This Vegan Banana Bread is moist, fluffy, and naturally sweetened, making it the perfect wholesome treat for breakfast or dessert! Quick and easy to make, and can be customized with optional walnuts or chocolate chips for extra flavor and crunch. Enjoy this plant-based, oil-free treat whenever your sweet tooth strikes!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Easy Vegan Banana Bread
- Wholesome ingredients: naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, completely plant-based, oil-free, and with an optional whole grain flour. Tastes like a treat but can be made fully whole-food plant-based!
- Moist and fluffy: this dessert bread is the perfect texture and consistency!
- Easy to make: this recipe comes together in just over an hour, and is super simple to throw together.
Key Ingredients
- Bananas: The star of the recipe! Ideally you'll want to use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for maximum sweetness.
- Pure maple syrup: naturally sweetens the banana loaf, less refined than regular sugar! It also adds a hint of caramel-like flavor.
- Almond butter: this replaces the traditional oil, and also adds a subtle nutty flavor.
- Applesauce: to replace the egg and bind the batter!
- Whole wheat pastry flour: lighter than regular whole wheat flour but still made with whole grains! It keeps the loaf soft and fluffy. All-purpose flour works too!
- Cinnamon & vanilla: for warm, cozy flavors.
- Walnuts & chocolate chips: optional, but extra tasty!
How to Make Vegan Banana Bread
Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a loaf pan. Combine all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In a separate large bowl, mash bananas. Add in all other wet ingredients and whisk until mostly smooth.
Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and fold until just combined. Mix in walnuts and/or optional chocolate chips, if using.
Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool & enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use extra ripe bananas: the spottier your bananas are, the more natural sweetness and moisture they will add!
- Line your pan: parchment paper along the inside of the loaf pan helps lift the loaf out easily and prevents sticking. You can also grease your pan if you prefer.
- Check doneness early: ovens can vary, so start checking on your loaf around 40 minutes! If you suspect it might be done, use a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy this as a cozy breakfast with a bit of almond butter & maple syrup!
- This vegan banana bread pairs perfectly with a fun cafe-inspired drink. Try it with my Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte in the summer, or my Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate in the fall and winter!
Substitutions & Variations
- Feel free to use whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour for this recipe. Note that regular whole wheat flour is much heavier than these options and will not work!
- Add in the optional chocolate chips for more of a dessert vibe, or walnuts for a nutty twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots! This helps to make sweet and moist banana bread.
Absolutely! Chocolate chips turn this into the ultimate vegan dessert loaf, and walnuts lean into the wholesome nutty vibes!
Yes! As long as you’re okay with minimally processed ingredients, this naturally sweetened oil-free banana bread is WFPB-friendly. We use pure maple syrup for sweetness, unsweetened applesauce instead of eggs, and almond butter in place of oil. For the most whole-food version, opt for whole wheat pastry flour.
Other Sweet Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Wholesome Vegan Banana Bread (Oil-Free + Naturally Sweetened)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour* - OR all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 very ripe bananas - peeled (about 250–300g once peeled)
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- 1.5 tablespoon almond butter
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon nondairy milk
- Optional: ⅔ cup walnuts - roughly chopped
- Optional: ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep work: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (you can leave a bit of overhang on the sides for easy removal), or lightly grease it.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth (a few small lumps are fine). Whisk in the maple syrup, almond butter, applesauce, vanilla, and nondairy milk until well combined.
- Bring it all together: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and gently fold together until just combined (do not overmix). Stir in walnuts and/or chocolate chips, if using.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the loaf pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your banana-bread-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
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