Vegan Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of the most beloved quick-bread recipes in the world.

It was popularised by good marketing efforts from Chiquita (the banana company), who released a Banana's Recipe book in the 1950s to boost banana sales in the USA.

The recipe was a hit; after all, banana bread tastes delicious, and it's probably the easiest thing to bake ever.

Our vegan banana bread recipe stays faithful to the original in that we only use simple pantry staples.

You won't find flax egg, ground flaxseed, aquafaba, or other types of egg replacement here.

We've done many tests, and we believe that the best vegan banana bread is made by getting the correct ratios of mashed bananas, dry ingredients, and wet ingredients.

The texture of this banana bread is light, the crumb is firm and easy to slice, it's moist but not excessively, and you won't need to bake it for hours.

Its taste is sweet but not too much; it's all about a pleasantly natural banana flavor.

Ps. If you want to learn more about bananas, check out Johnny Harris's video on the very interesting and somewhat controversial history of bananas.

Try to use ripe or overripe bananas to make the best banana bread. Pick the ones with black spots on the peel.

If you don't have very ripe bananas, you can use regular ones and add ¼ cup of extra sugar.

Flour

We use all-purpose flour.

If you'd like to make a loaf of more wholesome banana bread, you can use half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.

Sugar

Any sugar works. White sugar, brown sugar, and even coconut sugar, although that is less sweet, so you might need to add 25% more than our doses.

Admittedly we don't add a lot of sugar to our vegan banana bread cause we like to keep it healthy-ish so we can snack on it.

Feel free to add more sugar if you like sweeter banana bread.

We haven't tried with maple syrup.

Milk

Any milk works. We like to use non-dairy milk like soy, oat, or almond milk.

Oil

We think oil is superior (and healthier) to butter when making quick breads because it produces a lighter and moister crumb.

You can use any neutral-flavored vegetable oil. We use canola oil. Other good oils are sunflower oil and light olive oil.

To make the recipe oil-free, you can substitute yogurt, apple sauce, or milk for oil.

For butter lovers, you can surely add unsweetened melted butter to this recipe instead of oil. Melted coconut oil and vegan butter works too. Please note that butter produces a heavier, denser, and drier loaf.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract, or the seeds of a vanilla pod, adds a pleasant aroma and depth of flavor, and we recommend it.

Baking powder

Baking powder is essential in baking a domed banana bread like the one you see in our picture, with a light, airy crumb.

Salt (optional)

You won't taste the salt in this recipe; however, salt does help in bringing the other flavors together and making tastier banana bread with a fuller flavor.

If you are on a low-sodium diet, keep the salt out.

What about baking soda?

We don't use baking soda in banana bread, although that's often used in traditional recipes.

Baking soda won't help your bread rise much; it'll make it darker on the outside and might even add a strange, unpleasant butter flavor if you add too much of it.

Try using baking powder instead (which usually contains a small amount of baking soda).

If you are looking for a more natural alternative to baking powder, then cream of tartar is your best bet.

What about add-ins?

Customize your loaf by stirring in your favorite add-ins. We like it with the following:

• Nuts: check out our banana nut bread recipe. You can use walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts.
• Raisins and cranberries: ½ cup.
• Dark chocolate chips: ½ cup.
• Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon.
• Hazelnut chocolate spread: ½ tablespoon per slice to spread on top once baked.

Equipment

• This recipe is for a 9 x 5-Inch loaf pan (23cm x 12cm). You can also use an 8 ½ x 4 ½ loaf pan to make a taller and narrower loaf.
• Mixing bowl
• Fork

Make the batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper or brush it with oil.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana with a fork until you get it into a pureed consistency.

Add milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with the fork until well combined.

Add flour, salt, and baking powder to the banana mixture and stir until just combined.

Don't over-mix the batter; lumps are ok. Overmixing will develop the gluten that will make your loaf gummy and heavy.

Tip: the batter should be pretty dense and bready.

Tip: Avoid using your whisk, electric mixer, hand mixer, and stand mixer; you'll risk overmixing the batter. A fork is more than enough.

At this stage, you could add some add-ins if you like.

For instance, chopped walnuts, dark chocolate chips, or both. Fold them in with the fork without over-mixing.

Bake the banana bread

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake immediately at 350°F or 180°C for about 40 to 50 minutes.

Tip: don't overbake, or the loaf will dry out. Check doneness at the 40-minute mark by inserting a wooden toothpick or skewer in the center. If it comes out dry, the vegan banana bread is ready. If not, keep baking in 2.5-minute increments.

Let the banana bread cool down for 15 minutes in the loaf pan, pull it out, and let it cool down completely on a cooling rack (at least 1 hour).

Slice with a bread knife and enjoy this classic banana bread. We recommend 0.8-Inch or 2-cm thick slices.

Banana muffins

Our favorite variation of banana bread is vegan banana bread muffins. Make them with the same batter. You should be able to make 12.

As with regular banana bread, you can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips, and if you want them extra tall and fluffy, add 1 more teaspoon of baking powder.

To bake banana bread muffins, use a standard 12-muffin tin (o two 6-muffin tins like in our case), and line it with muffin liners or squares of parchment paper if you don't have the liners.

Fill in the muffin tins almost to the top. You can use a spoon to do that.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F or 180°C for about 20 to 23 minutes. Let the banana muffins cool down before eating them.

Banana nut bread

Want to make this recipe with nuts? Walnuts taste delicious with the banana, and we think they are the best add-in for banana bread. The recipe is also dairy- and egg-free.

Check out our banana nut bread recipe.

Storage

Room temp or fridge: Vegan banana bread keeps well on the counter for about 3 - 4 days or up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Either way, wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep it fresh and moist.

Freezer: you can freeze banana bread for up to 3 months. Make sure it cools down completely, then wrap it in plastic and freeze. You can cut it in slices before freezing if you'd like single portions.

Thaw in the microwave or at room temperature over several hours. Do not freeze multiple times.

• Oat muffins for a naturally sweet and nourishing brunch.
• Quick vegan french toast with fresh berries and syrup drizzled on top.
• Oatmeal pancakes: light and airy, served with apple compote.
• Fluffy pancakes served with apple-raisin compote or fresh banana on top.
• Vegan cinnamon rolls with frosting for special occasions, such as holidays and Sunday mornings.

More breakfast recipes

Serve them for brunch, breakfast, or as a meal - these recipes are protein-rich and satiating:

• Vegan frittata with roasted zucchini, a 15-minute savory breakfast idea.
• Vibrant chickpea muffins with veggies: colorful, tasty, and nourishing savory muffins.
• Easy 5-min tofu scramble with mushrooms, served on bread with sliced avocado.
• Bircher muesli with grated apple and almonds.

For many more breakfast ideas, check out our breakfast category page.

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