The Best Vegan Banana Bread

Sliced loaf of Vegan Banana Bread with a cup of tea in the background.

4.94 from 389 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 322kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Equipment

9 x 5 inch loaf pan

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition