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
sara says
absolutely fabulous!! perfect in every way. I used a different plant milk and white wine vinegar and it still turned out great!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad to hear it worked out for you! Enjoy 🙂
Erin says
The only banana bread recipe I use! SOOOOO good and easy to make.
★★★★★
Eliana says
Hello!!! I wanted to ask if I don’t use any sweetener at all do you think it would be ok? I want to make it for my baby but don’t want it to be too sweet... will it be ok because of the sweet bananas? Plus, if I use oat flour instead of whole wheat? Will that be ok?
Thanks so much for replying! Greetings from Cyprus!
Alexis Joseph says
Hi there! I would not recommend using oat flour as I haven't tested it with that flour and it can be very dense! I also haven't tried it without sweetener...but it should be fine, just less sweet of course 🙂 Enjoy!
Eliana says
Hello!!! I wanted to ask if I don’t use any sweetener at all do you think it would be ok? I want to make it for my baby but don’t want it to be too sweet... will it be ok because of the sweet bananas?
Thanks so much for replying! Greetings from Cyprus!
Natalia Lee says
My boyfriend just tried this recipe and now it will be our staple go to for banana bread! It came out so moist and delicious!! We are not bakers, but this recipe was very easy to follow. Thank you!!
Alexis says
SO glad to hear that, Natalie! Now I need to go make another batch.
Sydney says
This was my first time ever making banana bread and I wasn’t sure was to expect but I couldn’t have been happier with this recipe! So easy to follow and the bread turned out PERFECT! Thank you!
Alexis says
Best news ever! Thanks a ton, Sydney!
Raquel says
This is the BEST banana bread I’ve ever made! My favorite recipe growing up was one loaded with butter and eggs and tons of sugar... and this much healthier and vegan version is RIDICULOUS! So moist, perfectly sweet, and satisfying. Thank you so much!
Alexis says
You made my day! Thanks so much!
kelly uman says
I used oat milk, cane sugar and half whole wheat AP flour/half white flour but the batter was too dry so I had to add some extra oat milk. It came out great. Thanks for the recipe.
Alexis says
Interesting! Did you spoon and level the flour versus packing it in? Glad it still came out great for ya!
Alex says
Loved it!
For anyone interested:
If followed strictly in 50 grams there are: 151kcal of which: 3.3 g protein, 21.8g carbs, 5g fat.
★★★★★
Alexis says
Yesss peanut butter is the BEST!
Alexandra says
Holy smokes, looks so good. You're totally right...THOSE CHUNKS THO. I'll bet this would be an even better vehicle for peanut butter than regular banana bread. I don't usually add chocolate to my banana bread, but topped with peanut butter? It just makes sense.
Alexis says
Yesss peanut butter is the BEST!
Rosalyn says
I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand, so I subbed canola oil instead of avocado. (I’m also glad to finally use my apple cider vigegar for something other than fruit flies - lol.)
So good. This is definitely bookmarked as my favourite banana bread recipe. I’ve always subbed out egg in other recipes with something else (apple sauce, flax seed, extra oil, more banana, etc...) and I was definitely missing out. Mine rose so much, it’s the fluffiest banana bread I’ve ever made.
★★★★★
Alexis says
Awww yay! Yes the egg totally helps with fluffy factor 🙂 Thanks, Rosalyn.
Erin says
Soooooo delicious! Our new go-to recipe.
★★★★★
Geoff says
I made this last night and it was so good! The recipe is super easy and delicious. The bread has a wonderful banana flavor. My husband said it was the best banana bread he's ever had.
I normally try to make recipes eat least once before I start subbing things out, but I didn't have whole wheat flour so I used organic unbleached all-purpose, and I used organic canola instead of coconut. It was still amazing, the hallmark of a strong recipe.
This will be our go-to banana bread recipe from now on. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kerri says
Didn’t have an hour to wait for baking and cooling so I decided to make them as muffins! Smelled amazing while baking and 20-22min in oven they came out perfect and delish! Can’t wait to share with my friends!
★★★★★
Sara says
So easy and delicious I couldn't even wait for them to cool completely before sharing them with our neighbors! The neighbors say thanks for sharing this recipe with me so I can make it for them LOL ?
★★★★★
Alexis says
Hahaha you're the best neighbor, Sara!
Gerri says
Hi Alexis,
Thank you for the recipe. Super simple and delish. I made mini loaf pans and have been eating them all week.(Not sure if that's a good thing). Anywho, thanks again! Definitely will make this again the next time i don't eat all my over-priced organic bananas.
Alexis says
Mmmm spelt flour is so light and fluffy!
Maria-Alexandra says
finally an easy recipe which doesn't require 1000 fancy & expensive ingredients. came out moist and yummy. I have used whole spelt flour and it came out amazing
★★★★★
Alexis says
Awww thank you SO much, Lynn! Thrilled those subs worked for you.
Lynn says
Insanely good. I read a lot of recipes and appreciate when they’re well researched and tested. I made mine with 1 c Manini’s Allpurposed GF Flour, 3/4 c Manini’s Multigrain GF bead flour and 1/4 c fine hazelnut flour (I wasn’t trying to be complicated but had a bunch of leftover flours to use up).
★★★★★
Alexis says
Wow that sounds SO good! I love the hazelnut flour addition.
Stjepan Lukic says
Great recipe!
★★★★★
Izzy says
It was amazing, but I feel like it was heavier than most of the banana bread recipes I’ve tried. It had more of a cake-like feel, and I think it works better as a dessert than as a breakfast. Either way, it was delicious and my family loved it too!
★★★★★
Alexis says
Sure! Lemon juice also works.
Emily says
Hi there, can I use regular white vinegar instead of apple cider?
Jessica says
Made this today & I’m definitely a fan!! Also, I love the blueberry oatmeal breakfast bars!! Picky husband approved as well! Thanks for the wonderful recipes ?
Alexis says
Thanks so much, Jessica!
Alexis says
Yumm!!!! Thanks, Mikayla 🙂
Eman says
This was by far the best banana bread I've ever made AND Eaten! It had all disappeared within 2 hours of leaving the oven!!! Such a bonus that the ingredients are all yummy and healthy so that means you can just eat it all in one go right? 😀 No but seriously I'm about to go make 10 loaves and freeze them so I don't have to go without ever again haha! Thank you for this. Also, I opted to use coconut oil and maple syrup.
Alexis says
Yay!! Thank you so much!! Freeze away 🙂
Mikayla says
Just made this and subbed in coconut sugar, SO good! So moist and delicious, my house does indeed smell AMAZING!!!
Kate McCurrach says
I baked this today and it is delicious. I didn't have almond milk so I used cashew milk. I also used half and half wholemeal flour with self raising flour as I'm in the UK and I wasn't sure what would be a good substitute. I added some chopped pecans and walnuts and used Green and Blacks dark organic chocolate cut into chunks. It worked so well. It's very simple and I highly recommend it.
★★★★★
Alexis says
I’m so glad to hear it!
Valerie Cotsalas says
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I used the maple syrup. It was perfect. My son and husband both loved it. I like your ingredients; they work together beautifully.
★★★★★
Jeffrey says
Made them as muffins. Used 4 bananas and baked for about 23 minutes. Best muffins EVER!!! I’d leave 10 stars if I could!!
★★★★★
Matilda says
Loved these as muffins. Perfect at 23 minutes.
Elsa Rafter says
Hi I just made this yesterday and it was soooooo good!!! We used maple syrup for sweetener and it worked great (although your right we did have to bake it for 70 mins - totally worth it though). Im thinking of making this again for Christmas day and i'm wondering if you think I could use almond butter instead of coconut oil. Its pretty different, but I think the flavor could be really good.
★★★★★
Alexis says
Yay! I would say you could swirl in almond butter but maybe not replace since it doesn’t have as much fat. Enjoy!
Regina Phalange says
Just made this and it's AMAZING! I used 4 bananas instead of 3, did the maple syrup version and used a mixture of plain white flour and self raising flour instead of the pastry flour (it was all I had) but it turned out perfect, so moist (sorry to people to hate that word?) and delicious! First banana loaf I've made and by far the best I've tasted!
Thank you for the recipe 😀
★★★★★
Alexis says
You made my day! I’m so happy you liked it, Regina!
Alexis says
Thanks you so much for the feedback, Autumn!
Autumn E. says
Love this recipe so much! I usually make it in muffin form (bakes for about 15-18 min), and I used white whole-wheat flour this last time and it was perfect.
★★★★★
m says
from montreal; made this twice. excellent recipe. moist!
★★★★★
Julie says
Amazing recipe! I probably make it 1-2 times a month - always having leftover ripe bananas to use. I like to make the recipe into muffins (bake 15 or so minutes) because waiting for the loaf is hard for me 🙂 Thanks for the amazing recipe as always!
★★★★★
Sam Vander Wielen says
Absolutely Loved this banana bread! So simple to throw together and so delicious. I made it as is, with maple syrup : )
★★★★★
Alexis says
Thank you so much, Sam! It's one of my favorite baked good recipes EVER!
Sam Vander Wielen says
Loved this banana bread! So simple to throw together and so delicious. I made it as is, with maple syrup : )
Alexis says
Thank you so much! If you could leave a star rating I’d be so grateful!
Stephanie says
I just made this recipe and it is off the charts good, I used spelt flour instead and made muffins since they are easier to freeze. New go to staple for sure!!!
★★★★★
Natalie Gaudino says
Hi Alexis,
Just came across this recipe and can't wait to make this today. Would all-purpose flour work with with this recipe?
★★★★★
Alexis says
Hi! Definitely! Enjoy 🙂
Alexis says
I’m so glad!! Thank you for the feedback!
Donna Grill says
Thanks for sharing its really yummy
★★★★★
Michelle Mercure says
*nut free
Michelle Mercure says
I made this last night and it is already halfway gone! It is so delicious and it was so easy to make. I used spelt flour and added two extra tablespoons of milk (I used unsweetened vanilla flax milk to keep it but free). I also swirled a cinnamon, sugar and melted butter combination throughout the bread, in place of using chocolate chips. I baked it for 50 minutes and it was done! I like the rustic look of the bread and the entire house smelled so amazing!
★★★★★