I’m squeaking in before our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend to share this gem of a banana bread recipe with you all. I figured it would make the perfect addition to your weekend breakfast table! We’ve been making this banana bread for weeks and weeks (you may have seen this recipe added to the app last month, too!), and it’s become nothing short of an obsession. (Truth be told, I have to hide it from Adriana some days because it’s all she wants to eat. Okay, okay, I have to hide it from myself, too.) I’ve had some great feedback from kids and adults outside the Liddon household as well.
Over the years, I’ve tested oodles of vegan banana bread recipes and never settled on one that I thought was “it”. Too dense, too dry, too moist, lacking banana flavour, too sweet, not sweet enough, etc. It drove me nuts. Each time, I would tweak my recipe a bit more. But this is The One, my friends. It’s crazy to think that, in 8 years, this is my very first vegan banana bread recipe on the blog. Well, enough is enough, I say!
The prep time is incredibly fast and involves just one bowl—you can have it baking away in the oven in only 10 to 15 minutes! It freezes well too, so it’s a great recipe to make in advance before the holidays. I made a loaf for the freezer a couple weeks ago, forgot about it (hello, preggo brain), and found it yesterday as I was rooting through the freezer looking for treats. “OMG, Eric, I found a loaf of banana bread in the freezer!!” It was like Christmas morning. And since we don’t have a microwave and I’m not patient enough to thaw it in the oven, I ate a slice completely frozen. Sad, but true.
I don’t think I’m alone in my obsession, though. See what blog reader, Laurie, wrote about it:
“Everyone raves about my banana bread but I’ve always hated it because it’s made with white flour and sugar. My kids (daughter about a year ago and son just this week) went vegan. I’ve been making vegan BB for a while but nothing to write home about…until now! This is better than my regular banana bread – I’ll never go back!”
Thank you Laurie!!
To freeze the banana bread, I simply allow it to cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of tinfoil. If you plan to store it for more than a week, I’d recommend popping the wrapped loaf into a freezer bag, too. My mom made us a couple loaves while she was here, and we enjoyed a slice (or two) every day until they were both gone! I can’t think of a better comfort food right now.
I’ve tested this loaf using whole spelt flour, light/white spelt flour, and regular all-purpose flour. My favourite was light/white spelt flour and second favourite was whole spelt flour. The regular all-purpose flour version worked too, but it wasn’t quite as flavourful. There’s just something I love about the nutty, wholesome flavour of spelt. I expect that other flours, such as whole wheat pastry flour, should work, but I have yet to test any more out. I suspect that 100% whole wheat flour might be too drying since it’s quite dense/hearty, but maybe a 50/50 all-purpose/whole wheat flour split might be okay. In terms of a gluten-free version, I’ll be sure to share the recipe if I land on a combo of gluten-free flours that I love. If you try anything out, please let us know how it goes in the comments!
And finally, on a non-banana-bread-related note, here’s a roundup of the latest #osgeveryday blog tour posts, which include some great giveaways and recipe sneak peeks. Thanks to all of these wonderful bloggers for their support!
One Bowl Vegan Banana Bread
Yield
1 (9x5-inch) loaf
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This vegan banana bread is delicious, wholesome, naturally sweetened, and takes 10 minutes to throw together. What could be better when you have some overripe bananas to use up? Nothing, my friends, absolutely nothing! Whip this into the oven before guests arrive to fill the house with a delectable banana bread aroma. For a fun twist, try adding cinnamon and nutmeg into the dough before baking, or even stir in some chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate for a more decadent loaf. I love it topped with both sliced banana (which enhances the sweetness and banana flavour) and crunchy walnuts. This recipe is adapted from my Blissful Banana Blueberry Muffins.
Ingredients
For the wet ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups (320 g) mashed very ripe banana (about 4 medium or 3 large)
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) ground flaxseed
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) plant-based milk (I like almond milk)
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut oil, melted*
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) pure maple syrup**
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
For the dry ingredients:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (60 g) coconut sugar***
- 1/2 cup (50 g) rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) light/white spelt flour or whole-grain spelt flour****
- Sliced banana, chopped walnuts, and/or chocolate chips, for topping (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with oil and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth, and make sure you have 1 1/3 cups.
- Stir the wet ingredients (ground flax, milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla) into the banana until combined.
- Stir the dry ingredients (sugar, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour) into the wet mixture, one by one, in the order listed. Stop stirring when there are no flour patches at the bottom of the bowl.
- Spoon the dough into the loaf pan and spread out evenly. Add your desired toppings and gently press them into the dough to adhere.
- Bake the loaf, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes (I bake for 47 to 48 minutes, but your time may vary), until lightly golden and firm on top. The top of the loaf should slowly spring back when touched.
- Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Then, slide a knife around the loaf to loosen it and gently remove it from the pan, placing it directly onto the cooling rack until completely cooled (or to hasten the cooling process, transfer to the fridge for 45 minutes).
- Slice the loaf once cooled. I love to spread it with vegan butter or coconut oil. The loaf will keep in the fridge tightly wrapped for 3 to 4 days, or it can be frozen for 4 to 6 weeks.
Tip:
- * I have not tried it yet, but you can probably swap melted vegan butter for the coconut oil.
- ** If you don’t have any maple syrup on hand, feel free to swap in another 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar. The loaf won’t be quite as moist, but it’ll still work.
- *** Coconut sugar can probably be swapped for natural cane sugar.
- **** I tried this recipe with light/white spelt flour, all-purpose white flour, and whole-grain spelt flour. My preference is light/white spelt flour because it lends a great flavour while still feeling quite light in texture. The whole-grain spelt flour version is my second favourite; it is heartier in texture than the light/white spelt flour version (and cracks more on the top of the loaf), with a slightly earthier flavour. It doesn’t rise as much, though, and is more dense. If your whole-grain spelt flour is quite coarse, I recommend sifting it prior to use for the best results.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Last but not least, thank you so much for Arlo’s warm welcome and congrats! We’re all settling in well and soaking up these newborn days.
This is so great. As a vegan and person who loved banana bread I must say you nailed this one. Bravo
Hi Jake, I’m glad you enjoyed the banana bread recipe!!
How do you think it would fair using thawed out frozen banans?
Absolutely delicious! However, mine came out a bit crumbly (that didn’t take away from the taste at all though!). I used whole spelt flour, subbed cane sugar for the coconut sugar and baked 45 mins. Any clue where I went wrong?
I had this same problem too, it is delicious but crumbly. I also used cane sugar so perhaps that’s what caused it?
You’re right, this is the BEST banana bread recipe. I am not a coconut fan, but I did make it with the coconut oil and the coconut sugar, and thankfully there was no added coconut flavor to the banana bread. :) I covered with mini chocolate chips…and mixed a few in as well. It is really delicious, thank you for your perseverance.
Congrats on your new little one.
Thanks for the congrats, Jane. We appreciate the warm wishes so much! :) I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the banana bread–happy eating!
wanting to make this in the morning… i have everything except the spelt flour ? would sorghum work instead? I have some but have never used it!
Hi Angela! I’ve never left you a comment, though I’ve been a fan for many years, have both your cookbooks, give your 10-spice mix in gift jars with a recipe each year, and regularly share your blog and recipes with my friends. But I must, must comment on this incredible banana bread! My family *knows* banana bread…we have a non-vegan family recipe dating back 4 generations that has won a blue ribbon at fairs in Idaho, Iowa, and Maryland. I’ve tried countless vegan recipes over the years, hoping to recreate that same magic but have been unsuccessful until now. Your recipe is perfection! It can’t be improved upon, and I feel quite confident if you entered it in a fair, you’d not only win a blue ribbon but grand champion as well! Thank you for creating a recipe that is allowing our plant-based family to enjoy and continue an important family food tradition.
Like Renee above, I am a long-time fan who has never left a comment, but this banana bread NECESSITATED a comment! I don’t have the same “credentials” as Renee to remark on banana bread (awesome story, by the way :), but — this loaf is just so magically everything you want banana bread to be!!!!!
I used half whole spelt/half AP white flour (didn’t have light spelt and wanted to emulate it). I wasn’t overly optimistic as it was baking, as the batter was quite thick and I expected it turn out too dense. HOWEVER, much to my delight, the texture was perfect. Everything was perfect. Thank you, Angela :)
Hey Renee, Oh your comment just made my whole week! What an honour for you to say such nice things. We’re going crazy for the bread over here too (I can’t seem to go more than a few days without making a loaf lately…eek! lol). That is so awesome you enjoy the cookbooks and recipes so much too. Thank you for spreading the word…it means the world to me!
I need to try this
Hi Angela, i’ve made many many vegan banana breads but this must be the best one, texture wise and taste wise! Instead of walnuts I added frozen red fruits (berries, cherries, raspberries) to the batter as that’s all I had. It turned out great!
Aww, you’re too sweet, Nathalie! I’m so happy to hear the banana bread was such a big hit. Other fruits sound like such a great addition to the bread, too – I’ll have to give that a try myself! :)
Yummy ! I thought i had spelt flour but no so i did it with half whole wheat and all purpose flour and it came out delicious !
I used a wheat pastry flour instead and it turned out to be a little doughy in texted. Next time I’ll try the spelt flour. I love that it is fast to make and not too much oil . Next time I will add cinnamon to the top. Thanks for sharing your recipe
Thanks for the feedback, Phyllis!
Hi Angela!
I just wanted to say that I’ve been a blog reader for a while, and I adore your writing and your photography. Recently I made a compilation of some of my favourite blogs (which I had to feature yours in!), and you can check it out here: https://cookiesnchem.com/2016/10/19/my-top-22-favourite-food-blogs/
Thanks for making your blog so easy to read, exciting, and creative. Hope the rest of your day is amazing!
Cindy
Aw, thanks so much for giving me a shout-out, Cindy! It’s so lovely and heartwarming to hear how much you enjoy the Oh She Glows blog. :)
This is the best banana bread I have ever had!
Could these be made into muffins? What would the cook time be?
Amazing recipe!!! My hard-to-please boys loved it too!! I will definitely be sharing this!
Yay – I’m so glad to hear it was a hit with everyone! :)
Congratulations on your new baby boy!!! What a joy! I absolutely love the name too.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I am in my first trimester of my first pregnancy and this has been one of the only things I have been able to stomach anytime of day. I wondered if you have suggestions for other nausea friendly foods… I don’t want to live on white bread and crackers for the next few weeks if I don’t have to. I have been trying to look through old blog posts but if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them!!
Thanks again for a great recipe Angela!
Banana bread is love! This looks so delish. I’ll definitely try this. Thanks for the recipe :)
This banana bread seriously rocks!!!! I have made it once and cannot wait to make it again. Seriously moist, love the crunchy topping and I don’t even need chocolate chips to make it worth eating! Such a hit! Thanks for a fab recipe!
Just made this today and it is amazing. I always have a freezer full of over ripe bananas and make banana bread regularly. This will now be my go to recipe.
Congratulations on the birth of your son – was hoping you could hold on for one more day as my birthday is 29th September!
Your inspiration is amazing!
This looks amazing, and a definite ‘try’ for me as, like you, I have eaten so many vegan banana breads and every single one of them has been ‘meh’.
Very interested to see if this meets your hype :) Thanks!!
Hi Angela! Thanks for this delicious recipe. I tried it with my home-made gluten-free flour and it worked great too! YUM! You’re recipes inspire me every single day:)
Has anyone managed a gluten free and coconut sugar free version? I’d like to keep added sugar to a low. Thank you!
My son is 15 and at this point in his life he doesn’t like anything. Like, anything…rainbows, puppies, the warmth of the son. I’ve been wanting to make this since you posted it and just got around to it yesterday. He.Loves.This.Bread. Winner, winner, banana bread dinner!!!
I found your website while doing a search for pumpkin pie spice. Lovely site! My husband and I enjoy eating low carb, organic, and I don’t eat beef or pork. I haven’t perused your site enough YET to see if your recipes can be easily altered to work for us. What do you think?
Your site is impressive! Good for you! And best to you. I’m now a follower.
Hi Robin, Welcome to Oh She Glows! :) I try to share recipes that can be easily adapted often, so I’m sure you’ll find at least a few things that will work for you and your husband. The comments section of posts is a great resource, because my wonderful readers often share the swaps they’ve made (or ask super helpful questions I hadn’t yet considered!). Thanks so much for the kind words, Angela.
Hello All,
I tried this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and it turned out PERFECT!!! This is by far the best banana bread I’ve ever made. My grandma has always made amazing banana bread and nothing is comparable. Well, my friends, this is comparable!! It’s delicious. :)
I made this the other day with the same gluten free flour by Bob’s Red Mill and cane sugar. It looked like. a regular loaf, but when I sliced into it, it never cooked thoroughly at 48 min or so. So I put it back in the oven for another 10 min, but same thing, even after cooling, the inside was a bit gummy and wouldn’t bake completely. However, it looked and smelled wonderful. I wonder what I did wrong? The only thing I can think of is my baking soda may not have been completely fresh and I accidentally put all the Dry ingredients in at once…Was that enough to throw it off? :S
Hey Vanessa, I’ve tried this load with Bob’s GF mix and mine didn’t turn out too! What a shame. Even though a lot of GF all-purpose mixes say they are a 1:1 replacement for regular flour, I often don’t find that’s the case when it comes to vegan recipes unfortunately. If you try it out again, I would recommend maybe trying gluten-free oat flour. I have tried it in the past and while the loaf was more dense and crumbly, it was still quite tasty. I think it may have needed a bit more cook time, but I don’t remember exactly how much.
Love your recipes…favourite site!
My fussy son loved this, in fact my entire family loves this banana bread. I’ve made it twice now, and this morning, after making my second loaf I went to use my microwave and saw my container of coconut oil in there still waiting to be melted to go in the loaf!!! So, heads up everyone, it works out just fine without the coconut oil in it! I did have to add a little extra milk to it so it wasn’t gluggy when I poured it into the loaf pan, now I know why, hee hee!
This was delicious!!!! I’ve tried countless vegan banana breads and none of them are worth making a second time. I will be making this every time I have some bananas laying around. I have been following your blog for years now and love every recipe I’ve made! Thank you for your inspiration and delicious food!
Thanks so much for the lovely words, Rebecca! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. We can’t seem to get enough!
Hi, one of my favorite things about your blog is (well obvs the food) that you don’t post nutrition information. It’s really freeing to eat something without knowing how many calories are in it. Just wanted to say a quick thank-you!
My son is 15 years old & at this point in his life doesn’t like anything. Like, anything…puppies, rainbows, the warmth of the sun. I have been wanting to make this since you posted it & just got to it this week. He.Loves.This.Bread. Winner, winner banana bread dinner!
Aw, I’m glad it managed to win him over, Nadine! ;)
Okay guys – I have come across the PERFECT way to make this gluten free – I was ASTOUNDED on how well this turned out. It tasted like the banana bread I knew and loved as a child but has no gluten! It was not super dense or dry and crumbly or anything just……aslkfjhdskljh SOOO GOOD! I have had three slices… I think I’m a little happy-go-lucky on banana bread here.
Without further ado :) Angela, feel free to refine this as your recipes bring me so much joy so it was fun to play with one.
Omit the “1 1/2 cups (210 g) light/white spelt flour or whole-grain spelt flour”
Replace with:
2 TBSP white rice flour
2 TBSP arrowroot starch
1/4 C potato starch
3/4 C brown rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthin gum
Mix together in a separate bowl (I know… this defeats the whole “1 bowl” thing but for us gluten-free vegans – nothing is ever that easy anyway LOL) and then pour and mix into the wet ingredients as it calls for in the recipe. While baking the bread, keep in oven for 52-55 minutes.
Angela, thank you for this recipe and a warm congratulations to you and your family with your beautiful new addition, Arlo. A very special congratulations also to Adrianna on becoming a big sister :)
Thanks so much for the warm congrats, Steph, and for sharing those swaps!! :)
This looks delicious! Do I see an article about Oh She Glows in the newspaper on the table? If so, can I find it online?
I have made this twice now. It is simultaneously the easiest, most delicious, banana-foward bread I’ve ever tasted. I think it’s partially the simplicity – I resisted adding any nuts or chocolate – I just sliced some extra banana and placed it on top, for the win. Total bliss.
Glad you enjoyed it, Hannah!! PS – LOVE that phrase, “banana-forward”! I think that’s definitely the perfect description for this recipe. :)
Hello, just been recommended your site from a vegan friend and your recipes look delicious. I was especially interested in the vegan butter you use on the banana bread, because I haven’t yet found a good substitute for butter that you can have on toast with jam or marmalade. Could you let me know what it is you use? Thanks
The amount of nuts ‘sprinkled’ on top makes ME nuts! Going to try this one out this weekend, everyone in the house loves some good banana bread! :)
Hope everyone enjoyed it!! :)
I made this with a mix of buckwheat, brown rice, and almond flours (1/2 cup each) and it came out great! I love the taste of buckwheat flour and it seems to sub in nicely for most flours. I also subbed in some canned pumpkin instead of a banana. I plan to make it again with more pumpkin and this time 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour and 1 cup almond meal. This bread is delicious and so satisfying too!
Just made this – delicious!! I only had brown sugar, and used it 1:1 and it worked perfectly.
That’s great to know, Maribeth! Thanks for sharing.
AWESOME!! My husband and I can’t stop eating it. A few changes due to what I had in my pantry: I used brown sugar instead of coconut/white sugar, gluten free flour in lieu of spelt and it took a bit longer to cook through (60 minutes). I highly recommend this recipe. You won’t be able to stop!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Susan!! It’s always so helpful to hear how readers have found substitutions. :)
I made this bread this morning and my toddler and I gobbled it up. It was husband approved as well! Yum!
Dear Angela, First and foremost! Congratulation to you and your Family on Baby Argo and your new cookbook which I pre-ordered thesecond I saw it come out! I also am a gigantic fan of your app! Well…I just made you banana bread tonight! AND OMG the best banana bread we have ever had and made! I added chocolate chips and incorporated the walnuts toasted! AMAZING! My husband said super impressed! I am now going to buy extra bananas each week to make this! Supper easy and incredibly tasty! Quite frankly addictive! We inhaled it! I told my husband that we could freeze some , he said no way it will be gone! I agree wth I’m after eating a slice or two ! LOL! I wish I bought the large bag of spelt flour! Can this same recipe base be used for pumpkin bread too! Just curious! AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! Thank you so much for your hard work, expertise,and effort! We appreciate you! I now if I make one of your recipes it’s foolproof and healthy and delicious! L, Kristen XOX
I mean Arlo! So sorry!
Amazing recipe! My son can’t tolerate any dairy products and the banana bread I used to make had sour cream in it – made it really most and substituting with apple sauce just didn’t cut it….also had way too much sugar in it. This recipe was much easier (one bowl) and I like it even better than the old recipe!
One question – have you tried it with thawed frozen bananas?
Lisa
Hey Lisa, Oh I’m so glad you loved this recipe even more! I hear you, the 1-bowl aspect is so nice. I haven’t tried it with frozen and thawed bananas, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. I would be sure to drain the thawed bananas really well (as you know they can get super “wet”), and you might need to bake it for a couple minutes longer (just a guess). If you try it out, let us know how it goes!
Hi, I was wondering where you get your vegan butter from? Looks yummy (as does the banana bread as well, of course)
Hey Steph, Eric has started buying this vegan butter called “Melt” – it’s similar to Earth Balance (which is what I using in baking recipes), but it has coconut oil added to it for a lightly sweet flavour. I tried it recently and loved it. I find it goes so well with things like banana bread! Regular coconut oil is also great as a spread too.
I have to say my cooking skills are very beginner level, but i was able to make this one night, and had some the next morning and it was delicious! After days in the refrigerator, it is still moist and delicious when I take it out! Very nice breakfast snack!
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit, Wade! Enjoy those leftovers. ;)
Sad to see that you have all of this publicity and “fame” yet you won’t raise a vegan child. I came looking for advice for raising vegan children (hoping to do so in a way that is not “crazy and weird”) and I found this….a blog about how even though this is what you do, you won’t raise a child that way. I think it’s sad, and you must be a person on a plant based diet, not an ethical vegan. I feel it is essential to teach our children morals. I am not a crazy person who wants to say people who eat meat are evil, because I do not believe that, but if you are “vegan” and believe in the morals a vegan believes in, you would at least urge your child to follow that moral path. Ugh. I have all your books and now I just have an ugly taste in my mouth. A christian person doesn’t say “hey kiddo, I believe in Jesus, but you can believe in Jesus or Satan….whatever tastes or feels like more fun to you, I don’t mind”. Not hating, but seriously disappointed.
Hi Angela! Congrats on Arlo! So cute! I have two kids as well, 3 and 8 months. I have a question for you and wasn’t sure where to ask?! I remember you saying that you chose to let your daughter eat meat and more similar to your hubby. I am in the same situation as you, my hubby eats meat. My 3 year old is mostly vegan so far and asks for bites of Dada’s meat. With all of the knowledge you have about the effects of meat and the improvements in your health, how did you come to this decision? I feel sometimes that I should let my kids eat some of the things Dada eats because it seems strange if I don’t. At the same time, I think that meat is not very healthy for you and I also think that one thing leads to another. For example, if I let them eat chicken then that make turn into fried chicken and chicken nuggets ect. And then they may want other meats. Ugh, its so hard. Thanks for any wisdom you can share! :)
Hi Angela this recipe looks great I am going to substitute the flour for GF Flour as I do not have light spelt flour and I was wondering what the calorie intake is for one slice of the bread since I am on a diet as well? Can you help me out.
OMG this IS THE BEST BANANA BREAD RECIPE!! And I have tried them all! You are so right, congrats!
Hi, I can’t wait to make this bread! Kind of unrelated, but I was looking through the new cookbook and I was wondering what kind of boots you’re wearing on p. 288? They are awesome! Thanks
Hey Erin, Thank you! The boots are from Aldo (2014, maybe?). Hope this helps!
I just made this tonight and it was perfect. I used Bob’s Red Mill whole grain spelt flour which seemed to work well. I love how this recipe doesn’t have much sugar and next time, I think I might try getting away with even less. I tossed in a couple of handfuls of chopped pecans and then pressed more on the top before putting it in the oven, and would recommend that if you like pecans. Will definitely make this one again. Thanks Angela!
Hi Angie! Request: is there any replacement for rice krispies in your (more traditional tasting) granola bar recipes? I can make most of your recipes zero waste, but I can’t buy rice krispies without creating waste, and I’m hoping to find an alternative. Any suggestions on a more zero waste granola bar recipe? Thanks!
This is the best vegan banana bread ever, thank you Angela! Quick question, I also baked it for 47ish minutes. The dough loved it, the nuts on top not that much – they burnt pretty bad. How can I avoid it next time?