Easy Vegan Banana Bread that's whole grain, perfectly sweet and moist, and takes less than 10 minutes to whip up! A healthy and simple recipe that will be the only banana bread you ever need.
I've always been a gigantic banana bread girl. Who in their right mind doesn't adore banana bread? I cannot comprehend.
With all the vegan recipes around these parts, it was high time to add a solid banana bread to the dessert list. Vegan chocolate zucchini banana bread, vegan banana oat muffins, vegan pumpkin gingerbread...the list goes on!
I grew up eating classic banana bread at least monthly. My mom was the dessert queen. I have vivid memories of powdered sugar dusted apple cake, gooey brownies, and cream cheese cookies. I guarantee she's gonna love this version, too!
How to make vegan banana bread
We're using classic pantry staples to make this simple, fluffy loaf. No egg substitutes required!
- Make vegan buttermilk by mixing milk and vinegar.
- Mash bananas then add sugar, oil, vanilla, and milk.
- Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Pour wet into dry and mix just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour into greased loaf pan, bake for about an hour and 10 minutes, cool and dig in!
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Whole wheat pastry flour: So fluffy! I love using this flour in quick breads because it gives you the 100% whole grain benefit without the super "wheaty" taste of whole grain flour. You can easily sub it out for all purpose flour, too.
- Banana: Use the ripest bananas you have to get the most natural sweetness bang for your buck. Mine were pretty much black. It's cool! Measure out 1 ½ cups the banana after you mash it as bananas greatly vary in size. I find that frozen bananas are too liquidy so I don't recommend going that route.
- Sugar: We're keeping it simple with sugar but you can also use coconut sugar or brown sugar. Maple syrup works beautifully as well if you're looking for a more natural sweetener. I tried it with ⅓ cup maple syrup and I had to cook it for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Non-dairy milk: I used unsweetened vanilla almond. We're adding a splash of vinegar for that buttermilk effect. Lemon juice also works.
- Oil: Any neutral flavored oil is great here--avocado, melted coconut oil, etc.
- Vanilla and cinnamon: To enhance the banana bread flavor. You can omit the cinnamon if you're not a fan but I love the warmth it adds.
- Chocolate chips: I pretty much live for chocolate chips, but you can leave them out if that's your jam. You could also use walnuts! Cost saving tip: I like to get the big bag of dairy-free chocolate chips from Costco (you can buy them on Amazon, too).
Tips for success
- Use the ripest bananas around for the best banana flavor. Dark brown and spotty is ideal!
- Don't over-mix the batter. Lumps are your friend so you don't overdevelop the gluten. This loaf is nice and fluffy versus dense.
- Jazz it up with your favorite add-ins! Chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, coconut, extra cinnamon....YUM.
- Give your loaf pan a good spray or line with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Let the bread cool a bit before removing it from the pan for perfect slicing.
Can this be made gluten free?
Why yes, it can! Readers have had success with a 1:1 gluten free baking flour.
Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes, but be sure to fully thaw them at room temperature, drain any of the excess liquid, and then measure. You may need to use a bit more bananas if you use frozen.
Storage tips
The best place to store banana bread is on the countertop in an air-tight container for up to three days. If you still have some left to munch on, you can store in the fridge for up to a week or more and it will stay moist.
Can I freeze bread?
Indeed! Simply wrap the loaf tightly in foil then in a plastic bag with the air squeezed out. It will stay fresh for up to four months. You can thaw it on the counter at room temp or reheat the microwave for 30 seconds when you’re ready to eat.
More healthy quick breads
- Carrot Banana Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Almond Flour Chocolate Banana Bread
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread
Please let me know how this vegan banana bread recipe turns out for you by leaving a star rating and/or comment!
OH MAN. Your house is about to smell soooooo good.
Print
Vegan Banana Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Banana Bread that's 100% whole grain, perfectly sweet and moist, and takes less than 10 minutes to whip up! A healthy and super simple banana bread recipe that will quickly become a favorite. See notes for gluten free options. Delicious with my Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup non dairy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups very overripe bananas, mashed (about 3 medium bananas)
- ½ cup organic cane sugar (or ⅓ cup maple syrup)
- ¼ cup avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5in loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Place almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.
- Measure out bananas in a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to mash them well. Add sugar or syrup, oil, and vanilla, whisking to combine. Stir in milk.
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir just until just barely combined (a few flour clumps are okay). Fold in chocolate chips, being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour into pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes for maple syrup version), or until a knife comes out clean. If your loaf looks like it's getting too browned, quickly slide a piece of tin foil on top after 50 minutes. Once done, carefully remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Notes
TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: Do not substitute almond flour or coconut flour for the whole wheat flour; they are not even substitutes and your banana bread will not turn out. For a gluten-free version, readers have had success with 2 cups of 1:1 GF baking flour OR 1 ½ GF baking flour + ½ cup almond flour. Or try my Best Gluten Free Banana Bread!
Keywords: vegan banana bread, healthy banana bread
Katie says
There is a problem with the web page's recipe widget. It doubles and triples the recipe except for the bananas! I wanted to make two loaves. Due to the lack of moisture, the cooking time is too long. I pulled it out 25 minutes before the recommended time and both loaves were dry and hard on the outside. I can see how this recipe could be good but I just wasted a lot of ingredients due to a website error. Ugh.
★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Hey Katie, I'm so sorry to hear this. I just tested the widget and it correctly showed 3 cups banana for doubling and 4 1/2 cups for tripling. You're correct that unfortunately the 3 bananas in parentheses do not triple; it only multiples the first quantity listed. People often ask to list number of bananas so this is an issue I can't currently avoid if I want to list both measurements.
Sandra Ni Hodnae says
Absolutely love ❤️ this receipe. So easy , quick and everyone adores it. Thanks 🤗
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes, thanks so much Sandra!
Melissa says
I made this for my boyfriend’s parents (not vegans) and they liked it so much they asked me for the recipe 😄 not bad for first time meeting them!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Hahah that is amazing! So glad it was a winner with them 🙂
Pam says
Can I use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil????
Alexis Joseph says
I do not recommend it; the oil is important for moisture and texture and it will likely be spongey without it!
Rena Remer says
I realized I may have never left a comment. I make this bread all the time. My family and friends love it and I think it is by far my favorite recipe. Turns out incredible 100% of the time. It brings me so much joy making it, especially not having to make any concessions for vegan friends. Only item is that mine usually cooks faster than the recipe states. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
You made my day, thank you SO much Rena!
Rose says
Warning to all who don’t already do this.. check your bread as it is baking regularly… I baked it for 15 minutes less than suggested, and it was still burnt and crispy all along the outside (top and bottom). (I should have taken it out at 45 minutes when I covered the top with foil, as my chocolate chips were already burnt.) If you think the bread is done… it probably is. You can always bake it more if not. This is why I never bake things, it never turns out.
Vicki Johnson says
So delicious and so easy! Thanks for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Lea says
Delicious and easy to follow, loved it!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyyy thanks Lea!
Carlie says
Happy to have found another go-to recipe! I can always count on Alexis to create healthier recipes that don't compromise flavor. I used maple syrup and baked for 1 hr 10 mins, and it was a bit overdone, but just goes to show oven temps/times can vary.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Stellar! So sorry it was overdone but glad you still enjoyed it!
Laura says
Absolutely delicious..used oat flour and was so good. The kids loved it. Entire loaf gone in about 10 minutes!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Oh wow I'm thrilled to know! Thanks, Laura!
Jillian says
Easily my favorite banana bread recipe! I always use maple syrup and a pinch of extra cinnamon. So easy, standard ingredients, and not overly sweet! Everyone who tries one LOVES them!
★★★★★
Alexis says
Yayyy thanks a million, Jillian!
Lindsey Schiffner says
I've made this so many times and brought to lots of parties and holidays! People love it, it is always a crowd pleaser! Great if you or people you are having have allergies or are vegan!
★★★★★
Alexis says
You made my day, thanks Lindsey!
Valerie says
This recipe is just so, SO good!! Followed it to a T and omg it’s a gem. Came out perfectly moist - honestly best vegan BB I’ve tried! Two of us finished the loaf in 2 days 😆
★★★★★
Alexis says
You're the best!!! XOXO
Stasia says
I made this last night! I used white whole wheat flour and cut the sugar down to 1 1/4 cups. My oven is fast so, it was done in 40 minutes. Came out great!
Alexis says
Amazing, thanks so much Stasia! Would you be up for leaving a star rating? You rock!
AM says
So delicious! I made muffins with this recipe and they came out perfect.
★★★★★
Alexis says
Yayyyy best news!!
Erin says
The BEST vegan banana bread!! I make this almost weekly, so good!
★★★★★
Alexis says
Awwww thank you TONS, Erin!! That means so much 🙂
Laura says
Delicious and easy to make. The kids loved it. We used maple syrup and almond milk and it was yum. I only needed to bake it for 45 minutes.
Can we replace the flour with oat flour? Or even 50/50 flour/oat flour?
Thanks!
★★★★★
Jess says
Oh this looks great!!!
I only have to ripe bananas tho, do you reckon that will work aswell?
Cheers xx
Alexis says
Thank you! Nope, you'll need 1 1/2 cups for this recipe to work!
Sylvia says
This is such an amazing treat! My entire loves it!
★★★★★
Alexis says
Thanks Sylvia!!
Mimi says
have made this so many times and love it to bits, with the whole banana flavour coming through. do you think i could make an oil free version, using maybe nut butter or soy yoghurt?? cheers xx
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Awesome, so glad you loved it! I don't have much experience with oil-free baked goods so I'm not sure, sorry Mimi! I'd worry it would be gummy/dry/not a great texture.
Lisa says
We have company this weekend and I made this recipe for the weary travelers to snack on when they arrived. My friend commented that she doesn't normally care for banana bread but she absolutely loved this recipe. Thanks for a great recipe!!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Awwww the ultimate compliment!! Thanks so much 🙂
Kat says
So delicious! Not too sweet (I used maple syrup) and the perfect consistency/texture. I doubled the recipe (and added walnuts!) which made one 9x5 loaf and a dozen muffins. I think the loaf turned out better than the muffins (probably just because of the crust) but both were delish. I will def be making this again!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy thanks, Kat!! So glad you loved them 🙂
Maddy says
I've been making this banana bread for YEARS but I've never left a review somehow! It's the best vegan recipe there is. I also made it into muffins today for the first time ever and those came out amazing. I've gotten so many compliments on this bread when I make it for friends and family. I'll never use a different recipe!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Thank you so much, Maddy! That means a ton!! You made my day 🙂
Kelly says
Just made these and they turned out perfect! I'm not gluten free, but had some Bob's Red Mill 1:1 in the cabinet so I subbed the gf flour equally. I also subbed applesauce equally in place of the oil. Even with these two swaps they turned out amazing- they are not overly sweet and are moist/springy, not dense at all. My husband said if he wasn't already told they were oil free, vegan, and gluten free he would have never have known the difference. That's a huge win. Thanks for a great + easy + delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Oh wow, so awesome! Thanks, Kelly!
Abbey says
Amazing amazing banana bread! Im not even vegan but I and my whole fmaily LOVED this recipe so much. Will definitely be making more of this
★★★★★
Abigail says
This recipe is amazing! My family devoured this!!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Woop! That's the best news, thanks so much Abigail!
Anna Ginther says
Literally the only vegan banana bread I come back to! This recipe is LEGIT. So wholesome but doesn’t taste crazy healthy- hits the dang spot! One of my fav veggie bloggers 🙂
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes!! Thank you so much, Anna. You made my day 🙂
soultruth says
So Yummy! Saving this recipe!! This came out so moist!
What I did different:
- I used melted unrefined coconut oil, i love the taste of it.
- I didn't have whole wheat pastry flour, just whole wheat flour. I read that pastry flour is finer and has less gluten.
- I had 3 medium ripe bananas not large, I didn't measure how cups it ended being after I mashed them.
- I used coconut sugar instead of maple or sugar
- i used oat milk instead
- had to add 1/3 cup more milk to the batter
- because of adding more milk i added 1 teaspoon baking powder to ensure it didn't get to doughy.
I think because I used whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour it made the batter thicker (more gluten?). I had to add an additional 1/3 cup oat milk to get a nice banana bread batter. Loved the addition of chocolate chips (I didn't have chunks)! Wish I added more!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
So glad you loved it! Thanks for letting us now your subs worked, too!
LALovesFood says
I’ve used this recipe for years and it is fool-proof!!! The Banana bread comes out perfect every time! I’ve even replaced the chocolate chips with chopped up dates and it came out even better!! I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes...dates for the win! Thanks a ton!
Roop says
Delicious
★★★★★
Anne Davis says
I baked it at 350 for 55 mins . and it turned out perfect.
Lauren says
So yummy! Used brown sugar and I cooked it for about 1 hr 5 minutes and it was perfectly cooked.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Love me some brown sugar in baked goods! Thanks a ton, Lauren 🙂
Cristina says
I just made it . I used 5 average sized bananas and my pan was the 8x8x2. I baked it for 1 hour and 7 minutes and the edges were a bit chewy. Next time I’ll try just exactly 1 hour for this size of pan. It still turned out really good and moist inside though.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad it worked with all those bananas! Thanks for letting me know, Cristina!
Gail says
So easy and delicious! This will definitely be my go-to banana bread recipe for now on!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Yay! I'm so glad, thanks Gail!
Emily Pettus says
Loved this recipe! I actually just used all purpose flour because I didn’t have the other flour on hand, so the bread was ready at 50 minutes. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Love that sub! Thanks so much for letting me know, Emily. Happy eating!
Ana Rubia says
The best recipe i’ve tried!!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Thank you so much!!
Sam says
I’ve found my new go-to banana bread/muffin recipe!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad, thank you Sam!!
Christie says
Great healthy treat! Love it and highly recommend! Very filling and satisfying as well.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Love it 🙂 Thanks a ton for coming back to review this recipe, Christie! Now I need to go make another batch.
Cristina says
So easy and yummy! It was my first time making banana bread and I’m so happy I decided on hummusapien’s recipe.
Can’t wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Awww yay! I'm so thrilled you loved the banana bread, Cristina!
Carla says
THE BEST! Tastes like bakery style banana bread. 🙌👍
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
The ultimate compliment 🙂 Thanks, Carla!
Avneet says
Makes the fluffiest muffins ever!! My 8 year old son loves helping me make these:)
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Love these as muffins!!
Sydney says
My daughter and I made this recipe as muffins and they are
amazing! My husband love them too! Couldn't tell they were vegan.
Great on a rainy day here in So Cal.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
How fun!! Love that 🙂
Sri says
This turned out so so good. Just like the authentic banana bread that is served in bakeries and restaurants. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful, thanks for letting me know! If you'd be so kind as to leave a star rating next time, I'd be so grateful. Enjoy!