Easy Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

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This Vegan Banana Bread recipe is easy to make, requires simple ingredients, and it's so darn delicious! The flavor and texture will blow you away – it's soft, moist, and brimming with sweet banana flavor.

Overhead view of fully baked vegan banana bread on a cooling rack.

Have some overripe bananas hanging out in your kitchen? If so, don't let them go to waste – it's the perfect time to make the best Vegan Banana Bread you've ever had!

It's fool-proof and a great recipe to make with the kiddos. They'll love mashing the bananas!

You can serve it for dessert along with cashew milk or go all out and have a slice for breakfast with a latte.

Table of Contents

Vegan Banana Bread Ingredients

️🌟 This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. For the complete ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Ingredients to make banana bread on a table top.

The star ingredient is, of course, Bananas! The riper, the better! For the remaining wet ingredients, you’ll need Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, Neutral-Flavored Oil, Ground Flaxseed, Water, and Vanilla Extract.

For the dry ingredients, you’ll need All-Purpose Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Cinnamon.

AND now for the delicious mix-ins! You’ll need Vegan Chocolate Chips or Walnuts. You can also do a blend of both.

6 process photos of making banana bread batter.

How to make Vegan Banana Bread

The steps are very easy and the batter will come together quickly. Before you start, set out two mixing bowls, one small bowl, a whisk, a spatula, and a lined loaf pan. Now you're ready!

1 - Combine the water and ground flaxseed in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
2 - Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk to combine well.
3 - Mash up the bananas in a large mixing bowl using a fork or potato masher.
4 - Add the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and flax eggs to the mashed bananas. Whisk to combine well.
5 - Add the dry ingredients into the wet and fold with a spatula until just combined.
6 - Fold in the chocolate chips or nuts.

Overhead view of unbaked banana bread in a loaf pan.

7 - Pour mixture into a standard loaf pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips or nuts if desired. Place on the center rack in your oven and bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 ° F (177 ° C) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.

Two slices of vegan banana bread on a plate with milk in the background.

Success Tips

This vegan banana bread recipe will yield wonderful results as long as you follow the recipe exactly. Here are some tips to help you along.

For accurate results, don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup directly from the flour container. Instead, Aerate the flour first, then scoop the flour out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess flour.
If you only have whole flaxseed, you can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. You can also use chia seeds to create a vegan egg.
Start checking your loaf around the 45-minute mark. You don't want to over bake or it will get dry. The loaf will also continue to cook when it comes out of the oven.
It is very important that you use overripe, spotty bananas or the loaf will not be very flavorful or sweet. If you don't have any overripe bananas on hand, you can quickly ripen them in your oven in under an hour. I haven't tried it, but it looks promising. Here's a quick guide on how to do it.
If you have overripe bananas, but you are not ready to bake, just peel them and freeze them in a Ziploc. You'll need to thaw them first before use. I place them in a colander over this sink for 20-30 minutes until they are softened and the excess water has drained out.
This recipe yields a soft, moist, and slightly dense loaf with lots of banana flavor. I prefer it this way, but if you want a cakier texture, add ¼ cup more all-purpose flour to the recipe. If you want to make the loaf even softer, moister, and fluffier, you can swap out ¼ cup of bananas for ¼ cup of non-dairy yogurt or applesauce. It works beautifully!

Recipe FAQs

How long will banana bread last?

It will stay fresh for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can store it in the fridge for 4-6 days, but it tends to get a little dry this way.

Can I freeze banana bread?

Absolutely! It freezes beautifully! Just wrap it well in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in your freezer for 4-5 months. You can also freeze it in slices so you can have a piece whenever a craving hits.
To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for an hour or until it's soft. If you'd like the banana bread warm, you can cover it in a napkin and microwave for 30 seconds.

Can I use any kind of sweetener?

Yes, but the texture and sweetness will vary, so this all depends on your personal preference at this point. Here are some variations.

Using all brown sugar will make the loaf softer and moister, but it'll taste a little less sweet. The loaf will have a darker color too.
If you use all granulated sugar, it will taste sweeter, and the loaf will be slightly drier. Still moist and delicious though!
You can substitute the brown sugar and granulated for ½ cup maple syrup or agave. The liquid sweetener adds more moisture, so this will yield a moister consistency. I think it's perfectly sweet with a ½ cup, but if you want it sweeter, don't add more liquid, just add ¼ cup dry sweetener of choice.
Coconut or date sugar will work too, but it won't taste as sweet.

Two slices of banana bread on a white plate with a fork on the side.

More Vegan Sweets to Enjoy

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