The best banana bread ever, and it's vegan! Perfectly sweet, moist, and topped with a brown sugar crust, this delicious banana bread is super easy to make and customizable with your favorite stir-ins.
My family has the best banana bread recipe. Ever. I hate to brag, but it's true. Back when I was young and learning to cook, I tried out some banana bread recipes that were decent, before my mom took me aside, handed me a recipe card and informed me that it was the only banana bread recipe I'd ever need, because it was the best!
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Well, she was wrong about at least one thing, because I guess she didn't know that a time would come when I'd need a vegan banana bread recipe. But that's not a big deal, because creating a vegan version of the old family favorite recipe was no biggie!
Oh, and well, maybe she was wrong about it being the best, because, in fact, this vegan recipe is actually better.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Overripe bananas. Your bananas absolutely need to be overripe. This means LOTS of brown spots. Preferably almost as much brown peel as yellow. Check out the photo below to get an idea of what this looks like. Using bananas that aren't ripe enough will not only affect the banana flavor of your bread, but it will give it a dry, chewy texture.
- Sugars. We're using granulated white and brown sugar, and you'll want to make sure both are organic in order to keep the recipe vegan. Coconut sugar can be substituted for brown sugar if you'd like.
- Canola oil. Feel free to substitute another baking oil, like vegetable oil, melted coconut oil, or even olive oil. I don't recommend using vegan butter in this particular recipe.
- Vanilla extract.
- Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour, which is the only type I've tested it with. I've had a few readers that had success with various gluten-free flours, though. Check out the comments below the recipe to read about their results. I suspect that whole wheat pastry flour or a mix of white and whole wheat flour would also work.
- Baking soda.
- Cinnamon. You can leave this out if you insist, but it adds a wonderful flavor to the loaf.
- Salt.
- Walnuts. You're welcome to substitute another type of nut such as pecans or hazelnuts, or use your favorite banana bread stir-in, such as chocolate chips.
Tip: If you have overripe bananas but aren't ready to make banana bread, just freeze them! Peel them, seal them up in freezer bags, then thaw when you're ready to bake
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
The great thing about veganizing banana bread is that you don't have to fuss over figuring out the right egg substitute. Bananas do the job! I use bananas as vegan egg substitutes in all kinds of baked goods, but when it comes to banana bread, they're already an integral part of the recipe.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Oil a loaf pan, then cut a sheet of parchment paper to about half the length of your pan. Line the pan with the parchment paper as shown in the photo above. You'll use that little bit of overhang to lift your banana bread from the pan when it's ready.
Step 3: Peel and place your bananas into a large mixing bowl, then use a fork or potato masher to mash them up. Get the mixture relatively smooth, but don't break a sweat! In fact, leave a few little chunks if you like. Personally, I think little chunks are part of the charm of homemade banana bread.
Step 4: Add sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla to the bowl, then stir everything up.
Step 5: Add your flour to the bowl, then sprinkle the other dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients — baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Tip: Wondering why we sprinkle the other dry ingredients on top of the flour? That's how we keep this as a one-bowl recipe! This method helps to ensure that everything gets mixed in evenly, without you having to combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Step 6: Stir the batter just until the ingredients are combined. Don't overdo it!
Step 7: Now, gently fold in the walnuts. The batter will be very thick.
Tip: Stir your batter just until the ingredients are combined. Mixing too much will overdevelop the gluten, making your vegan banana bread tough. This rule applies with pretty much all wheat flour-based muffins and quick breads.
Step 8: Pour the batter into your loaf pan and smooth it on top.
Step 9: Sprinkle some brown sugar over the top of your unbaked loaf. I like to gently press it in a bit with my hands.
Step 10: Pop the pan into the oven and bake your vegan banana bread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 11: Let your loaf cool for at least 15 minutes. At this point you have the option of removing it from the pan. Use the extra parchment paper hanging over the sides to pull it out.
Tip: As with all baked goods recipes, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin baking.
Step 12: Once your vegan banana bread has cooled completely, go ahead and slice it up. Dig in!
If you love this recipe and have more overripe bananas to use up, try my vegan banana waffles, vegan French toast casserole, vegan banana cake, or vegan banana pancakes!
Variations
- Chocolate chip banana bread. Instead of walnuts, add a cup of vegan chocolate chips to the batter. And if you're a chocolate lover, make sure to check out my vegan chocolate banana bread recipe as well!
- Switch up the nuts. Replace the chopped walnuts with pecans, almonds, or peanuts.
- Spiced banana bread. Include some additional warming spices, such as cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. You can increase the amount of ground cinnamon as well!
- Garnish with an extra banana. Cut a banana in half, lengthwise, then place the halves over your loaf before baking, cut sides up. Gently press them in. I recommend skipping the brown sugar topping if you go with this option.
Leftovers & Storage
Store your leftover vegan banana bread in it's original loaf pan, tightly covered in plastic wrap. It will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the fridge for about 1 week.
You can also seal the loaf up in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months.
You can optionally warm the individual slices in the microwave or oven heated to 350°F for a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually old baking soda is the culprit. Test yours by sprinkling it in some vinegar. It should fizz. If not, toss and replace it.
They're not necessary! Bananas serve the same function.
Use my vegan banana muffins recipe! I've made all the necessary adjustments for you.
When I created this recipe, I used overripe bananas weighing about five ounces each. This includes the peel and everything. Having said that, the recipe is forgiving, and unless you rarely buy bananas, you should be fine to simply use what look like medium-sized bananas to you.
More Vegan Quick Breads
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
The Best Vegan Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium overripe bananas (Notes 1 and 2)
- ⅓ cup organic granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup organic brown sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil (or your favorite baking oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt (Note 3)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans, vegan chocolate chips, or your favorite banana bread stir-in)
For Topping
- ¼ cup organic brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Lightly oil a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and arrange a strip of parchment paper width-wise along the center, with just a bit hanging out over each side.
- Peel the bananas and place them into a large mixing bowl. Mash them well with a fork or potato masher.
- Add sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well-mixed.
- Add the flour to the bowl, then sprinkle the baking soda, cinnamon and salt on top of the flour.
- Stir everything together just until mixed. Don't overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in the walnuts.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle the top with brown sugar.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Allow the loaf to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let it cool completely before slicing.
- Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure at least a third of your banana peel is brown, and preferably closer to half. Bananas that aren't ripe enough will negatively affect the flavor and texture of this recipe.
- You should be able to eyeball your bananas to find a medium one, but if you're in doubt, go for ones that weigh about 5 ounces (with the peel).
- While the majority of commenters on this recipe have loved it, I've also heard from a few people who found it to be too salty. I think the amount of salt is perfect, but if you tend to be sensitive to saltiness, try using only ½ teaspoon of salt the first time you make it.
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It was wayyyyy t dry I didn’t like at al
This turned out so delicious! I had to use what I had on hand so I used an oat blend flour, coconut sugar and chopped macadamia nuts. Try it!
Multiple people came to tell me this was the best banana bread they ever had (not vegans).
I added a little bit of oats, cinnamon, butter, flour, salt, to the brown sugar, but let the brown sugar still be the bulk of the topping.
Update on my last comment. It turned out a little different and I think I know why. This time I ignored my culinary roots and did the flour as your recommended and I got very uneven ingredients. Some bites were really salty, clearly could see cinnamon clumped etc. Next time I will sift in the flour, cinnamon ,baking soda and other ingredients into the banana puree. Also I added maybe a TBSP almond milk to the batter may do this again . This all being said, my son wasn't big on the more brown places on outside this time(I assume due to sugar not being mixed in well on my part. . He still inhaled it. Made it Sunday afternoon, he at the last small piece yesterday. I will likely make this once a week he really loves to snack and have for breakfast. Considering trying some in muffin form too. This recipe is saved on a shortcut my phone screen and that is rare anything makes it there. Thanks again
Truly a great recipe. I appreciate no flax seed meal needed. I think I cooked it the time it said but it was almost dry but not really. I think I may have over mixed a tad . My husband who is somewhat picky said the brown sugar on top is what made him like it. That's a compliment lol My son who is extremely picky inhales this ,he will sneak and grab a piece constantly if I don't keep an eye on it. so I have another loaf in the oven now so this is the second time making it. I want to add pecans to it next time
my husband is obsessed with this banana bread. I've made it 5 times in the last 4 weeks for company & for our own enjoyment. I make the recipe as is, using the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the only change I make is to the baking strategy - I cook uncovered for 25 minutes, and then loosely cover with foil to finish the baking so the top does not get too overdone and the bread remains moist. the first time I made it, I found that the top got too cooked while the middle was under-done, so the foil strategy has worked wonders for all subsequent tries. thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe me and family enjoy this banana bread every time I make it .I know my body thanks me and I thank you 😊 Keep up the wonderful recipes .
Super easy to make and very moist. I can see why people mention too much salt, but it balances pretty nicely. My grandmother would make banana bread sandwiches with prosciutto and the salty/sweetness was amazing. made these into mini muffins, so only baked them about 12 minutes. This recipe is a keeper.
Best banana bread I've ever had! My vegan friend LOVED it, and my non-vegan people loved it, also. Thanks for the great recipe!
We love this banana bread recipe! I typically need to bake it for an additional 15 minutes, but no other changes are necessary. Don't let "vegan" deter you from making this. It's delish!
I am getting ready to make this but I only have sesame and avocado oil. Which if either, is preferable?
Either will work, as long as the sesame oil is untoasted (toasted will add a strong sesame flavor to the bread). If you're not sure, go with avocado. Enjoy!!
So good! I added some oats and it turned out great!
I love it! It is perfect 😊🧡🍁🌻
Very good. I did it in my Breville toaster oven in a metal loaf tin, and the top got a little too dark, probably because of being close to the heating element. It was perfectly cooked through, nothing soggy.
FYI I only had 2 bananas, reduced the flour to 1 1/2 cups, didn’t change anything else and it worked out fine.
This recipe is consistently great and whenever I make it people always ask for the recipe I use, thanks!
So good! Never thought of adding just brown sugar to the top of a quick bread, but it was lovely! I did need to add 10 min to the cook time, but that might be because my oven runs cool and I used a silicone loaf pan so the middle is thicker than the ends. Not sure if it would have been done in 50 min if I had done it in a metal pan. I thought I would mention that issue though for anyone else trying this recipe with those factors in play!
Tastes delicious, but the middle did not cook, even after putting it back in for 15 more minutes. 50 plus 15 was still not enough. No change. Still gooey. It tastes so good and is easy, I really want to figure out how to make it come out right.
This really was the BEST vegan banana bread. I added dairy free chocolate chips and made them into giant muffins and made myself mighty popular. So easy and such a winner!
Hello!
I just wanted to write a comment because I have been using this recipe for years now! I see it says it was published in 2022, but I am pretty sure I made this for the first time in 2019, because I have pics!
I have lost count of how many times I have made this banana bread. I have tried all kinds of "stir-ins" like nuts, chocolate, shredded carrots, blueberries, and more.
This banana cake has been a staple for me, and I make it for family and friends' birthdays to make sure I can have a nice treat. Vegans and non-vegans love it.
It is one recipe I will be saving forever. Thanks!
I'm so glad you've been enjoying it!! I actually first published this in 2019. I updated the blog post to include some helpful info in 2022, and the published date was altered in the process - recipe is still the same, though. Thanks so much for sharing!
Best banana bread recipe ever! People cannot believe it's vegan! Wondering if I can use this recipe as a base to turn it into a carrot cake? I love how simple the ingredients of this recipe are and would like to have a fuss free recipe for carrot cake too. Would you reccomend doing it?
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven't tried making this into carrot cake, but I think it you stirred in about a cup of shredded carrots it would work. I'd also add more spices, like ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, and maybe some raisins. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
5 stars for an easy recipe that smelled and tasted great, however it was dry. I followed everything as far as ingredients, cook time, etc so I was very disappointed. What can I do to get a nice, moist bread the next time I make this?
Were your bananas overripe, with lots of brown spots? If they weren't, that's probably the issue. Overripe bananas have more sugar and moisture, whereas less ripe bananas have more starch, which can be drying.
Thank you for your response, Alissa. I've made this 3 times since my comment above and it's been wonderful every single time! I started using bananas that have dark brown to black spots on the peel and those worked amazingly well! Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!
Hi Val, I made this and mistakingly covered it up in a container too soon while warm and the result was a wet crumble top that I cut off but the inside was very moist. I took these to work as samples and the feedback was surprisingly overwhelmingly great.
Shannon, thank you for sharing your experience. I will definitely keep that in mind if it ever comes out dry again. Thankfully, the recipe has worked really well the last 3 times I made it. My family loves it!
I add some unsweetened almondmilk, etc., to the batter to moisten it up. Maybe 1/4 cup. Tastes delicious, see if that helps!
Allyson, thank you for sharing that info. Much appreciated!
It's the best! Thank you. The first time I made this recipe, it was too salty, but I realized that I needed to mix the dry ingredients together thoroughly before adding them to the banana mix. It uses a second bowl, but for me, it's worth the extra effort.
Delicious, even without the topping! Thanks very much!