
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!
Fettle Vegan






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.
I’m sorry, I didn’t read the recipe or post so I don’t know what else about it is unsafe. But it’s unsafe for toddlers because of the nuts. They’re a choking hazard. Please, please keep safe. Also please keep safe from other dangers. I’m sorry I cause harm, I may be a danger to others. Please keep safe from me.
I really like this recipe, have to try! :)
Well, I made this last weekend from the app (which I LOVE, I am new to an iphone and the first app I installed was yours!) and might have exclaimed to my husband that this was the best banana bread recipe (FYI, I used a gluten free flour blend and organic cane sugar). Also, I totally ate a partially frozen muffin on my way to work this week because I couldn’t wait anymore…
Congratulations on your newest addition, Arlo. I am a long time reader and when his announcement popped up, I stopped everything to read that everyone was doing well. All the best to your family.
bree! can you share what kind of GF flour blend you used?
x
Hi Carri, I used King Arthur Flour’s GF Measure for Measure Flour Blend.
Thanks so much for the sweet congrats, Bree! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the banana bread, and that you’re loving the app so far. :)
Best banana bread I have ever made!! Thanks Angela! :)
This recipe is amazing and so moist! My first time baking with spelt flour and it will certainly not be the last! Made this bread yesterday and it’s already 2/3rds gone… :( Guess I’ll have to make some more tomorrow! Thanks so much for sharing this :)
Haha, it disappears pretty quickly around here too, Leah! ;) I’m so glad you’re enjoying the banana bread.
Yum! This came out moist, light, and has great texture. I used regular spelt flour and mashed up some very ripe pear in with the 3 bananas to make it to 1 1/3 cups. Baked for 50 minutes at 350 and it was perfect. What made it even better was that “Oh She Glows Everyday” was delivered yesterday morning, so I got to read/ dream of future vegan adventures while this puppy was in the oven :D
Great idea to top it up with pear, Lindsey! So glad it worked out well. Enjoy the new cookbook! :)
ps- made OSG’s sunbutter last night and immediately slathered it on a slice of the bread- OMG! heaven.
As soon as I read this recipe I knew I had to make it! And it turned out so so good! On my first try! That hardly ever happens :D I’d like to think that this recipe can now be considered fool-proof :D I’m going to make this a lot from now on.. Thank you for this blessing of a recipe!
So happy to hear it was a hit, Annabelle!!
Congratulations you and Eric on this beautiful baby boy! I’m so happy for you guys and so glad to hear you’re all home safe and sound :)
Also, I made this banana bread this weekend and it is soooooo delicious! My earlier attempts at banana bread (also non-vegan) always came out a bit soggy or heavy, but this one is absolutely perfect! It’s not mushy but very banana-y, and I love how it’s not overly sweet and got a nice crunch from the oatmeal and nut topping. You really nailed it, thank you for this lovely recipe!
Congrats Angela! What a beautiful baby :)
And that banana bread looks amazing!
Thanks, Michelle! :)
I made a batch of this banana bread to bring with me during my camping/ hiking trip in Yosemite. I hiked Half Dome with a friend and this bread was the perfect addition to my breakfast before the hike as well as a snack at the top of Half Dome. I’m sure it would be wonderful for brunches too! I added chocolate chips to it just because you can’t go wrong with chocolate. :)
I just made another batch and this time, I swapped out about 3-4 tablespoons of the spelt flour with coco powder. It turned out really delicious! I was short on time, so I didn’t put chopped bananas on top, but I will next time, because I really missed that part. It brings out the banana flavor all the more.
Haha, so true! Chocolate is always a great addition ;) Glad you enjoyed it!
This banana bread is incredibly moist and delicious – the best I’ve ever tasted. Someone else was able to make theirs last a week…I think I got 24 hours out of mine. Thank you for sharing so many amazing recipes that are easy to make and contain ingredients that are easily available!
Thanks for the wonderful comment, Janet – it brought a huge smile to my face! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe so much. :) (It definitely disappears pretty quickly in our house, too!!!)
I just made this with my 4 yr old daughter and LOVE the fact that it is a ONE BOWL recipe. Please more of these! It also is delicious!! Thank you!
Thanks for the great comment, Elisabeth! I hope you and your little one had fun!
Hi Angela, this looks amazing!! I was wondering though, for some reason I react to oats (whether gluten free or not)… is there something I could substitute them with for this and a few other of your recipes? Thank you!! x
I think it would work sans oats. I discovered while making it that I only had a couple tablespoons of oats left in the pantry, so I threw those in along with maybe a 1/3 a cup of raw millet for some added nutrients and crunch. Worked just fine and I have a new favorite banana bread recipe! I did add some chocolate chips, too, because I am addicted. ;)
This was delicious, divine. Made it yesterday and am restraining myself from devouring it whole. Hope it is good for me!!! Thank you for a wonderful keeper recipe.
Enjoy, Bridget! :)
Thanks for another wonderful recipe – made this yesterday and enjoyed it immensely for breakfast today! I used whole grain spelt flour and it was dense and filling, just what I needed to get through a busy morning.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Hello Angela & all!
I am new to the site; made the banana bread yesterday and attempted to post a comment but it doesn’t appear to have made it – lost in cyber space, I guess.
Anyway, I wanted to give u update: I didn’t have spelt flour so I used 1/2 coconut, 1/2 arrowroot & 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. The bread came out of the pan beautifully but the center has the same gooey texture I have experienced with other recipes when I substituted regular flour with coconut flour. I think I baked the bread for about 50 minutes on convection oven setting at 350. It tasted amazing just wish the texture was better.
any suggestions on how to modify the recipe or baking time/method if/when using coconut flour? I am a big fan of it in general but having a hard time perfecting my baked goods using it. I even have a cooking w/coconut flour book and for some reason, I cannot seems to get the hang of it.
Thanks so much!
Adrienn
PS: I said it in my first post but since it didn’t make it: Congrats to you and your husband on your beautiful family! And thank you for sharing the love!
Thank you! Such an easy and delicious one bowl recipe! Love the use of wholemeal spelt and coconut sugar for extra wholesome-ness too :)
I made this last night as I happened to have some ripe bananas on hand. Although I was unable to find spelt flour at my grocery store, I took your suggestion and created a 50/50 blend with whole wheat and white all purpose flour which worked out nicely. Good flavor and texture, but next time I think I will use less sugar! It was a bit too sweet for me, especially since I added chocolate chips on top ;)
Thanks so much for the feedback, Jessica! It’s great to know the 50/50 split worked out well for you.
Good to know Jessica! Thanks for sharing. I’ve been sifting through all the comments to see if anyone else made it with regular flour opposed to GF! I don’t care about gluten, just that it’s vegan. I was hesitant to try it because I was afraid the GF recipe wouldn’t turn out if I used regular flour, but I will give it a try. After all I ended up looking for other vegan recipes but this one by far looked the most beautiful. A good friend of mine just had a father who passed away a few days ago, so I am making her some banana bread as it is her favourite dessert.
This is the BEST banana bread I have ever made or eaten! Not only is it the most delicious, it’s by far the healthiest I’ve made as well. I used sprouted spelt flour–SO delicious. For toppings, I added a generous amount of chopped walnuts and chocolate chips on half. Love it with and without the chocolate. Can’t wait to make this again ; ) Thank you, Angela. Congrats to you and Eric on your new cutie, Arlo!
Thanks so much for the warm words and kind congrats, Tara! I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipe. :)
I will have to try using the light/white spelt flour. I agree, that many banana bread recipes are either too dry or too dense. I have not used coconut sugar with anything either. Thank you for sharing this.