This is the best Vegan Banana Bread ever! Incredibly moist and easy to make in 1 bowl, you’ll have a hard time believing it isn’t made with eggs or dairy. Gluten free and oil free options included.
Treat yourself to a slice (or two) of this Vegan Banana Bread. It’s simply the best! The slices are soft and sweet, and every bite is bursting with that delicious banana flavor. Add in some walnuts or chocolate chips for an extra crunch and dig in!
The best part is that this vegan banana bread recipe is made with simple ingredients and only one bowl. It’s foolproof! Any level of home baker will have success.
It’s completely flexible too. Adjust the batter to be as healthy as my Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, add even more nuts and dried fruits for texture, add cocoa powder if you’re craving chocolate banana bread, or transform it from a quick bread into banana bread muffins. The options are endless!
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Bananas - The more overripe, spotty, and soft, the better. Overripe bananas are easier to work with, blend into the batter with ease, and provide the bread with a stronger banana flavor. Bananas also act as a binder, which means you don’t need a vegan egg replacer or flax eggs here.
- Oil - I used grapeseed oil but you can use vegetable oil, coconut oil, or melted vegan butter instead. For oil free banana bread, replace the oil with an equal amount of applesauce.
- All purpose flour - No fancy flour needed here! For a more rustic flavor, use a 1:1 mix of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Spelt flour should work too.
- Brown sugar - White sugar or coconut sugar can be used instead.
- Baking soda - Make sure it’s fresh! Expired baking soda will result in a banana bread that didn’t rise.
- Vegan yogurt - Its acidic qualities will react with the baking soda, causing the bread to rise and become fluffy.
- Add-ins - I love adding walnuts to banana bread but you could also use dairy free chocolate chips, pecans, or pumpkin seeds.
How to make vegan banana bread
There’s a reason I turn to this easy banana bread recipe when I have old bananas to use up. It’s completely foolproof and made in one bowl! Here’s how it’s done:
- The wet mixture: Mash the bananas with a fork in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients: Gently mix in the dry ingredients with the wet, being careful not to overmix.
- Finish and bake: Finish by folding in the nuts, chocolate chips, or add-ins of your choice. Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let it cool, then enjoy: Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Slice into it when it’s cool, then enjoy! For full ingredients and instructions see printable recipe card below.
Tips for success
- Prepare the loaf pan properly - Spray it with cooking spray or lightly grease it with vegan butter. For extra security, line the pan with a piece of parchment paper and have the extras come up and out of the sides to act as handles for the baked bread.
- Spoon and level the flour - AKA scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and sweep the excess off the top with a knife.
- Do not overmix the batter - Only stir the dry mixture in with the wet until everything is just combined and no dry flour remains. If the batter is overmixed, the bread will turn out dense and gummy.
- Customize it with add-ins - Like chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, cocoa powder, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, dried cranberries, or pistachios.
- To serve - Spread vegan butter on the warm slices or slather them with vegan cream cheese frosting.
Frequently asked questions
To make this banana bread recipe gluten free, replace the all purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten free flour mix. Oat flour should work just as well but follow my tips on baking with oat flour first.
Yes! Simply replace the oil with the same amount of applesauce.
Cracks in banana bread are completely normal and nothing to be worried about. They shouldn’t affect the texture.
Yes, but let them thaw completely first. They’ll be much easier to mash this way.
Sure! Make the batter as normal but spoon it into a prepared muffin pan instead. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Storing and freezing
To store: Wrap the loaf of banana bread or individual slices in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container. Banana bread can be stored at room temperature for about 3 days or in the fridge for 1 week.
To freeze: Wrap the loaf or slices in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Banana bread freezes well for up to 2 months.
More ways to use ripe bananas
- Vegan Banana Waffles
- Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- 5-Minute Mango Smoothie
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
More easy vegan pastries
Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
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Print
Vegan Banana Bread (Simple and Flexible)
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is the best Vegan Banana Bread ever! Incredibly moist and easy to make in 1 bowl, you’ll have a hard time believing it isn’t made with eggs or dairy. Gluten free and oil free options included.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 large overripe bananas (about 1 and ½ cups mashed I measured)
- ½ cup plain unsweetened vegan yogurt
- ½ cup of neutral oil
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (measure then chop)*
Optional Add Ins:
- ½ - ¾ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x5 non stick loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Wet ingredients: Add the overripe bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Dry ingredients: Now add the dry ingredients on top starting with the flour, then add the baking soda, salt and cinnamon on top of the flour. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts and dairy free chocolate chips (if using)
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool a couple of minutes then remove banana bread from pan to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. It should be a lovely golden brown on top with some cracks which is completely normal.
- Enjoy: Slice and enjoy with a glass of soy milk or your favorite non dairy milk or a cup of coffee or tea! Serve a slice with or without vegan butter. Tastes even better the next day!! Step by step photos, FAQ, tips and more in above post and notes*
Notes
- you can use melted vegan butter or refined coconut oil in place of neutral oil. (I usually use grapeseed oil)
- For oil free: use applesauce instead of oil
- For gluten free: use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend
- Flour options: You could substitute a white whole wheat flour or a spelt flour or oat flour in place of all purpose flour.
- For nut free: omit the walnuts
- To store and freeze: will keep covered on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week and freezes well. Slice and wrap individually in plastic wrap to freeze. Or wrap the whole loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then in tin foil and it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Calories listed do not include dairy free chocolate chips
This Post has been updated it was originally published November 2019. The recipe itself is unchanged.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Category: Breakfast & Baking, Snacks & Sides
- Method: Bake / Oven
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
sascha says
This has been my go to banana bread recipe for months now. I substitute 100% peanutbutter for the oil and I use a mix of oat-, wholewheat spelt-, almond- and coconut flour. Erythritol instead of brown sugar. Healthy and very yummie