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!
Hi, thanks for the recipe!
I made the batter with applesauce instead of vegan butter, and I used a muffin tin instead of a loaf pan. My muffins came out dense and a little chewy :/ Do have any ideas where I went wrong?
Hi Kim! Unfortunately, the chewy, gummy texture is pretty common in fat free baked goods like banana bread. 🙁 Some people don’t seem to mind it though. The best advice I have if you are making it with applesauce and no oil/vegan butter, is to not over mix the batter. Over mixing can result in even gummier, dense breads. I hope that helps!
I used applesauce and replaced the sugar with Maple syrup. Used Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Super yum!
Turned out great!
Just made this tasty bread. Delicious, but a little dry. I used 1/3 c, milk, too. Maybe next time I’ll add more. Any other suggestions regarding this?
Thanks for the marvelous recipe. This was the first time I homemade banana bread. Before becoming vegan I used to use a mix.
Hi Maggie! It’s kind of hard to tell without being there with you in the kitchen, but I wonder if you made any substitutions? It shouldn’t be dry at all; it’s a very moist loaf. I’m glad you enjoyed it anyhow! 🙂
Hi! I also made this recipe, and it was delicious! I did think mine came out a little dry. I followed the recipe exactly, with applesauce instead of vegan butter. The only change I made was whole wheat flour. Do you have any suggestions for why it came out dry for me?
Hi! Yep, it was a combination of whole wheat flour, and applesauce. I find oil free baked goods to be a bit dry, especially if you pair it with whole wheat flour. Some people don’t seem to mind though. I’d probably suggest using a bit more applesauce next time if you use whole wheat flour and no oil, perhaps even just a few extra tablespoons, or an extra 1/2 a banana mashed. Hope that helps! It tastes best with the melted vegan butter honestly, and white flour.
I’m about to try this recipe but Im out of bakng sida. How much baking powder should I use instead of baking soda.
I haven’t tried it with myself, but I would use 2 teaspoons baking powder in place of the baking soda. That should work!
Could I substitute wheat flour to almond flour or coconut flour?
I know a lot of people have had success with different kinds of flours in this recipe, but coconut flour can be difficult to work with so I wouldn’t recommend it. Almond flour may work, but it would be better with perhaps a mix of almond flour and oat flour. Almond flour does not absorb moisture in the same way and can be heavy, resulting in a dense loaf.
I love this recipe! It was easy to follow.
I made unsweetened applesauce in the microwave, added cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. The flax seeds and water combo worked out perfectly. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this! It was so easy and even though i was short on ingredients it accomodated my substitutions divinely. Absolutely simple and completely delicious!!!!
What a fabulous recipe. So easy to make and so tasty. Don’t think it will last long! I used Apple Sauce, and when I went to buy flaxseeds was told they are the same as linseeds. I hadn’t known that, so learned something. Thank you for posting this great recipe.
Oh I didn’t know flaxseeds were the same and linseeds, good to know! So glad you enjoyed the banana bread. Thank you!
I’ve never made banana loaf before, in actually fact I’ve never made any loaf or cake before! This was so simple to make and I’m eating my first of many pieces as I type this! I didn’t have any flax seeds on their own, so I used a mix that I had in the cupboard that had sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds and goji berries, I used apple sauce rather than the vegan butter for no reason other than I was too lazy to melt the butter!
What a brilliant, super easy and super tasty recipe, thank you so much for posting this! 🙂
I’m so glad you are enjoying the banana bread so much! Thank you!
Can i sub the flax egg for applesauce and still use butter
That will probably work just fine!
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate this recipe. I was working on a vegan banana bread recipe for the longest time. It would never cook all the way through and then would burn on the outside. I am tinkering with your recipe a bit, but it is outstanding! I think this is the first time I have responded on a online recipe. Thank you!!
Wow, well I am honored you took the time to leave this comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the banana bread. Many have altered it slightly with good results, so tinker away. 🙂
Great recipe! I used applesauce rather than vegan butter, plain oat milk instead of almond, and substituted 1/2 c. of rolled oats for 1/2 c. of the flour because I was craving some oats. I also added 1 tsp. of vanilla extract and made the recipe in muffin pans. I didn’t adjust the temperature but the muffins only took 20 mins. They were delicious and I can’t wait to make this again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and it worked with your substitutions! Thanks so much.
Easy and tasty! Followed the recipe exactly using applesauce. Very moist. Mine took 60 mins to bake with a nice bit of crust on top. Thank you for an easy vegan recipe!
So glad you enjoyed the banana bread! You are so welcome.
I want to use this for a layered cake. Do you think this recipe is enough to fill a 9 in round pan?
Fun! Yes, I think it is enough to fill a 9 inch round pan. Good luck!
This recipe is amazing and so easy!! I hate the vegan recipes that require 20 ingredients and are insanely complicated. But this was SO easy and so delicious. I used the applesauce and added walnuts, and it was so good I ate the entire thing in a day.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and found it easy! That is my goal, to make things easy and delicious!
I made these into mini muffins and they’re delicious! I also used coconut sugar instead of brown and an egg replacer instead of flax. Both worked well! And the nutmeg is totally NOT optional tho omg it’s soooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad they turned out so good even with your substitutions! This recipe is quite forgiving and flexible. 🙂
This is the first bread recipe I have tried since becoming vegan. I used coconut sugar and whole wheat flour. I also used baking powder instead of baking soda. I also used unsweetened apple sauce instead of butter. It was so easy to make and the taste was awesome. It was so moist. Instead of nutmeg I used cinnamon because I was out of nutmeg. With all the substitutions I was excited it turned out so delicious. Thanks so much for a simple recipe that tasted so good.
I’m so glad it worked with your substitutions! Thank you!
Howdy! This blig post could not be written much
better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
He always kept preaching about this. I am going to forward tthis post
to him. Fairly certain he will have a goiod read. Many thanks for sharing!
Great banana bread recipe. I used 2 cup oat flour and the rest of the flour was white flour. I also substituted the brown sugar for 3/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup sugar free apricot preserves, and 1/4 cup date syrup. It was super moist.
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed the banana bread.
This turned out amazingly delicious! First time I ever made banana bread so I didn’t know what to expect, but now I can’t stop eating it. I swapped some of the sugar for agave syrup which gave a caramel-y taste, and I used cinnamon instead of nutmeg. Will definitely bake this banana bread again! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad you had banana bread success! Thank you!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made it with half oat flour , half tapioca flour and applesauce instead of oil, it turned out fantastic.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the banana bread! Thanks for sharing your substitutions, I’m glad it worked out well.
This was great! I used the applesauce and it turned out fantastic
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What size loaf pan do you recommend?
8 x 4 inches is good, like this pan. Hope that helps!
Hello there! Super excited to try this…is the measurement the same if I sub coconut oil?
Yes I would use an equal amount of coconut oil, should work just fine. Hope you enjoy!
This banana bread recipe is wonderful! I’m so excited that you posted it. I made this yesterday for a tea party, and it was a hit. The recipe is easy to follow. The bread turned out moist and delicious, with the perfect crisp on the top . I used the Vegan butter. This will by my go to banana bread recipe! Thank you so much for posting this Nora!