amazing! I want to try this tomorrow. I will use honey or maple syrup for the instead of the stevia. Thanks for the recipe. Your pictures looks amazing.
You’re so sweet Noemi — that means so much to me! Thank you for your kind words about my photos! 🙂 I’m really excited to hear what you think of this breakfast quick bread if you make it tomorrow!
I just made this breakfast bread using honey instead of the liquid stevia (will definitely like to try it the next time). The Bread came out beautiful and I have to say that I love it. I have never use fresh cranberries before on my recipes and I love the color and light sour taste it gives to the bread. It is indeed a Breakfast Bread. I personally don’t like sweet cakes or breads and I avoid refine sugars so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. The chocolate chips are a fantastic combination. I recently purchased a kitchen scale and I was excited to use it for this recipe. Thanks Amy for showing us how to eat healthy and delicious at the same time.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this breakfast quick bread Noemi!! I’m truly honored that you’d trust my recipe to try baking with fresh cranberries for the first time. That really means a lot to me! 🙂
No refined sugar? What about the chocolate chips? Still looks yummy, and *low* sugar at least.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Carol! If you use my homemade chocolate chips recipe (here), they don’t contain refined sugar! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this breakfast quick bread!