This Vegan Banana Bread is ultra moist, sweet, and has so much delicious banana flavor. It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup and loaded with chocolate chips.
Banana bread is one of my favorite things to eat. I love to eat it plain, with chocolate chips, without chocolate chips, slathered in butter, drizzled with peanut butter, chilled, warmed, and every way in between. I’m obsessed. This vegan banana bread is no exception. It’s everything you love about banana bread — moist, ultra banana-y, etc. — but it’s made without animal byproducts!
Ingredients
With a few simple swaps, banana bread can easily be made vegan — you’ll never know the difference!
- Almond Milk and White Vinegar – makes a vegan “buttermilk” which gives the banana bread an ultra moist texture and very subtle tang. Homemade “buttermilk” can be a great substitute for buttermilk in many different recipes. Feel free to use any non-dairy milk: soy, cashew, coconut, hemp, etc.
- Pure Maple Syrup – not pancake syrup, sweetens the bread while also providing additional moisture. Maple syrup is also loaded with vitamins and minerals, making it a great way to naturally sweeten any recipe.
- Coconut Oil – makes this bread ultra rich and moist. Often banana bread will be made with butter, so coconut oil is a vegan replacement. Butter may add more flavor, but oil will actually produce a bread that’s more moist. If you’d like a butter flavor, try vegan butter instead! You can also use another neutral flavored oil, like canola oil as well.
- Vanilla Extract – gives flavor depth and a touch of warm sweetness. Vanilla is like the salt for sweet recipes…without it, baked goods will often taste very bland.
- Ripe Bananas – the riper the better… I’m talking black bananas (no mold spots, of course), or at the very least very brown, spotted bananas. Ultra ripe bananas add so much sweet, banana flavor, moisture, and also act as the binder in this recipe.
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour – gives the banana bread its structure. Whole wheat pastry flour is kind of the best of both worlds. You’re able to get a super soft, tender texture while also adding in the health benefits of whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is more finely ground than whole wheat flour so it produces lighter baked goods. If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, use a 50/50 blend of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Don’t use all whole wheat flour or you’ll end up with a very dense, dry bread.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – using both prevents the bread from becoming too dense while also maintaining a pleasant flavor.
- Cinnamon and Salt – adds a kick of sweet spiciness and enhances flavor. Cinnamon makes this bread super flavorful, but it can also lower blood sugar levels and reduce heart disease risk factors!
- Chocolate Chips – optional, but highly recommended. I personally love chocolate chips in my banana bread. Use whatever vegan chocolate chips you have laying around: semi-sweet, dark, etc. If you like bigger puddles of chocolate, try vegan chocolate chunks instead.
How to make
This banana bread recipe comes together with just 20 minutes of prep!
- Stir almond milk and vinegar together in a medium-sized bowl, then set aside for 10 minutes. This is the vegan “buttermilk”.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan “buttermilk”, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla until smooth, then whisk in mashed bananas.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until just combined, then stir in chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan, then bake at 350ºF for 30-45 minutes.
- Cool in the pan, then remove, slice, and serve!
Can you leave eggs out of banana bread?
Typically, banana bread is made with eggs and it’s recommended to follow the recipe as written and leave the eggs in, but because this banana bread is vegan, there are no eggs!
Eggs are an animal byproduct, so they will not be found in any vegan recipe. There are many vegan egg substitutes that replace eggs in recipes: chia “eggs”, flax “eggs”, applesauce, bananas, etc. Today’s recipe uses extra banana to make up for the lost egg.
Can you make vegan banana bread gluten-free?
To make this banana bread gluten-free, simply swap the whole wheat pastry flour out for a cup for cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. (*not tested)
You could also check out my skinny banana chocolate chip muffins, which are vegan and gluten-free, or my almond flour banana bread, which is dairy-free and gluten-free.
Can you make banana bread oil free?
You can try making this recipe oil free by replacing the oil with equal parts applesauce! The texture will be affected slightly; it may be a little gummy, but it will still be delicious. (*not tested)
Tips
- Use very ripe banana. The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be!
- Spoon and level the flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. This ensures that it doesn’t get too packed in. Too much flour will cause the bread to be dry.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Stirring too much can eliminate any air pockets present in the batter which prevents the dough from rising. This will make a very dense bread.
How to store
Leftover banana bread will last in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To enjoy again, microwave to warm, if desired.
– Jennifer
Vegan Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup almond milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted and cooled slightly
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cups mashed ripe bananas
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour spoon and leveled
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Stir almond milk and vinegar together in a medium sized bowl, then set aside for 10 minutes. This is our vegan “buttermilk”.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan “buttermilk”, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla until smooth, then whisk in the mashed bananas.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until *just* combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, then bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the bread has cooked through and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan until cool enough to handle, then remove from pan, slice, and serve!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
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