Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it generously with coconut oil. This ensures your emma macdonald banana bread releases easily after baking.

If you’re using whole oats instead of pre-made oat flour, add 1 cup of oats to your blender and pulse until you achieve a fine, flour-like consistency. This takes about 30-45 seconds.

In a large mixing bowl, mash your 3 ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until mostly smooth (a few small lumps are fine). Add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until well combined and creamy.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps and everything is evenly distributed.

Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the bowl with your wet ingredients. Gently fold everything together using a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix until just combined-don’t overmix! A few streaks of flour are okay. If you’re adding chocolate chips or walnuts, fold them in now.

Transfer the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top and spread it evenly into the corners.

Bake in your preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. The banana bread is done when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Remove from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.