Vegan Banana Bread

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 50

Servings: slices

Author: Nico Pallotta

WET INGREDIENTS

3 ripe (3 ripe) bananas 330 grams, 12 ounces, or 1⅓ cup mashed
⅓ cup (80 grams) almond milk or another milk
¼ cup (55 grams) olive oil or another vegetable oil
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract

DRY INGREDIENTS

2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking soda
1 pinch (1 pinch) salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas with a fork.
Add ⅓ cup almond milk, ¼ cup olive oil, ¾ cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and stir until combined.
Sift in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 pinch salt. Stir until just combined. You can use the same fork.
Don't over-mix the batter; lumps are ok.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
Bake at 350°F or 180°C for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
Let cool down for 15 minutes in the loaf pan, pull it out, and cool down completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
Slice with a bread knife and enjoy. We recommend 0.8-inch or 2-cm thick slices.

Nutrition information is an estimate for one slice of vegan banana bread out of 12 slices without add-ins.

ADD-INS

Nuts: check out our banana nut bread recipe. You can use chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts.
Raisins and cranberries: 1/2 cup.
Dark chocolate chips: 1/2 cup.
Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon.
Grated zucchini: check out our banana zucchini bread recipe.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Ripe Bananas: To make the best banana bread, try using ripe or overripe bananas. Pick the ones with black spots on the peel. They are sweeter and easier to mash.

If you don’t have very ripe bananas, use regular ones and add 1/4 cup of extra sugar.

Flour: We use all-purpose flour but you can substitute half whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour) with half all-purpose flour. For gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for baking.

Sugar: We use brown sugar, but any sugar works. White sugar, palm sugar, and coconut sugar are all good alternatives.

Remember that coconut sugar is less sweet, so you might need to add 25% more than our doses.

Feel free to add more sugar if you like sweeter banana bread; you can go up to 1.5 cups. We haven’t tried this recipe with maple syrup.

Almond milk: You can substitute any other dairy-free milk. For example, we tested soy, oat, and rice milk, and they all worked great.

Olive oil: Substitute avocado oil or any neutral-flavored vegetable oil. We tested canola, safflower, and sunflower oil, and they worked perfectly.

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

You can also use melted vegan butter, but it produces a heavier, denser, and drier loaf. Melted coconut oil works, too.

Vanilla extract: Substitute seeds of a vanilla pod or cinnamon.

STORAGE

Make ahead: This vegan banana bread is an excellent recipe for meal prep because it stays moist for days and tastes better on the second day.

Room temperature or fridge: Vegan banana bread stays on the counter for 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. If you’d like single portions, you can cut the loaf into slices before freezing.

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