The Best Vegan Banana Bread

This is the best, EASY vegan banana bread recipe with a tender, super moist and buttery texture and lots of sweet banana flavor. It's made without eggs or dairy, tastes incredible, and everyone loves it. Gluten free friendly too!

You're going to love the unbeatable flavor and texture of this vegan banana bread. It's my favorite (and only) banana bread recipe, one that I make over and over again. It’s one of my classic go-to recipes that I know by heart, just like my vegan chocolate chip cookies and no knead overnight bread recipes.

At our house when there are spotty bananas on the counter, everyone starts craving my homemade banana bread. Let's make a loaf together!

What You'll Need

Vegan baking is a little trickier than vegan cooking mostly because of science, but also because typically a few ingredients are being replaced which can affect texture and flavor. Don't worry though, this recipe is triple tested - it's a good one:

• Bananas: Select spotty (over ripe) bananas because as bananas ripen, they get softer and sweeter. You'll need 3 bananas.
• Vegan Butter/Margarine: Butter adds rich flavor and moisture. Can substitute with vegetable oil if you prefer.
• Peanut Butter: The addition of peanut butter adds depth of flavor. I use a medium to runny peanut butter. If you don't like peanut butter, just skip it.
• Brown Sugar: I like the rich, caramel flavor from using dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown or even granulated sugar if you prefer.
• Vegan Egg Replacer: I typically use aquafaba ('bean water' from chickpeas) but a flax egg, Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or just plant based milk work as well.
• Flour: All purpose flour. You can sub in other types of flour as well like spelt or gluten free flour.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: The leavening agents that make this quick bread recipe rise up light and delicious.
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Almond Milk: Or another plant based milk.
• Optional Add Ins: Texture matters (always) but with vegan baking in particular! The addition of dairy free chocolate chips and walnuts creates an incredible rustic crust and a flavor combination that takes this vegan banana bread over the top!

Dairy Free / Vegan Chocolate: Be sure to check the ingredients on your chocolate for dairy sources. 'May contain' means it is made in a facility that uses dairy, but dairy is not an ingredient added to the product. Try Enjoy Life!

How to Make Banana Bread Vegan

This vegan banana bread is an easy quick bread recipe for beginners and everyone else. The batter takes only 15 minutes to mix together using electric hand beaters, a stand mixer or wooden spoon. Here's a quick overview of what to do (full, step by step instructions in the recipe card below):

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F with the oven rack in the center position.
2. Measure the dry ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. (I weigh them straight into a deli container). Then mash the bananas until mostly smooth using a fork.
3. Beat the softened butter, peanut butter, and sugar until fluffy on high speed. Beat in the vegan egg replacement and vanilla for 30 seconds.

4. Mix wet & dry ingredients: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the mashed banana to the whipped butter. Mix on low speed or by hand. Fold in the chocolate chips. This banana bread batter is thick and slightly lumpy.

4. Bake: Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan. Top with banana slices and any optional toppings. Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. (See below for more baking tips.)
5. Cool: Let the banana bread cool ~10 minutes in the loaf pan then release it and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling (or mostly) before slicing.
6. To serve: Enjoy with homemade peanut butter and mixed berry jam for a healthy snack, breakfast on the go or afternoon tea.

Vegan Baking Tips!

This vegan banana bread recipe is a sure thing. It's a reliable recipe that produces a perfect loaf of banana bread every time. Even so, here's a few helpful tips to ensure success:

• Banana flavor: Spotty, 'overripe' bananas are the most flavorful. My family doesn't love a strong banana flavor so bananas that are 'semi' overripe work for us! This impacts how much sugar I add to the recipe.
• Sugar: The riper the bananas, the sweeter they are and vice versa. Feel free to reduce or increase the amount of sugar in this recipe depending on the bananas you're using.
• Measuring flour by weight vs volume: A food scale is the quickest, most accurate way to measure flour. If you don't have one (I didn't for years), you can use measuring cups. The spoon and level method is the next most accurate way to measure flour without a kitchen scale.
• Spoon & Level Method for measuring flour: Use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag until it's fluffy. Then spoon the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Level off the top using the back of a butterknife.
• Room temperature ingredients: Room temperature butter, peanut butter, and aquafaba blend more easily and get light and fluffy which helps make the banana bread texture less dense.
• Don't over mix the batter: This loaf is a bit rustic and slightly dense (just the way we love it). Overmixing the batter can produce a dense/tough and sometimes gummy texture, and no one wants that. So once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until everything is nicely incorporated.
• Best banana bread pan: A metal 9" x 5" loaf pan.
• Soggy banana bread: I always release my banana loaf from the pan after ~10 minutes so it doesn't steam the sides of the banana bread and make it soft.

Common Questions

How to Store and Freeze Banana Bread

• Refrigerator: Wrap any leftover banana loaf and store on the counter for ~2 days or in the fridge for up to a week. My preference is to store in the fridge. This banana bread has never lasted more than a couple days at our house tho - it's pretty popular.
• Freezer: Once completely cool, wrap the whole loaf (or individual slices) in a couple layers of plastic wrap then into a large freezer bag. Store for up to 3 or 4 months. I write a date on the package so I know how long it's been in the freezer.
• Thawing banana bread: When ready to serve, remove the loaf (or slices) from the freezer, bring up to room temperature, and enjoy.

It's no secret, I like pretty food, and this vegan banana bread with chocolate chips is a show stopper! It's a perfect hostess gift, thank you gift or gift for teachers. I have it on good authority that it's 'the most incredible vegan banana bread ever'. Happy Baking!

More Vegan Dessert Recipes

• Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes - Mother's favorite birthday cupcakes!
• Vegan Banana Nut Muffins - Small batch muffins with unexpected topping options!!
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies - Irresistibly delicious and easy!
• Vegan Raisin Cookies - Not too sweet, perfectly spiced!
• Vegan Pumpkin Muffins - Easy, moist, bakery-style pumpkin spice muffins.

Did you make my Vegan Banana Bread recipe? If so, please leave a comment and a rating below. I'd love to see your photos too! Tag me on Instagram or Facebook!
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