This quick & simple Vegan Banana Bread is made with pantry staples for a truly delicious, flavorful, & moist banana loaf. If you are looking for a dairy-free & eggless version of a classic banana bread, then this is the recipe for you!
If you loved my healthier Tahini Banana Bread then you will love this one-bowl banana bread recipe.
In fact, a classic banana bread has been a highly requested recipe from YOU, and I'm so happy to finally share my version of the perfect banana bread. This bread is moist, but not too dense or gummy, fluffy, but never dry, and just overall delicious!
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Brown sugar: The brown sugar helps to sweeten this banana loaf and also acts as the acidic ingredient needed to interact with the baking soda. For this reason, I do NOT recommend swapping it out.
- Olive oil: Just a little bit of oil makes this banana bread so moist and tender without making it too dense.
- I prefer olive oil because of the texture it gives this bread but feel free to substitute 1:1 with any neutral liquid oil. The only oil I do NOT recommend is coconut oil as it tends to clump up in the batter as it cools.
- Oat milk: Can be substituted 1:1 with any non-dairy milk such as soy milk or almond milk.
- All-purpose flour: Works best in this bread, but feel free to substitute for Spelt flour or whole wheat flour if desired.
How to make vegan banana bread
Mash the bananas:
The first step to making banana bread is to peel and mash the bananas. I prefer doing this with a pastry cutter to save time, but mashing with a fork also works!
How ripe should my bananas be?
The best bananas to use for banana bread are going to be ripe and either very spotty or completely brown on the banana skin.
I do NOT recommend baking with black bananas as they tend to be too ripe leading to banana bread that is dense, gummy, and overly sweet. Also, do not use bananas that are under-ripe and yellow or your bread will not be sweet enough.
Make banana bread batter:
Once the bananas are mashed, whisk in the wet ingredients including the brown sugar, cane sugar, oat milk, olive oil, ground flaxseed, and vanilla bean paste.
Once mixed, add in the dry ingredients including the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until you have a thick banana bread.
Pro Trip: I prefer to mix with a spatula so the banana bread does not get over-mixed. This also helps to catch any bits of flour on the bottom of the bowl!
Add to loaf pan & bake
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease. Then, pour in the banana bread batter. Use a spatula to spread out the batter evenly within the pan as it will be quite thick.
If desired, this is the time you would add any toppings. I chose to keep it simple and do a mix of rolled oats and brown sugar, but this eggless banana loaf is great without any toppings too.
Then, add the pan to the oven and bake at 350F for about 50 minutes.
Let cool, slice, & serve
Once baked, remove the banana bread from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
I highly recommend waiting to slice until the bread has fully cooled to get those nice even slices. A bread knife also works best for slicing.
Once sliced, serve & enjoy this delicious plant-based banana bread!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make this banana bread oil-free?
I haven't personally tried it, but it should work! Just swap the oil out for applesauce or vegan yogurt to add some moisture to the bread without any oil.
Keep in mind that using these substitutes will lead to a slightly denser banana bread.
Can it be made gluten-free?
Again, I haven't tried it, but swapping the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose baking mix like Bob's Red Mill should work.
Please keep in mind that other flour alternatives such as oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour will NOT work in this recipe.
What can I add to this banana bread?
While this banana bread is delicious all on its own, there are so many great toppings or fillings you can add including:
- Mix in ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty banana bread.
- Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips for a chocolate chip banana bread.
- Mix in extra spices such as cardamom or nutmeg for a touch of warming spices throughout.
- Swap the oat topping for sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or sliced banana for a twist.
How do I store this banana bread?
Once cooled, this banana bread can be wrapped in tin foil or plastic wrap or stored in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Banana bread can also be sliced and stored in a closed container or freezer-safe bag between sheets of parchment paper in the freezer for up to 1 month. Simply let thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying!
I can't wait for you to try this quick & easy Vegan Banana Bread! It's truly the best eggless & dairy-free banana loaf recipe to make any time you're craving a big slice of sweet bread. Enjoy!
-TSG
More vegan banana recipes you will love:
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Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
Banana Bread:
- 3 medium ripe bananas peeled and mashed, about 1 ½ cups
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup white cane sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil or any neutral liquid oil
- ¼ cup oat milk or any plant-based milk subbed 1:1
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed *must be ground, not whole flaxseeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional topping:
- 2 Tablespoons rolled oats
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it with oil. Set aside for later.
- Remove the peels from your bananas. Then, add the banana flesh to a large mixing bowl and mash with a pastry cutter or fork until soft with some chunks.
- Next, add your wet ingredients to the bowl of bananas including the brown sugar, cane sugar, olive oil, oat milk, ground flaxseed, and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth.
- Once mixed, add in the dry ingredients starting with the all-purpose flour and then layering the baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt on top.
- Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix together until you have a thick banana bread batter with no streaks of flour remaining.
- Pour the banana bread batter into the prepped loaf pan and use a spatula to evenly spread it out in the pan.
- If desired, add any toppings at this time. I chose to use a mix of rolled oats and brown sugar on top, but this is totally optional.
- Add the banana bread to the oven and cook for 50-52 minutes until cooked throughout and browned on top.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the loaf pan for at least 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Please see blog post for recipe tips & substitution notes.
- Once cooled, this banana bread can be wrapped in tin foil or plastic wrap or stored in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- It can also be sliced and stored in a closed container or freezer-safe bag between sheets of parchment paper in the freezer for up to 1 month. Simply let thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying!
Hassan says
It is so soft, it practically melts in your mouth. There isn't an overabundance of sugar and the topping is a simple texture stimulant!
Megan says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Malinda says
Best banana bread recipe to date! So delicious, wasn’t a weird texture or dry. Just perfect. Added fresh blueberries. May try freeze dried strawberries next time. Definitely one to make!
Megan says
So glad you loved it!! Definitely will have to try it with blueberries next time I make it 🙂