If you are searching for the best vegan banana bread, you have come to the right place. Furthermore, not only is it incredibly delicious, it's also super moist and oil-free. Healthy and yummy is my favorite combination.
The secret to making the best vegan banana bread is the super over-ripe bananas. The riper the banana, the more moist your bread will be and the more banana flavor. And the good news is, you don't need to add oil for richness.
Applesauce is a great substitute for oil in baked goods. When substituting apple sauce for oil in baking, the ratio is typically 1 to 1. So if the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil, substitute 1/4 cup of applesauce.
What I also love about this recipe is that it doesn't have many ingredients and can be put together quickly. If you are a family of two, I recommend individually slicing, wrapping, and placing the slices in the freezer for a quick, healthy snack to go.
Another secret to the best vegan banana bread ever is never overmix the batter.
Unquestionably, when you overmix the batter, the gluten in the flour can form elastic gluten strands. So, often overmixing results in a more dense, chewy texture. This can be beneficial in some cases, but it's not great for cakes and cake-like breads.
Hope you enjoy this vegan banana bread as much as we did.
If you enjoy healthy cake-like breads, check out my healthy Golden Pumpkin Bread with Rolled Oats and Walnuts and my Sweet Potato Muffins.
You can find my organic vegan CBD products made from hemp on this website. If you have any questions about how CBD may help you, don't hesitate to reach out to me at questions@ordinaryvegan.net.
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Are you looking for a simple, no fuss recipe book? You can purchase my book “The Easy Five-Ingredient Vegan Cookbook” here.
Also, our friends at Redfin published a 21 Beginner Tips For A Vegan House in 2021 that you might want to check out.
Thanks for stopping by!
- 1¾ cup flour (I like unbleached all-purpose but you can use gluten-free)
- ⅓ cup vegan sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large or 4 small very ripe bananas (up to 2 cups mashed)
- 2 tablespoons non-sweetened plant milk (almond, soy or oat)
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or nuts of your choice (optional)
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, sift or mix together all the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, mash together all the wet ingredients with a potato masher, fork or hands.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well until the flour is combined. Try not to overmix. Add more plant milk if needed but only a tablespoon at a time. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
- Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted is dry.
- Let the banana bread cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Store covered for up to 3-4 days. Or individually freezer wrap slices for a quick healthy snack.
Delicious! I have never made a banana bread before as I do not bake at all. This was super easy and I had all the ingredients. I love that it is not super sweet. I added chopped walnuts and next time I may add some chocolate chips in as well. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Hi Linda – Thanks so much for the feedback and taking the time to post. I agree – I don’t like it super sweet either and love the addition of walnuts. Have a wonderful day!
Followed instructions to a tee. I did not get any batter that was “pourable”. More like a wet dough. What did I do wrong?
Hi Geneva – So sorry to hear – I can’t imagine what went wrong unless the 4 bananas weren’t very ripe – If you give it another try in the future – add some extra plant-based milk – thanks for being part of our healthy community
Where do I find vegan sugar?
Hi Reyna – I like Zulka sugar – you can find it online. Also, here is a complete list. https://ordinaryvegan.net/vegansugar/
Thank you for stopping by and for being part of our healthy community.
I can’ have milk what can I substitute for it
Hi Valrie – This calls for plant-based milk like soy, almond or oat. If you can’t have any of those, you can use 2 tablespoons of water. Hope that helps.
Are there metric measurements available? I understand that is an optimal system fir baking since precision is more important (?) for baking than cooking…
Hi Lori – Sorry – I don’t have metric measurements but I did find a website that shows the conversions https://www.thespruceeats.com/metric-conversions-for-cooking-2355731 – Hope that helps. Thanks for stopping by and for being part of our healthy community!
This recipe, and to be honest all of Nancy’s recipes, was so easy to make and the results are fantastic! I am 4 months into a vegan diet and lifestyle and Nancy’s recipes and podcasts have helped me transition into a way of living that has brought me more health and happiness than I would have believed possible All I can say is thank you.
Hi Martin – thank you so much for the feedback and kind words. I appreciate it very much!
Nancy
Hello Nancy
I just wanted to let you know that your banana bread has become a firm favourite in our house!
I am 58 years old, newly retired and haven’t baked since I was a child. This recipe is so simple and delicious – thank you!
Thank you Lesley so much for your kind words and taking the time to comment. So happy you enjoyed it!
Hey is there any way I could get the nutrition facts from this recipe? I’m logging all of my food and haven’t been able to find the info for a slice of this bread. Absolutely love the recipe and your podcast!
Hi Natalie – Sorry I don’t have the nutrition information for the recipes and thank you so much for your kind words. I appreciate it.
Hi could I use a small amount of maple syrup instead of vegan sugar?
Hi Jeanette – Absolutely. I often substitute maple syrup for vegan sugar. Thanks for stopping by and for being part of our healthy community.
Excellent!! Will try it for sure.
Can I use whole wheat flour? I don’t have any white all purpose. Thanks
Hi Elizabeth – I have never used wheat flour but in most cases – whole wheat flour can replace white all purpose. Thanks for stopping by and for being part of our healthy community. Please let me know how it goes.
Oil free but grease the pan? Perhaps a silpat or other nonstick alternative?
Hi Patrick – Good point – I use non-stick pans but I put that in in case someone doesn’t and I would hate for the recipe to be ruined by sticking to the pan.
Amazing recipe! I tried it out and was huge hit. Thank you
Thanks for the feedback and for being part of our healthy community!
I’ve made MANY loaves of banana bread with recipes claiming to be the best but this one actually is the best!!! The other ones were very gummy but this one actually has a nice crumb-like texture. I like that it’s not overly sweet either. I think it is just perfect! Thank you very much for the recipe, Nancy! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 🙂💚
Thank you for the kind words Carol – so happy you enjoyed it. You just inspired me to make a loaf today. Happy new year!