If there is one thing I can bake every weekend and never get sick of it's a slice of really good vegan banana bread. This Vegan Banana Bread isn't just any banana bread though! In addition to being absolutely delicious it's also refined-sugar free, filled with healthy tahini, and the absolute perfect breakfast treat. If you're on the hunt for a new banana bread recipe, let this Healthier Vegan Tahini Banana Bread be it!
The secret to vegan banana bread
There is one key ingredient that will make any vegan banana bread turn from good to great and that is really really ripe bananas!
How Ripe Should Your Bananas be for Banana Bread?
I'm not talking spotty brown bananas, I'm talking bananas that are only one shade of black on the outside. They may look rotten because of the color, but if you eat black bananas within 1-2 days of them turning this color they are actually super soft and sweet inside.
I usually put mine right into the fridge so they don't go bad or attract any bugs! I find black bananas can stay good on the counter 1-2 days, in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and can even be frozen to last up to 1 month.
What is Tahini?
If you've never had tahini in dessert before, let me tell you it is a game-changer. Tahini is a smooth paste made out of ground hulled sesame. It can be purchased raw or toasted (and either work for this recipe!) and is typically featured in middle eastern cuisine such as hummus. Essentially, it's similar to almond butter or peanut butter but it is made with sesame seeds.
What Does Tahini Taste Like?
Unlike nut butter, it's actually not very sweet and some brands are even a bit bitter. For that reason, it adds a savory element when mixed with sweet bananas, maple syrup, and coconut sugar.
What Brand of Tahini Should I use in this Recipe?
If you're looking for a few good brands to use in this Vegan Tahini Banana Bread I would recommend Artisana Organics Raw Tahini or Soom Foods Tahini.
P.S- If you are looking for a recipe without tahini or nut butters, check out my super easy Vegan Banana Nut Muffins next!
Tahini substitutes
While I used Tahini to make this vegan banana bread, it just so happens that this recipe is just as good with any other nut or seed butter.
I've made this recipe with almond butter and even sunflower butter (though it changed color!) and it was just as delicious. If you do choose to replace the tahini I recommend using a thinner more natural brand that doesn't add any emulsifiers. Trader Joe's almond butter is my favorite to bake with as a tahini substitute.
Ingredients for healthier banana bread
Since I seriously eat vegan banana bread weekly, I wanted to make this Vegan Tahini Banana Bread refined sugar-free and a bit healthier. Here are the ingredients I used and what you can substitute them with if you don't have the exact ingredient on hand
Maple Syrup: I recommend using high-quality maple syrup (aka no Aunt Jemima). You can also replace any maple syrup with honey (though not vegan) or molasses (not blackstrap but light molasses). This would change the texture/taste a bit but should give similar results! I don't recommend replacing maple syrup 1:1 with sugar.
Coconut Sugar: I also used Wholesome Organics Coconut Sugar. While coconut sugar tends to be a healthier option for some, you can replace it with turbinado sugar or organic sugar 1:1 in this recipe.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: To keep this recipe healthier I used my favorite chocolate that has no sugar added from Pascha Organic. There are definitely other good brands out there, but these chips are by far my favorite to bake with as they really hold their shape!
To make this Vegan Tahini Banana Bread even better I highly recommend grabbing extra tahini and drizzling a little on top. Then, cut a slice and serve with a glass of oat milk or a warm cup of coffee. If a slice of vegan banana bread isn't the perfect way to start your morning, I'm not sure what is! Enjoy 🙂
-TSG
If you're looking for other Vegan Brunch Ideas, check out these recipes on the blog:
Matcha Black Sesame Sticky Buns
Chai Spice Pecan Granola (Vegan & GF)
Vegan Tahini Banana Bread
A delicious healthier Vegan Tahini Banana Bread that is refined sugar-free and made with spelt flour. The perfect sweet breakfast or brunch recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas (*ideally black or brown)
- ⅓ cup raw tahini (*make sure fresh and not dried out)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 2 Tbsp almond milk
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract
- 1 ¼ cup spelt flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½-3/4 cup chocolate chips (*optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Remove the peel from your bananas, add the banana flesh to a large mixing bowl, and mash until soft with some chunks.
- Next, add your liquid ingredients to the bowl containing the bananas including the tahini, maple syrup, coconut sugar, flax seed, almond milk, and vanilla bean paste/extract. Mix together until well combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, sift together your spelt flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the other bowl containing the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms. If adding chocolate chips pour in about ½ cup and use a spatula to stir these into the batter as a final step.
- Grease a small loaf pan and then pour the batter into the pan. Use a spatula to smooth out the batter. If using chocolate chips sprinkle an additional ¼ cup on top.
- Add the tahini banana bread to the oven and cook for 50-60 minutes until cooked throughout and browned on top. Remove from the oven and let cool. When ready to eat slice into 8 pieces and enjoy!
Notes
- Banana bread can be wrapped in tin foil or plastic wrap (once cooled) and stored on the counter up to 3 days and in the fridge up to 7 days.
- If you would like to freeze banana bread, make sure to slice it first. Then, add the slices to a closed container between layers of parchment paper so they do not stick together. Sliced banana bread will keep in the freezer up to 1 month and can be defrosted at room temperature or reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 365Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 423mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 6gSugar: 33gProtein: 7g
ShortGirlTallOrder occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although shortgirltallorder.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
jacquie says
Looks like a great recipe but can i replace the bananas with something else such as applesauce? i tend to not use them due to the environmental impact and social justice issues associated with producing them. Thanks so much.
mhorowitch8 says
I'm honestly not sure- I only made the recipes with bananas in mind, but if you try with applesauce and it works let me know!
Natalie says
WOW this banana bread looks and sounds so unique and delicious! Perfect for weekend brunch!
mhorowitch8 says
Thank you! Hope you try it and love it!
Diane says
I made this yesterday and it was delish. I doubled the recipe because I had 6 very ripe bananas and I used oat flour only because I didn’t have spelt. Can’t wait to make it again with spelt.
Megan, I love all your recipes.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
Thanks so much for the feedback Diane! I'm so happy to hear it worked with oat flour too- I'll have to try that next time!
Jen says
The. Best. Banana bread!
I have always looked for lower sugar recipes for this bread as well as zucchini bread and muffins because I want to eat a lot of it!
I made a lot of substitutions for what I had on hand and it was still perfect! Works well with regular flour and even chia if you don’t have flax.
Happily surprised by how moist this bread is and sweet without being overly sweet. My new go-to.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
SO glad you loved it! It's really so easy to adapt this recipe 🙂
Elizabeth says
I made this yesterday (with a few adjustments as I didn't have some ingredients) and it's officially my FAVOURITE banana bread ever! Banana bread for breakfast? Yes please! Thank you for taking the time to create and write out the recipe for us! Much love!
ShortGirlTallOrder says
YAY! So glad you liked it.
Natalie Custer says
I've made this recipe 3x now and it's a slam dunk. This is coming from someone who has made a lot of banana bread in the last couple of years. Living on islands makes them turn fast! This recipe is perfect amount of moisture and sweetness... My toddler son gobbled it up! Pretty glad I made two loaves at once. I used Stevia instead of coconut sugar and Oat milk for mine. So Delicious it's now going to be one of my go-to banana breads.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
SO glad you liked it and really happy to hear it works with Stevia too! Thanks for the feedback :).
Kashi says
One of the best banana bread we ever had!
Made it today and was pleased with how it turned out and the taste is excellent. I added, pecans, walnuts, raisins and grated coconuts. Omitted 3 Tbs coconut sugar from the recipe it asked for. It was sweet enough with bananas and maple syrup. Thank you for this super delicious recipe! Planning on making it again tomorrow to share with friends.
Megan Horowitch says
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it and love you made it your own with the nuts and fruit :).
Monica Nair says
Hi planning to make this for the first time. If I were to replace the chocolate chips with walnuts for instance would it be the same quantity? If not could you please let me know how much ?
Also I plan to mk the almond milk at home would you know what measurement almonds I need to use to get 2tbsp almond milk ?
Thanks
Megan says
I think subbing 1:1 for walnuts would be fine- I've never tried it but it shouldn't affect the batter! For the almond milk, I would recommend following a recipe to make it homemade. I don't think you'll be able to make just 2 Tbsp of milk, however you could sub water or any plant-based milk for almond milk.