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!
Well, she was wrong about at least one thing, because I guess she didn't know that a time would come when a 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.
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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. 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 to Make Vegan Banana Bread
The following 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 an egg substitutes in all kinds of vegan baked goods, but when it comes to banana bread, they're already an integral part of the recipe.
- Mash your bananas up in a large bowl using a fork or potato masher.
- Add some oil, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla to your mashed banana, then stir everything up.
- When your wet ingredients are mixed you can add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Fold the nuts into you batter, being careful not to overmix it.
Tip: You want to stir 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.
- Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan, smooth out the top, and sprinkle with brown sugar. This will give you an awesome crust on top!
- Bake your loaf for 50 minutes at 350°.
- Let the bread cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes before slicing.
Tip: As with all baked goods recipes, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin baking.
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.
More Vegan Quickbreads
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!
The Best Vegan Banana Bread
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.
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
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Preheat the oven to 350°.
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Lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan and arrange a strip of parchment paper width-wise along the center, with just a bit hanging out over each side.
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Peel the bananas and place them into a large mixing bowl. Mash them well with a fork or potato masher.
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Add sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well-mixed.
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Add the flour to the bowl, then sprinkle the baking soda, cinnamon and salt on top of the flour.
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Stir everything together just until mixed. Don't overmix. The batter will be thick.
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Fold in the walnuts.
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Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.
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Sprinkle the top with brown sugar.
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Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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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.
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Slice and serve.
Recipe 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.
Wow! I'm 54 and quite set in my ways. My whole life I've been using the same non-vegan banana bread recipe my mom used when I was a kid, and I love it. I made this one for my vegan niece who was visiting for Thanksgiving, and I also made one of my usual kind. Trying them side by side, I was amazed to find I liked this one even better. The best banana bread I've ever had of any kind. Thank you! (Note: I left out the walnuts on purpose and the vanilla extract by mistake, and it was still fantastic.)
This is the best banana bread! I've made it like ten times already. Thanks so much for the recipe.❤
I left off the sugar topping since I was making this for my toddler. It turned out amazing. I made it twice this week, one for myself, and one to bring to my parent's house.
Sooooo yummy!
My little prefers muffins so I spooned enough into a muffin tin (to experiment on the timing) … it turned out excellent as well: same temp but 25 minutes instead of 50 minutes.
One of the best banana bread recipes I’ve made and so simple! Absolutely delicious. I’m vegan but my parents aren’t and they loved this. I love that the recipe is accessible for those unaccustomed to vegan baking :)
This one is a keeper. Amazing recipe and thank you for posting
It turned out delicious. I used a mix of walnuts, pecans and vegan chocolate chips. Replaced half the oil with unsweetened apple sauce and only used half the brown sugar for the topping to save some calories.
Thank you for a great recipee!
Great recipe! A bit too salty for my taste, but overall a great flavor.
This can be made gluten-free! I made it substituting the flour for a rice flour-based mix, 3/4 tsp of xanthan gum and added a teaspoon of baking powder. Because gluten-free recipes do well with extra protein I added an egg. If you can find a vegan protein source go ahead and add that although it might be fine without it. I also added frozen blueberries and it was so good! I was so happy to find a recipe that didn’t have any form of butter since I can’t eat that.
I wasn’t able to add this to my Pinterest board though.
Fabulous recipe! Made muffins and they are incredibly delicious! Thank you for all your creations, you make vegan food sing!
How long did you bake when making the muffins?
I made this as directed and it came out dry and crumbly. If i slice it it falls apart. Hard to take to a party
Very very yummy. I decided to try this instead of veganizing my old recipe. It was excellent as prepared per the recipe. It is a keeper!
Great taste overall, but too salty. I'll decrease salt to 1/2 teaspoon next time.
This was the best! I added an extra banana because I had it and it was fantastic. Thanks for the recipe
The first time I made this, I did so because we had a guest stay with us over Christmas who is vegan. Everyone loved it and my husband said it was the best banana nut bread I ever made. Everyone, that is, but me. With every bite, I could taste the oil...Ick! So the second time I made it, I replaced the oil with sugar free applesauce. NOW, I agree with my husband. THIS is the best banana nut bread I ever made...and still vegan!
i use this recipe every time i make banana bread. it’s just so delicious!!! the only thing i add myself is i chop up chocolate bars in pieces and add them in,, SO delicious
All your recipes are so good and this is no exception! I’ve made this numerous times already and it always turns out perfect. Here’s a little tip - if you are using leftover frozen bananas (I have bags of them!) I figured out three medium bananas are 12 ounces, so I just weigh out that amount and it’s perfect.
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
This is best banana bread recipe! I make it at least twice a month. My family loves it.
Absolutely delicious! A new family favorite recipe at our house. Moist, great banana flavor. Very easy to make.
Thank you
YPavey
I make this recipe every week for my husband - I use Sucanat for the sugar, unsweetened applesauce for the oil and add dried cranberries, raisins, dried cherries and walnuts! So good!!
It would have been great, but it was top salty for a banana bread. Next time I'll just use only 1/2 tsp of salt. I also added 2 Tbsp of almond milk.
AMAZING RECIPE! I didn't have brown sugar and used coconut sugar instead. It tasted so good and it was moist/fluffy. My dad who isn't vegan loved it!
I’ve made this recipe probably 20 times at this point, so I figured I should probably leave a review as a thanks. This banana bread was one of the first things that introduced me to vegan baking and I’m so happy I found it. It’s a staple for any holiday or gathering I’m apart of, it’s easy and assures me I have something delicious to eat. My entire family (non-vegan) loves it, and my dad frequently buys bananas in bulk as an excuse to hassle me to make a loaf. I used to work at a vegan bakery that makes banana bread, and I can say this recipe beats that one by a long shot (despite the excessive amount of sugar bakeries use). I’m so happy I found this, thank you!