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!
Jump to:
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.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
How can i make it more on the sweet side.
You can add a bit more sugar or brown sugar if you like. I'm thinking you could get away with up to an additional 1/4 cup.
Made this earlier this week and loved it. Will definitely be making this again!
Can this recipe be used in a mini Bundt cake pan? I’ve made the recipe normally a couple times now, but I wanted to switch it up... I imagine I would just need to decrease my baking time? Thanks for posting such a great recipe! Doesn’t come out dry like some do. Perfect banana bread.
To specify, a mini Bundt cake pan with 6 little Bundt spaces in it.
I've heard from readers that made this as muffins, so I'm sure mini bundts would work as well. I'd definitely decrease the baking time, though I'm not sure how much. Muffins take about 20 minutes, so I'd start checking them at that point. My best guess would be about 30 minutes bake time. I'd love to hear how they turn out if you try!
Made this loaf today with grandsons (ages 3 and 5). Left out the nuts (their request) and used coconut oil (melted in microwave). Fast! Easy! Delicious! Will definitely be making this again — great way to use up those brown bananas. I like the addition of cinnamon, too. The brown sugar topping was a hit! We all enjoyed a slice piping hot from the oven. Thanks!
Soooooo yummmmmm.
I did a 2/3 recipe because I only had 2 bananas, and it only needed 40 min.
Thank you! The walnuts spread so evenly across the bread. Kids commented that it smells like apple pie.. love the addition of cinnamon and a big fan of the brown sugar crust!
Can you use extra virgin olive oil in this? That’s all I have!
You can! It might add a little bit of olive flavor, but I actually enjoy that in sweet recipes.
I made this bread using my Sun Oven with excellent results ( even in November!)
Will make another loaf for family Thanksgiving 😊...(thank you for this must have recipe.)
I loved it! Quick. Easy. Delicious. Thank you.
This bread is quite drlicious..I really think even moreso the following dsy..the flavors really shine...and don't leave the topping behind..just Don't
I made this exactly as written. It is my favorite banana bread, vegan or otherwise! I've only tried it with walnuts, I'm wondering how it would be without nuts (for my people who don't care for nuts). Guess I'll have to just make another loaf and find out!
One note, the baking time for me was a lot different--more like 65-70 minutes, but I'm sure that's an oven thing.
Thank you so much for sharing this perfect recipe!
I made it without nuts because I'm not the biggest fan. Still hella good!
I need you to know this is THE BEST banana bread ever. Ever, ever, ever.
I have made it upwards of 15 times this year (yes, that’s a lot, it’s 2020 tho we need something good!) and every time is better than the last
I have a hard time with baking but this recipe is fool proof. I love you for it! I give it as gifts and it gets rave reviews from every single person who tries it. And that’s not because of my baking skills because I can ONLY bake this banana bread well.
Seriously- amazing. Thank you!!
I never leave reviews but this bread is THAT GOOD. I make this with chocolate chips and it usually lasts 2 days in my house. The brown sugar topping is to die for. I love this recipe!
Thank you for the recipe. I've made it many times already and it always comes out great. In my oven the banana bread only needs about 30 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit though! Goes to show how different ovens can be... Luckily there don't seem to be any comments of people whose banana breads got burned.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing.
This is so easy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely beautiful banana loaf! Thank you for such a delicious recipe. My husband devoured it, couldn’t even tell it was vegan. So moist and the sugar crumb is the perfect addition. He has left some bananas to overripen & today hinted if I could make it again. I wondered if I wanted to adapt this to make a chocolate banana loaf what would you suggest?
I'm glad you enjoyed it!! I actually just developed a chocolate banana bread recipe this week - it's basically this recipe, but you swap out 1/2 cup of the flour with cocoa powder and add some chocolate chips. :)
I am a butcher and I cooked this AMAZING recipe for my vegan wife. I ended eating almost a half of the loaf before she even knew I made it vegan for her... Hecka' Good Stuff...I'm gonna make US another one today.
I’ve never left a rating before in my life, but I had to. This recipe is amazing! I cooked it for 40 minutes because I have an older oven, and it came out perfect. I even licked the batter off of the spoon and oh man...yum!
I make these into muffins about every week. They’re fantastic! Perfect texture, perfect sweetness. And since the recipe is vegan, I can take it out of the oven when it’s not fully cooked and enjoy the muffins a bit on the gooey side.When the batch gets fully cooked though it’s still delicious. I omit the brown sugar on top but add chocolate chips inside. Also, these freeze really well (particularly if you increase the oil to 1/2c). Thank you for a delicious, dependable recipe! 😁
Hi can I please find out how many grams would the bananas be if it is already peeled? Is your banana measurement based on an unpeeled banana?
I have made this probably 15 times in the past 5 months. ALWAYS turns out amazing. I have altered between using dark & light brown sugar as well as 1/4 cup less of flour for a more moist loaf. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve shared it with many non vegans and they can’t even tell the difference. I am so addicted!!
This is indeed the best vegan banana bread I've ever had. I just subbed coconut oil be used it's all I had and added 1 flax egg . I literally forgot It didn't call for one! lol. I just added by default. I'm positive it would be just as delicious without. This came out so moist and fluffy. I love the crunch the sugared topping gives it. I am going to try this with pumpkin or blue berries next time. Thank you!
This is my first time making this vegan banana bread. I have made other versions of vegan banana bread before. But this recipe is surprisingly simple and tastes better than the other more complicated recipe I've made!
I’ve made this a couple of times now and I must say it’s incredible! I personally think it’s even better than a non-vegan banana bread. Now I also make a cupcake version of this. Just put them a bit shorter in the oven. Thanks for the recipe!
Wow... even with the great reviews this recipe exceeded my expectations! I used self raising flour and utilised coconut oil... best banana bread I have tasted! Even more special because it is vegan!
made this bread and it was delicious! I added a teaspoon of baking powder, as I was worried it would not rise with just soda. It is delicious, and somehow tastes quite buttery!
This is the best banana bread ever! I’m not even vegan, but my boyfriend is lactose intolerant and loves banana bread. Tried this recipe out, and oh my goodness, it’s so good!! I’ve given it to my parents, boyfriend, and my boyfriend’s fraternity brothers; they all love it! I put both walnuts and vegan chocolate chips in mine which I think makes it extra decadent and yummy.
My only question is, do I pack the brown sugar or no? I was glancing on the recipe, and I can’t remember what I did the last few times.
Yup, it should be packed. My rule of thumb is to always pack it by default. :)
I make this recipe all the time with my granddaughter who is allergic to milk and dairy. We love to bake together and this recipe is fabulous!!
Do you think I can add blueberries? If so, about a cup or so? I froze some fresh blueberries...assuming I have to thaw them first, yes?
Glad you enjoyed it! You can absolutely add blueberries. No need to thaw them if they're frozen - just add them to the batter at the end.
Yuuuuuuuuuuuuum. Just made it and it is absolutely scrumptious! I added pecans and chocolate chips. Divine. My new go to for banana bread.
Can you use coconut oil for this recipee ?
Yup!
Could I make muffins out of this?
You can, but you'd probably be better off using my banana muffin recipe: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-banana-chocolate-chip-walnut-muffins/ - It's adapted from my banana bread recipe. Enjoy!
Just took this out of the oven and my entire house smells heavenly! This is my fourth time making this bread and it’s a huge hit with my family. Thank you so much!
Hi! Just curious if your original family recipe also had no butter? Or did you just not want to use vegan butter here? Just stuck out to me since so many banana bread recipes have lots of butter!
No butter in the original recipe! It used oil, although I think I reduced the amount a bit for this version.
I was disappointed. I followed the recipe, exact measurements. And my batter turned into a crumbly mess. It wasn’t a wet batter, very, very dry. I don’t know what I did wrong. I still tried to bake it and it tastes awful. Everyone else here had great reviews, so I thought I’d try it. Any advice would be great...
Did you use super ripe bananas? They need to be really mushy for banana bread. The bananas are most of the liquid.
Happened to me too :(. I think the recipe should say up to 2 cups of flour. I used overly ripe and thawed bananas. Followed directions exactly. The problem is that banana size varies, and since it doesn't say "use 1 cup" or whatever, the likelihood of there being a ratio problem is higher. My batter was dry and thick and I had to press it into the pan. I baked it anyway and we'll see if it is still edible (my prediction: YES)!
I did have to add a few tablespoons of almond milk because I could tell that the batter was way too dry. But it turned out just perfect in the end.
I've made this recipe about 8 times and everytime I'm shocked at how good it is. I've been making banana bread almost all of my life and nothing compares to this recipe!
I’m gonna make this but was wondering if I can substitute spelt flour instead of the all purpose flour? I’m also planning on using applesauce instead of the oil.
I think that would be fine! I substitute spelt flour in lots of baked good recipes and have never had a problem. Enjoy!
I was looking for a new vegan banana bread recipe and this is it! So easy to make and so delicious! Thank you for the recipe! This will be my new go-to when I have overripe bananas!
I made this recipe with Gluten Free all purpose flour and actually didn’t end up having 2 cups so made up the difference with almond flour (it ended up being alittle less than half almond flour), it still turned out great!! Big hit with my husband who has Celiac and my Mom who is usually not a fan of gluten free baked goods. It is super moist and yummy!
Made this recipe today, outstanding!! My first attempt at vegan baking.😋
Is there anything I can do to make this work with only 2 bananas?
Your best bet would be to scale the recipe down by a third. Just make sure to start checking it early while it bakes - it might be done quicker! Other options you could try are subbing 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree or non-dairy yogurt. I haven't tried either of these, but they're my best guesses as to what you could sub for a banana. I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Best vegan banana bread recipe . I made this with my 2 girls and they absolutely loved it. The bread came out moist and not dry. Great way to skip the apple sauce. We will make more banana bread.
I've made this a few times and it's been great! My only issue is that I like to eye how much flour goes in as I stir, but I don't want to overstir as I'm doing so. That's a general problem though; this recipe is a winner! The brown sugar crust is ingenious.
I made this 2 days ago and my husband really loved it. I’m going to make another one today. I’ve tried other recipes, but this is the best vegan banana bread I’ve made so far. Thank you for sharing the recipe! I’ll definitely try your other variations of vegan banana bread recipes 💖🌱
I would love to make this. Do you know the baking difference if using a bread machine instead of the oven?
I'm afraid I don't. I have a bread machine, so I'll give it a try when I have a chance!
Yes, this is the best banana bread ever! I thought the ATK Vegan Banana Bread was the best but your recipe really is better and so much easier. I had leftover walnuts so I crushed them and sprinkled them on the top along with the brown sugar and it came out so good.
Love this recipe and it works gluten-free :) Had a happy accident where I didn't have enough flour after everything else was measured out and ready so I frantically blitzed up some rolled oats in the food processor to make up the difference... AMAZING! Every time I've made this banana bread since, I've used half 1-for-1 gluten-free flour and half oats. Its a huge hit with my family, friends, and coworkers.
The only thing is changed was adding a couple tbl spoons of flaxseed to just put some omega 3 in it. (I put that in just about everything.) This bread is so flippin good! Gonna make it again tonight and it won't last through the morning.
Best and easiest banana bread I've had so far! Bonus that it is Vegan!!! We love adding vegan chocolate chips in ours.
I just made this tonight, using coconut oil as my oil of choice. I am.a HUGE fan of banana bread in general (I have a whole pinterest board dedicated to it!) and I am in love with this recipe. It's so easy to follow and it's not asking for a bunch of funky items(ie:flaxseed egg, ect). I am also loving your whole page. Thank you, google, for leading me here!
Made this and it was really good! Switched the oil for applesauce because I don’t really like oil and it turned out perfect texture and great flavor and smell
How much applesauce,?
I made this twice so far and it is by far the best recipe I've tried - delicious! And what's great is it's not as oily as other recipes either. I toast it in the morning with nut butter and coffee. YUM.
I have made this recipe twice and it is absolutely delicious! Even though I'm not vegan, I wanted to give it a try because, why not? The banana bread is perfectly moist but not too oily or greasy. The sugar coating is very yummy and adds a nice crunch to bread. It also isn't too sweet. Overall, this is a great recipe and even my vegan friends approve!
Second time making it. So delicious. I added orange zest and 1 Tbs orange justice.
Where do I get orange justice ? :)
Hahahaha! Joanna. I was thinking the same thing. Lol