Healthy Oatmeal Gingerbread Loaf

Yields: 12 slices

Add a festive flavor to your day with this healthy oatmeal gingerbread loaf! It’s supremely soft and moist with cozy spices in every bite. The batter comes together quickly, and a simple baking trick yields the best tender texture inside. This easy quick bread recipe is perfect for breakfasts and snacks — especially during the holiday season! Leftovers should keep for a few days, if not closer to a week, if stored in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap (I love this brand because it seals more tightly!) or inside of an airtight container.

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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
¼ cup (60mL) molasses (not blackstrap!)
2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 tbsp (5g) ground ginger (see Notes!)
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
2 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk, divided

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, and molasses. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg whites, vanilla, and stevia. Add in the oat mixture, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in ½ cup of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining ½ cup of milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. 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 45 minutes. Acting very quickly, remove the pan from the oven, and remove the foil. Immediately put the pan back in the oven, and continue baking the gingerbread for an additional 30-35 minutes (for a total of 75-80 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully 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 will dry out the gingerbread. This is especially true of the oats; they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture.

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

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I think this gingerbread tastes even better a day after it was baked! That gives the spices a chance to meld and marry, so they taste a bit stronger, richer, and fuller the next day.

For a stronger spice flavor, increase the ginger by anywhere from an additional ¼ to 1 ½ teaspoons. I generally use a total of 4 to 4 ½ teaspoons because I love my gingerbread on the spicy side. (See the “Spices” header in the “Key Ingredients to Make a Healthy Oatmeal Gingerbread Loaf” section in my blog post above the recipe for more details!)

For sweeter gingerbread, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon.

OATS NOTE + 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 gingerbread its supremely moist 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.

MOLASSES NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I don’t recommend substituting anything for the molasses, if at all possible. It’s required to produce the iconic gingerbread flavor. Regular unsulphured molasses is best. Do not use blackstrap molasses; it’s too bitter.

However, I understand it can be hard to find molasses outside of the US, so in a pinch, you can substitute pure maple syrup, honey, or agave. They’ll produce the same texture, but keep in mind your gingerbread will have a noticeably different flavor. If you’re overseas and can find black treacle, that would be an even better substitute!

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour. (See the “Flour” header in the “Key Ingredients to Make a Healthy Oatmeal Gingerbread Loaf” section above for more info about which flours I recommend!)

SPICE NOTES: I prefer Saigon cinnamon (I buy it online here!) because it tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. The nutmeg and cloves add richness and a lovely background warmth. (See the “Spices” header in the “Key Ingredients to Make a Healthy Oatmeal Gingerbread Loaf” section in my blog post above the recipe for more info!)

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

If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 large eggs AND decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon (15mL) 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 from this gingerbread, substitute ½ cup (96g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar AND reduce the milk to ¾ cup (180mL). You may also substitute ½ cup (120mL) 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 as well.

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

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats. For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 cup (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 the fully cooled gingerbread in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap (I love this brand because it seals more tightly than other brands!) or inside of an airtight container. It should keep for at least four days, if not closer to a week or more.

FREEZING TIPS: I’ve found it’s easier to cut the loaf into individual slices prior to freezing. I like to thaw individual slices in the microwave on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. They almost taste freshly baked like that!

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

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.