Stop your searching…this is the definitive vegan banana bread recipe. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness, tenderness and…here comes that word…moistness (sorry). Truly, it’s amazing!
Vegan
What is it about banana bread that brings us comfort? Why is it that the scent of it baking instantly calms us. It’s kind of like a hug.
Banana bread is definitely having a moment right now. It’s simple to make with ingredients that are…hopefully…easy to get. Plus, just getting into the kitchen to bake…that process…it’s almost meditative and calming. Bring your family into the kitchen with you and share the joy together.
Once this loaf goes into the oven and gets baking, the smell alone brings on this feeling of familiarity and comfort.
There are a lot of us looking for that comfort right now. Right at this moment, please know, I’m sending you so much love and hopes for health, peacefulness and calm.
I’ve posted quite a few banana bread recipes here over the years, but, my friends, this vegan recipe is one that I think I’m most proud of. One thing I love about this is…there are no odd ingredients to replace anything. Simple. Easy-peasy. And if you’re not vegan…I promise you…no one…truly no one…will notice the difference.
This recipe has been tested and tweaked quite a bit. So, when I’m not in recipe testing mode, I can get a bit lax with my measurements. Measuring while cooking…and even baking (I’m shaking my head right now)…has never been my way. I mean…it explains why, before this blog, I couldn’t call myself a great baker.
But…this recipe…this has been measured mostly by weight. Why? Because my loaves were turning out so inconstant. And it was maddening. So, when I tell you that this really is the definitive banana bread recipe…believe me. I even wrote that down on paper as I took notes.
If you have a kitchen scale…I highly recommend using it. If you don’t, no problem, just follow the volume measurements exactly.
Again…I’m sending you all love and peace. I hope this brings you some sweetness and joy. xo
If you love this Vegan Banana Bread…
Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups (258g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (370g) mashed banana about 3 medium
- 3/4 cup (173g) organic granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or other plant-based oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional…but tasty
- 1 -2 teaspoons coarse turbinado sugar for topping optional…but also tasty
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a tiny bit of avocado oil, grease just the bottom of a 9×5 loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the mashed banana, sugar, oil, milk, vinegar and vanilla until frothy and blended well.
- Pour the banana mixture over the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix just until blended. If using, add the walnuts and mix in.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. I love to sprinkle that tiny bit of turbinado sugar over top before baking. It gives the loaf a nice crunchy top…it's so good! If you don't have turbinado, go ahead and use whatever sugar you do have.
- Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 or 10 minutes. I start checking with a toothpick inserted into the center at the 1 hour mark.
- Cool for about 30 minutes in the pan, then continue cooling on a rack for at least one hour before slicing. I like storing my bread in a paper bag on the counter. It keeps the top nice and crunchy.
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Hi, can I make this with wholewheat flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Great question, Auj! You can. Keep in mind, when using 100% whole wheat, you may find the bread to be a bit drier and have a grainier feel. In doing that, I’d recommend weighing your flour. This recipe calls for 258g of white flour, so you’d want to use about 25% less, which would be about 194g of whole wheat flour. I haven’t tested this recipe with whole wheat flour, but I’d love to hear about your results! :)
Found this on Pinterest and saw all of the great reviews! I had to try it! So glad I did. This is going to be my regular banana bread recipe. I added some pecans. Amazing
So happy to hear that, Hally! Pecans are such a great idea! Thank you so much for brightening my day!
Great recipe! I added chocolate chips and reduced the sugar to about 145g while using molasses sugar.
Mine baked within 40-45 minutes at the same temperature and it rose beatifully. Thank you so much! :))
Ooooh…I LOVE the addition of chocolate chips! Great idea, Rens! Thanks so much for sharing your tips. So glad you enjoyed it!
Have you tried this recipe with gluten free flours ? Like oat flour ?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
Thank you 😊
Lina R.
Great question, Lina! I haven’t tried this particular recipe with gluten free flours, but I have baked quite a bit substituting all-purpose flour with an all-purpose gluten free flour successfully. I hope that helps!
Would it make much difference to the taste if you used an alternative oil, like olive oil?
Great question, Karen. I do bake with olive oil sometimes and it all depends on the flavor of the oil you’re using. If you use a very peppery olive oil, you may end up with an off taste, but a mild or fruity flavored olive oil would work fine. I’d love to hear your results if you do!
We just made vegan banana muffins yesterday! It’s definitely a thing…especially when eggs and butter can be hard to come by. Definitely trying this the next time we have some bananas to use up!
Hey Joanne! I hope you get a chance to try this…I think you’ll love it!