Vegan Banana Bread

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!

The Floating Kitchen

Fettle Vegan

Heart of a Baker

It’s Got Vegan In It

Pinch of Yum

A Dash of Compassion

One Bowl Vegan Banana Bread

Vegan, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

★★★★★
4.9 from 328 reviews

Yield
1 (9x5-inch) loaf

Prep time
10 minutes

Cook time
50 minutes

Total time
1 hour

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

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth, and make sure you have 1 1/3 cups.
3. Stir the wet ingredients (ground flax, milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla) into the banana until combined.
4. 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.
5. Spoon the dough into the loaf pan and spread out evenly. Add your desired toppings and gently press them into the dough to adhere.
6. 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.
7. 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).
8. 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)

Serving Size 1 of 12 small slices | Calories 190 calories | Total Fat 7 grams
Saturated Fat 6 grams | Sodium 200 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates 29 grams
Fiber 3 grams | Sugar 10 grams | Protein 3 grams

Nutrition info is based on 12 servings.
* Nutrition data is approximate and is for informational purposes only.

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.