A healthy vegan banana bread recipe that is naturally gluten-free, moist and so easy to make. Pair with a little nut butter and a cup of coffee for the best morning breakfast.
This vegan banana bread is so moist and fluffy that you honestly won’t even believe it is made without eggs or dairy. Trust me on that one. We shared this loaf with several members of our family who claim they don’t like vegan food and the feedback was incredible.
‘It’s so moist!’ ‘This is one of the best banana breads I’ve ever had!’ ‘I can’t believe this is gluten-free!’
So what is vegan banana bread you ask? Well it’s actually a delicious bread made with no eggs, dairy, or animal products at all, making it completely safe for vegan eaters. But don’t let that scare you.
This recipe is full of ingredients that you probably already have at home and are already familiar with like oatmeal and almond butter. It has been tested several times with a variety of ratios and we’ve finally made it absolutely perfect. Like so perfect you’re going to want to eat it for every meal, okay?
Let’s dive on in and make some really good vegan banana bread.
Vegan Banana Bread Video
Ingredients in vegan banana bread
The ingredients in vegan banana bread are simple and basic because no body has time for fancy flours or ingredients that are hard to come by.
- bananas – the riper the better! mash these up and enjoy the natural sweetness that comes from your bananas.
- oat flour – make homemade oat flour by blending oats in the blender for 15 seconds! It’s so very easy. Be sure to measure your oat flour after you’ve blended your oats, not before!
- almond butter – the glue that holds this recipe together and gives extra moisture. You can also use peanut butter or any seed butter!
- flax egg – the other glue that holds this recipe together. Make flax eggs by combining flaxmeal with water and letting ‘gel’ for ten minutes.
- coconut sugar – helps give this bread a little more natural sweetness! Can also replace with brown sugar.
- apple cider vinegar – when making vegan baked goods, apple cider vinegar reacts with the baking soda and baking powder to help add lifting power. Don’t skip this step or else your baked goods will be flat!
Make vegan banana bread
Start by making the flax egg. I used to be so intimidated by flax eggs, but its actually such a simple thing to make. You just mix together your flax meal (which is just ground flax seed) and water, and then just let it sit for about ten minutes. Here is a great tutorial if you’re interested in learning more!
While the flax egg is setting, mash your bananas. Using a potato masher for this is one of my favorite tricks – it totally mashes up the bananas perfectly!
Mix together your mashed bananas, almond butter, coconut sugar, oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.
In a separate bowl, mix together your oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir till combined. You’ll then add in your flax eggs and any other mix-ins that you want! I love to use chocolate chips or nuts.
Pour into greased or parchment lined loaf pan and top with banana slices if desired. Then bake and voila, you’ve got yourself an easy vegan banana bread ready for eating.
How to store banana bread
Vegan banana bread will last on the counter for up to five days. Just make sure you wrap it up in aluminium foil or place it into a sealed tupperware container. You can also store it in the fridge to maximize freshness for up to one week.
This banana bread can also be frozen! To store in the freezer, I like to slice it into individual pieces and then store them individual wrapped in parchment paper. Then take out slices as needed and let defrost on counter! You can also freeze the entire loaf as is.
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
Here are some other similar recipes that you may also like!
Vegan Banana Bread (Gluten Free)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
A healthy vegan banana bread recipe that is naturally gluten-free, moist and so easy to make. Pair with a little nut butter and a cup of coffee for the best morning breakfast.
Ingredients
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flax meal mixed with 5 tbsp water, whisked and let sit for ten minutes)
- 3 medium bananas (1 1/4 cup mashed)
- 1/3 cup almond butter (or other nut/seed butter)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 2/3 cups oat flour (homemade from certified gluten-free oats, measured after grinding. make this by blending in a high speed blender)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips or nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or nonstick spray. My loaf pan was 8.5 x 4.5.
- In a small bowl, make your flax egg by whisking together 2 tbsp flax meal with 5 tbsp water and letting it sit for ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash your ripe bananas in a large bowl.
- Once completely mashed, stir in your almond butter, coconut sugar, oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.
- In a separate bowl, mix together your oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir till combined.
- Stir in your flax eggs, then add in any other mix-ins that you want. I added chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and top with more chocolate, nuts, or banana slices.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cover with foil halfway through baking.
Notes
*you can use tahini or another seed butter in place of almond butter if trying to keep this nut-free
*to make pumpkin version, replace banana with 1 cup pumpkin puree, replace coconut sugar with 1/2 cup maple syrup, use 2 cups oat flour instead of 1 3/4 cups oat flour, and 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. Make the bread as instructed with those swaps and you will have a vegan delicious pumpkin bread.
- Category: baking, vegan, gluten-free
Keywords: vegan banana bread, banana bread, gluten free banana bread, healthy banana bread, vegan baking
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Karen says
Hi Erin! I did this bread and Im in love! I would to give a tried adding cocoa to make it “chocolat” What would be your advise on quantity? Thanks!
★★★★★
Erin says
I’m so glad to love it! I would try adding 1/2 cup cocoa powder but maybe up the coconut oil to 1/4 cup.
Rachel says
Hi Erin! Can I use regular eggs instead of flax eggs for this? If so how many do you recommend?
Thanks!
Erin says
I haven’t tested this! But I think two regular eggs should work.
Stephanie says
I have tried 2 eggs instead of flax eggs and it was perfect! Love this recipe!
Erin says
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!! So glad it worked with two eggs.
★★★★★
Jacqui says
Should the coconut oil be melted or solid?
Erin says
melted!
Stephanie C says
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made this bread in the last month! It is the perfect texture! I did use 2 regular eggs instead of flax eggs and it turned out amazing as well. By switching the nut butters and mix ins the possibilities are endless! Thank you!
★★★★★
Erin says
Thank you so much!!!! You should try the pumpkin version too 🙂 I love that you love it.
Carly H says
Has anyone tried to sub the oat flour for white whole wheat flour? If so, same quantity of flour?
Julie says
I’m always looking for vegan options and this one did not disappoint! It was also the first (and won’t be the last) time I made oat flour! Yummy!?
★★★★★
Erin says
Oat flour is the best and I’m so glad you made it!! Now you can do so many things with it 🙂
Leolanie C. says
This bread is soooo good, this has become my favorite recipe and my go to on the weekends. The texture and flavor are on point and I love that it consist of healthy ingredients.
★★★★★
Erin says
This comment makes me so happy! I’m really thrilled that you like it:)
haeri shin says
OMG!!!!! It’s sooooooo delicious!!!!!!
I did 30g suger instead of 1/3 C. and I replaced flax seed to chia seed. but it still sweet and great.
It’s also super moist. Thank you for the recipe!
next time, I will try the pumpkin version too.
★★★★★
Erin says
Yay! I’m so glad you like it!! Try the pumpkin soon 🙂
Fiona says
I made this banana bead the second time this week and it’s delish! 🙂 Can only recommend!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Thanks for sharing!! I’m so glad that you like it!
Elaina White says
I am thinking about making this bread for Christmas gifts do you know if it can be frozen?
Erin says
Yes! You can definitely freeze it ahead of time!
Meg says
Hey Erin! I don’t have foil! Can I use parchment instead? What will happen without using foil?
Marisa says
Looks soo gooddd!! Can i make the recipe w/o the coconut sugar? Will it work the same?
Erin says
Yes! It just wont be as sweet. Use brown sugar if you don’t have coconut.
Judy says
My absolute favorite banana bread recipe. I come to this page every time I have super brown bananas.
I tweek it quite a bit and if you haven’t tried it this way I highly suggest!!!
I do:
2 real large eggs for flax eggs
1 2/3 almond flour for oat flour
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey instead of 1/3 coconut sugar
Nix the Apple cider (because I never have it on hand)
And it’s SOOO good! Thank you for sharing!!!
Erin says
LOVE your tweaks! So glad you like!
Maggie says
SO GOOD! I love cooking healthy treats that don’t taste “healthy” so my boyfriend will like them, too. This will definitely be my new go to banana bread recipe!
★★★★★
Erin says
YAY! Maggie this makes me so happy! Enjoy 🙂
Jenna Trainner says
I subbed the nut butter for 1/3 cup of apple sauce and baked in a muffin pan for ~20 minutes and they worked perfectly! Thank you for this delicious recipe 😊
Stephanie E says
I made this recipe and added blueberries. It’s amazing! Needed a little more than 45-50 minutes in my oven, but it’s perfect. Topped it with sliced bananas and walnuts
★★★★★
Rach says
Added walnuts. Great recipe
★★★★★
Emily says
Because of the quarantine, I’m currently making banana bread almost every day, haha :) Today I tried your recipe and I have to admit … it’s the BEST I’ve ever done !! we can’t get enough of it … looks like I have to make this one again very soon 😛
★★
Emily says
oh no…sorry for the 2-star rating 🙁 I meant to rate it 5-stars ofc!!!
★★★★★
Katie says
Best vegan pumpkin bread I’ve tried yet – and soo delicious with the chocolate chips! Loved them with mini chocolate chips myself. 10/10 recommend.
★★★★★
Hannah says
This is the best vegan, gluten-free banana bread I have made thus far. So glad to have found something palatable!!
★★★★★
Kelley says
This recipe was AMAZING! My husband and I loved it, thank you, Erin–definitely bookmarking for the future. I might just have to make it again next week 🙂
★★★★★
Kelly says
thank you so much for the recipe, Erin. I have made this banana bread weekly for the past couple months and it is always a hit. I half the amount of sugar and it’s still sweet. I add both chocolate chips and walnuts, about 1/2 cup of each. soooo delicious; it’s a family favorite in my house!!!
Cathy says
I ran out of eggs and I was craving banana bread. I took it out of the oven and ate half the bread 😅lol! I did actually use a cake pan instead, I guess it’s 8×8, and one of my bananas was really big so I used two instead of three. I was concerned about it being too mushy Bc this has happened with one or two of my banana breads recently but it came out perfectttt. Can’t wait to eat the text today and Bc of all the oat flour I don’t feel so guilty!
★★★★★
Dolores Gaona says
This banana bread is amazing. It is so moist, nice texture and love the addition of chocolate chips. I substituted sunflower butter in place of the almond butter to make it nut free for my daughter and used Monk fruit sugar instead of coconut sugar and was very happy with the outcome. I am looking forward to trying more recipes. Thank you!
Dolores Gaona says
I forgot to rate it, giving it 5 stars.
★★★★★
ashton says
This is delicious. Over the past month we’ve made this recipe 3 or 4 times at least and it usually only lasts until the next day with 4 of us in the house. So good, so moist and holds together like the regular banana bread from my childhood. We use regular eggs because we’re not vegan and it works out perfectly still.
Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Michelle says
This recipe is fantastic! I do not like sweets, and this bread is almost more savory. The salt and almond butter really come through. I made my flax egg with espresso instead of water… used crushed walnuts instead of chocolate chips… placed sliced banana and walnut halves on top. And, it’s vegan! You can lick the delicious batter left in the bowl. I am in love. Thank you!!
I keep thinking of what fruit/veg and what nut butters would work and the possibilities really seem endless!
Going to use this recipe as a base to try the pumpkin one next but with molasses and coconut sugar instead of maple syrup, pecan butter, and cardamom with the pumpkin pie spice.
Butternut squash, dates, cashew butter, cinnamon and cloves? Yes please! Oooh! Coconut flakes on top!!
Apple sauce and cinnamon, walnut butter, with a honey drizzle on top? OMG!
Now I need to turn this into coffee bread somehow and life will be complete!
★★★★★
Michelle says
Delicious banana bread! love that you can substitute things and make so many different variations. I don’t do well with oat flour, even gluten free, and I’m allergic to almonds, so almond flour is out. Could I try it with coconut flour? Or do you have another suggestion?
★★★★★
Kim Spicker says
I love this recipe! It’s so tasty and sweet.
★★★★★
Erin G says
Delicious! Made this with coconut flour since I was out of oat flour and just as yummy and moist! Adding this to my recipes to make again!
★★★★★
Liana says
SOOO GOOD!!!! the best vegan banana bread that is made with oat flour – it is not too heavy/dense like a lot of oat flour recipes, and it literally is so fluffy, assuming that’s from the ACV and baking soda maybe???? Erin, awesome recipe! Just started following you the last 4-5mon or so and really enjoying your recipes!!!!
★★★★★