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This is a healthy vegan gluten-free banana bread recipe that melts in your mouth and so easy to make. Pair it with a little nut butter and a cup of coffee for the best morning breakfast!
Simple Vegan Banana Bread
This vegan banana bread is so sweet 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.
Try it! Make it for your non-vegan friends and family – they won’t believe that it is made completely with plant-based ingredients. It has no eggs, dairy, or other animal products in it at all.
This recipe is full of ingredients that you probably already have at home and are already familiar with oatmeal and almond butter. I tested it times with a variety of ratios and 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!
After the bread is in the oven, if you need another vegan dessert, try my Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies. They are a classic snickerdoodle cookie with a pumpkin twist.
Vegan Banana Bread Video
Ingredients In This Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread
The ingredients in vegan banana bread are simple and basic because nobody has time for fancy flours or ingredients that are hard to come by. Here is what I used in this simple sweet bread.
- Bananas – The riper they are, the better! Mash these up and enjoy the natural sweetness that comes from your bananas. I used three bananas, which made 1 1/4 cup mashed.
- 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! You should have 1 2/3 cup of oat flour at the end.
- Almond Butter – This is the glue that holds this recipe together and gives it extra moisture. You can also use peanut butter or any seed butter! You need 1/3 cup of it.
- Flax Egg – This is the other glue that holds this recipe together. Make your own flax eggs by combining 2 tbsp of flax meal with 5 tbsp of water and letting ‘gel’ for ten minutes.
- Coconut Sugar – This sugar helps give this bread a little more natural sweetness! You can also replace it with brown sugar. Use 1/3 cup or less if you want it to taste less sweet.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – When making vegan baked goods, apple cider vinegar reacts with baking soda and baking powder to help add lifting power. Don’t skip this step or else your baked goods will be flat! You need to use 2 teaspoons for this bread.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These two things will give the proper amount of lift to the bread. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- Spices: I used a teaspoon of cinnamon because it really brings out the banana flavor. Then just add a pinch (1/4 teaspoon) of salt to enhance the rest of the flavors.
- Mix-Ins: Add 3/4 cup of your favorite banana bread mix-ins. I used chocolate chips, but you can use chopped walnuts or even some chopped pecans.
Kitchen Tools Required For This Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread
If you have ever made any type of quick bread before, you probably already have everything you need. Here is what I used:
- Loaf Pan – 8.5×4.5
- Parchment Paper
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Large Mixing Bowl
For measuring, you will need 1 cup, 2/3 cup, 1/3 cup, 3/4 cup, 1/4 cup, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1/2 teaspoon.
How To Make Vegan Banana Bread
Start by making the flax egg. I used to be so intimidated by flax eggs, but it’s actually such a simple thing to make. You just mix together your flax meal (which is just ground flaxseed) 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.
Recipe Tips
Below are some common vegan banana bread questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!
How do you ripen bananas quicker?
The best way to ripped your bananas is to just let them sit on your counter for a few days. If you want to speed up the process, place them in a brown paper bag and close it up tightly. They will ripen much quicker.
Why is my banana bread flat?
Make sure you used the exact amounts of apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and baking powder. Sometimes when you are off on either of those ingredients, the bread won’t rise as well.
Are chocolate chips vegan?
No, not all chocolate chips are vegan. Some of them contain butter and milkfat. If you want to add chocolate chips to your vegan banana bread, I suggest buying organic vegan chocolate chips that are made with plant-based ingredients.
Storing leftovers
Vegan banana bread will last on the counter for up to five days. Just make sure you wrap it up in aluminum 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 individually wrapped in parchment paper. Then, take out slices as needed and let defrost on the counter! You can also freeze the entire loaf as is.
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Here are some more of my favorite sweet quick bread recipes. Enjoy!
- Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- S’mores Banana Bread
- Paleo Banana Bread Muffins With Chocolate Chips
- Coffee Cake Banana Bread
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Vegan Banana Bread (Gluten Free)
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.
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Isabel Albert says
i just made this and it was incredible! love that it still rose a little bit like normal banana bread! I left out the coconut oil my accident and it still turned out perfect 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Isabel, so glad you liked it!!
nancy says
My favorite banana bread recipe. I have made this several times and it never disappoints! Thanks Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Nancy, I am so glad you love it!!
Aly says
My absolute favorite recipe! I make this at least once a week now. Every time it has come out perfect!! Thank you Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Aly, thank you for sharing!!
Samantha says
This recipe is fantastic! I love baking with oat flour, but I have found it difficult at times to use as a true replacement for AP flour, as it will not always rise. This recipe proved me wrong and I’m so happy! This banana bread is amazing. I used 2 eggs (I was out of flax seeds) and I added both chocolate chips and chopped pecans. SO good, thanks Erin! (This is my first time to your website, and I’m excited to see what else I can learn and bake/cook from you!) 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Samantha, I am so glad this worked out so well for you! Thank you for sharing!
Danielle says
This is easily the best banana bread I’ve ever made! It’s now my go to and I’ve made it 4 times already! Currently mixing up the ingredients to make the pumpkin version and I’m so excited! 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Danielle, thanks so much for sharing! I am thrilled you’re such a fan!
Sally says
Hi Erin, thank you for this wonderful recipe! We love Trader Joe’s vegan banana bread, but I’ve been looking for a recipe for gluten free, vegan banana bread. The last recipe I tried was way too sweet. Your recipe is perfect! I love that it uses oat flour, as I always have that on hand for the wonderful oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that I make (also containing banana). Your banana bread has the perfect amount of sweetness and is wonderfully moist.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Sally, thanks for your kind words! I am so happy you enjoyed the bread so much! 🙂
Mary R says
Love this recipe! It’s very moist and delicious. Been sharing to my gluten free friends that I work with. Glad this recipe can use other substitutes to make it work. I used chopped walnuts in the recipe instead of chocolate chips. Was thinking of using my extra bananas that I mashed to top the slices. I’m into healthy lifestyle education and love recipes like this to share.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Mary, I am so happy you enjoyed it and made it your own! Thanks for your support!
Mj says
This is my go-to recipe for banana bread! Ingredients are simple and I always have on hand. I even tried this without the but butter, added some frozen blueberries, half of the sugar and 2 tbsp of coconut oil instead of 1 and they still turned out good. Thank you for sharing, Erin.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi! Thanks for your kind words! I am so happy you enjoyed it and made it your own! 🙂
Minoo says
Hi, can I use white vinegar instead of ACV?
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!!!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Liana, thank you so much for your kind words. I am so happy you love the bread!! Thanks for your support! 🙂
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!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Erin! I’m so happy you liked the bread and made it your own!
Kim Spicker says
I love this recipe! It’s so tasty and sweet.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kim, I’m so happy you like the bread!!
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?
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Michelle, I’m so glad you like the bread. Yes, you can definitely use coconut flour or any other type of flour you like. Before you bake, just check the ratio since all flours aren’t 1:1. Let me know what flour you choose and how it goes!
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!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Michelle! Thank you so much for your kind words!! I am so happy you love the bread and have made it your own! Let me know how your variations come out! 🙂
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!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Ashton! Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy your whole house enjoys them!!
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.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Dolores! Thank you so much for your kind words and five stars! I am so glad you liked it and made it your own! Let me know what other recipes you try!
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!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Cathy, I am so happy you enjoyed the bread so much!! Thanks for all your kind words! 🙂
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!!!
Erin says
Hi Kelly! You’re very welcome!! I am so happy you made it your own and everyone enjoys it!
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 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kelley, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you both enjoyed it!
Hannah says
This is the best vegan, gluten-free banana bread I have made thus far. So glad to have found something palatable!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Hannah! I am so thrilled you love the bread!!