This is the best ever vegan banana bread and it’s so EASY to make in 1 bowl! With tons of banana flavor and super moist texture, it’s the only recipe you’ll ever need.
Want more recipes that use up ripe bananas? You’ll love my Quick & Easy Vegan Banana Muffins, Vegan Banana Pancakes and Best Vegan Banana Cake.
Don’t let your old bananas go to waste! Instead, mash ‘em up and throw them into this easy banana bread recipe. Every slice is moist, lightly spiced, and just so scrumptious! Enjoy a slice warm with a pat of vegan butter.
The batter is so simple and made in one bowl with easy to find ingredients. In fact, you probably have most, if not all of them in your cupboard right now!
Why I love this banana bread
- Customizable – You can make it gluten free, oil free, nut free and it’s already egg and dairy free! Mix in chopped nuts, chocolate chips or even dried fruit.
- SO EASY – This recipe really couldn’t be easier to make. Mash the bananas, add the wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients and bake.
- Incredibly delicious – It comes out perfect every time, with a beautiful golden crust and moist, tender center.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Bananas – Use really ripe, spotty bananas for the best results.
- Flax eggs – Made from ground flaxseed and water. If you don’t have flaxseed at home, you can use another egg replacer or use ½ cup of applesauce instead.
- Vegan butter – While vegan butter is the best and will make the banana bread very moist and buttery flavored, any neutral oil works well as a replacement. Applesauce or plain vegan yogurt also works for an oil free banana bread, but the results won’t be as moist and can be a bit gummy.
- Sugar – I use both organic granulated sugar (organic to ensure it’s vegan friendly) and brown sugar, interchangeably. Both work well. You can also use coconut sugar. Feel free to cut the sugar in half for a less sweet banana bread.
- Almond milk – Or you can use oat milk, cashew milk, or any other plant milk you have at home.
- All purpose flour – Or use spelt flour or white whole wheat flour/whole wheat pastry flour. Looking for gluten free banana bread? Try my easy Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe or simply substitute a gluten free mix.
- Baking soda – To help the bread rise.
- Add ins – I love freshly ground nutmeg and chopped walnuts in banana bread. You can easily customize it any way you like using my suggestions below!
How to make vegan banana bread
You’ll need a standard loaf pan and just one mixing bowl for this recipe. The batter is so easy to make.
Make the flax egg by stirring the ground flaxseed together with the water. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Scoop them into a measuring cup to make sure you have the right amount.
Stir the melted vegan butter into the bananas.
Add the sugar, milk, and flax egg to the bananas. Stir to combine.
Next, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Gently stir to combine.
Be careful not to over mix the batter, or your bread could be dense and gummy tasting. Finish by folding in any add ins, such as chopped walnuts or chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The crust will turn a beautiful golden brown in the oven, and might just be the best part!
Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Slice when it’s cool and enjoy.
Tips for the best banana bread
- Add ins – Cinnamon, vegan chocolate chips, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, or dried fruit like cranberries or raisins.
- Toppings – Gently press sliced bananas, chocolate chips, oats, sunflower seeds, or walnuts on top of the banana bread batter before it goes in the oven.
- Don’t over mix – Gently mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula until everything is just combined. Over mixing the batter will leave you with dense bread.
- Let it cool – Let the finished banana bread cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This will make it easier to slice and keep it from crumbling all over the place.
Frequently asked questions
This probably means your baking soda is too old. Test its freshness by sprinkling a little into some vinegar. If it’s fizzy, that means it’s fresh. If not, head to the store for a fresh box.
Yes! Either replace the all purpose flour with a gluten free flour blend or follow my Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe instead.
You can replace the vegan butter with applesauce or plain vegan yogurt.
Vegan banana bread will stay fresh for 1 or 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge. Make sure to wrap the finished loaf really well in plastic wrap so it stays moist.
Yes! It freezes really well for up to 3 months. Just wrap it really well and let it cool first.
Banana Bread Muffins
You can make muffins instead of bread with this recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and fill muffin liners in a pan nearly to the top. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until done.
Want more vegan quick bread recipes?
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- 1 Bowl Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
Best Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 large ripe bananas, about 1 cup mashed
- 1/3 cup melted vegan butter or neutral oil
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup dairy free milk oat, almond or soy
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg, optional but good
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or non-dairy chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a standard loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches or 9 x 5 inches).
- In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside to thicken; this is your flax egg mixture.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Scoop it into a measuring cup to make sure you have about 1 cup mashed, then return it to the bowl. Stir the melted vegan butter into the bananas.
- Now add the sugar, almond milk and flax egg mixture. Stir with a large spoon until well combined.
- Add the flour to the bowl with the wet ingredients, then sprinkle the baking soda, salt and nutmeg if using on top of the flour. Stir gently until just combined, making sure you don't over mix.
- Gently fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips, if using. Pour into the prepared pan, place in the center rack of the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer the loaf to a cooling rack. Let the banana bread cool for at least 30 minutes if possible, as this will make it easier to slice. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Oil free: Use applesauce instead of melted vegan butter. I have tested it and while I prefer it with oil, it’s quite good with applesauce.
- Gluten free: Use a gluten free flour mix. May also sub spelt flour or white whole wheat flour for a whole grain option.
- Nut free: Use soy milk, coconut milk or another non-dairy milk instead of almond milk. Any milk will do!
- Sugar: You may use brown sugar or granulated sugar here. Even coconut sugar works. Feel free to lower the amount for a less sweet bread.
- Muffins instead: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, divide into muffin liners and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until done.
- Leftovers/freezing: Cover leftover banana bread and keep at room temperature 1-2 days, or keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Banana bread freezes very well, too.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted September 2018 and has been republished with new photos and better writing. I’m always improving the content on my website, thank you!
I wish this recipe worked at high altitudes. I even adjusted for high altitude by lowering baking soda. It came out extra dry, even when I doubled the milk and added extra oil. It could also use more sugar! It was hardly sweet. My bananas were pretty brown so I’m not sure what happened. Just a warning. I’m at 7k elevation.
I baked this tonight and even though it was in for 1h20 it still wasn’t cooked through, it has more of the consistency of a flan than a cake. Tastes great though.
Wondering if subbing out apple sauce for sugar cup for cup would do this? Any ideas? Thanks 🙂
Um yes, you can’t sub applesauce for sugar and expect a recipe to turn out the same. You added a ton of liquid and took away a dry ingredient, so you will end up with a pudding of sorts! You can sub another dry sweetened like coconut sugar, or just cut the sugar in half, but don’t replace it with applesauce. 🙂
Turned out really good I’m impressed. Thank you
Just made 2 loaves. Used brown sugar, applesauce, and WW flour. Added raisins & pecans to one and choc chips and pecans to the other. Sprinkled a little brown sugar on top before baking. Both are “chef’s kiss”. Thank you for a great recipe!
Another amazing recipe. This is the BEST vegan banana bread recipe I have tried. THE BEST. I have to keep myself from eating it all.
i doubled the recipe
5 overripe bananas
2 cups almond flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white all purpose flour
2 tblsp flax ground with 5 Tblsp water
1 tblsp red mills egg sub
2 tblsp water
also 1/3 c country crock vegan butter and 1/3 c butter flavor crisco
otherwise kept the same.
It came out great, I used the chocolate chips and just a sprinkle of nutmeg
next time I will add walnuts. my family doesn’t like nuts in breads, and I didn’t want to have to eat the whole recipe myself, but now that I have tasted, I won’t worry about that.
I’ll eat it all if I have to .
This is delicious and I was just trying to add nutrition while keeping it delicious.
I think it would work with avocado oil and that would be healthier, again, I would just sub half.
I’ll bet it ‘s really good with apple sauce for half the flax.
I think flax has a fishy taste when you use too much. So, I was trying to be careful. It’s very healthy though.
I’ve made this so many times! It really is a great recipe. Turns out delicious every time.
I used whole wheat flour, and chocolate chips. It was absolutely delicious! Thanks!!
How many muffins will the recipe make please?
I believe around 12-15.
I just made it as is and it’s so good!
Thanks for sharing your great review, Tiffany! I’m so glad you loved the bread!
Hi I want to try this recipe! What can I substitute for the flax seed please? Any other egg substitution that will work best for this banana bread? Thank you so much!
Hi Tyler. You could just use 1/4 cup of applesauce instead, if you have it, or another egg substitute, such as Bob’s Red Mill. I hope you enjoy the bread!
Hello! Is this a substitute for one egg? Just trying to see how much of my egg replaced I should use. I love neat egg!
This would be 2 “eggs” worth. 🙂 I’m sure neat egg will work well. Enjoy!
Amazing banana bread, cannot even tell it’s vegan and loads of compliments!
Hi Sara. I’m so glad the banana bread was a hit! Thanks for sharing your fantastic feedback!
Hello ! I was planning on baking a batch of banana bread for my mom, but she only has vegan liquid egg. Should that work as well for the recipe ?
Thank you so much !
Yes, that should work! Happy baking!
Absolutely delicious! I made one version with a mix of pecans and chocolate chips. Thank you for sharing the recipe. 😊
You are welcome, Celia! I appreciate you using my recipes! Thank YOU for taking time to share your great feedback and review! I’m so glad you loved the banana bread!
I made this, I added chocolate chips. My mix was a little dry, I added 1/3 plant based milk. I did half whole wheat flour and 1/2 unbleached flour which I had on hand. Overall a great recipe.
Thank you!
Hello, I liked the recipe, but just wanted to ask if it’s okay to use three bananas instead of two to make it more banana-y?
Sure!
This is the best vegan banana bread I have ever made. Simple, one bowl, inexpensive ingredients. I used coconut oil instead of butter to make it less expensive. I have been vegan for 8 years and have never had a good banana bread recipe. I’ve made this twice and it was incredible both times. Made with chocolate chips (: Nora never fails us! Thank you for this recipe Nora!
You are so welcome, Sammy! I’m so glad you love the banana bread recipe! Thanks for sharing your baking experience and awesome review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Thank you! Been making this one for years and it’s always a family fave and comes out amazingly delicious very time!