Author: This easy vegan banana bread is soft, moist, fluffy, and packed with sweet banana flavor. Made in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients, this foolproof recipe bakes up perfectly every time and tastes just like classic banana bread, without the eggs or dairy.
FEATURED COMMENT:
This was by far the best banana bread, perfectly sweet with a little crunch on the outside. like eating a little bit of heaven. Winner!! - Lizzie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This vegan banana bread recipe is the one you'll come back to every time you have a few spotty bananas on the counter. It's soft, moist, fluffy, and packed with sweet banana flavor, with that classic banana bread taste everyone loves. Best of all, it's made in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients, so it's practically impossible to mess up.
Leave it plain and it's absolutely delicious, or stir in chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, raisins, or your favorite combination of mix-ins. However you make it, this is the kind of recipe you'll want to bake again and again.
Why This Easy Vegan Banana Bread Works
- Super moist: The generous amount of ripe banana creates a soft, tender loaf that stays moist for days.
- One bowl recipe: There's no need to mix the dry ingredients separately, which means cleanup is that much easier!
- Reliable results: A simple list of ingredients and easy steps mean this vegan banana bread recipe is one you can count on.
Ingredients for Vegan Banana Bread
Wet Ingredients
- Ground flaxseed or chia seeds: You'll mix these with warm water to replace the egg.
- Very ripe bananas: The riper the better! Bananas with lots of brown spots are sweeter and have more banana flavor.
- Melted vegan butter or neutral oil: Vegan butter gives the richest flavor, but either works well.
- White sugar: For sweetness and a tender crumb.
- Vanilla extract: This enhances the overall flavor.
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: You can swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum if needed.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Banana bread is a quick bread, so these are what make it rise instead of yeast.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Ground cinnamon (optional): If you'd like, for a little bit of cozy flavor.
Optional Add-Ins: Vegan chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans, and/or raisins.
How to Make the Best Vegan Banana Bread
- Make the Flax Egg: Stir together the ground flaxseed and warm water, then let it sit for about 5 minutes until thickened.
- Mash the Bananas: Use a fork to mash the bananas in a bowl. It's fine if there are still a few small lumps!
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, melted vegan butter, sugar, vanilla, and flax egg until smooth.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon over the wet ingredients. Stir gently until just combined. If using chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, or another mix-in, fold them into the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool: Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and Variations
- The spottier, the better: Bananas with lots of brown spots are sweeter, mash more easily, and give the loaf the best banana flavor.
- Measure the bananas: Banana sizes vary quite a bit, so measuring the mashed banana gives more reliable results than going by the number of bananas.
- Don't overmix: Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops the gluten and can knock some of the air out of the batter, leading to a denser loaf.
- Know your pan: If you're not sure the size of your loaf pan, measure it. I used an 8x4 pan, but 9x5 pans are common too. If your pan is 9x5, you can still make this recipe, but you'll end up with a loaf that's not as tall. (It's also likely to bake a little bit faster.)
- Make it without oil: For an oil-free vegan banana bread, use ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce instead of vegan butter or oil.
Delicious Served With
- Vegan butter
- Vegan cream cheese
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Fresh berries or fruit salad
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pecan Crunch Oat Latte
- Chai latte
- Matcha latte
Storage and Freezing
- Room temperature: Store this vegan banana bread tightly wrapped or in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: Slice the loaf and freeze individual slices or the whole loaf for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or toast slices straight from frozen.
More Ways to Use Bananas
If you try this easy vegan banana bread recipe, let us know by leaving a comment and rating it. I'd love to hear what you think! Share your creation in the It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Community (this is where we're all hanging out now!) or tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Easy Vegan Banana Bread (Moist, Fluffy & One Bowl)
This Easy Vegan Banana Bread is soft, moist, fluffy, and packed with sweet banana flavor. Made in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients, this foolproof recipe bakes up perfectly every time and tastes just like classic banana bread, without the eggs or dairy.
Servings: slices (1 loaf)
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Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, or ground chia seeds
- 5 tablespoons warm water
- 1 ⅓ cups mashed very ripe bananas, (about 3 medium bananas)
- ½ cup melted vegan butter, or neutral oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, (optional)
Optional add-ins (Stir in any one of the following, or mix and match up to 1½ cups total):
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Prep oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease or line an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Make the flax egg: In a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseed with the warm water. Set aside for about 5 minutes to thicken.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted vegan butter, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and flax egg until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (if using) over the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix, it's ok if it's lumpy.
- Add-ins (optional): Fold in any add-ins if using.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
For best flavor: Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your banana bread will be.
Storage: Store tightly covered at room temperature for 3–4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Pan note: This recipe was developed in an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan for a taller loaf and ideal texture. A 9 x 5-inch loaf pan will also work, but the loaf will be shorter and may bake slightly faster.
Oil-Free Option: You can substitute the vegan butter with ½ cup unsweetened applesauce for an oil-free version. The texture will be a bit softer and less rich, but still tasty.
Gluten-Free Option: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before baking to hydrate the flour. Texture may vary slightly depending on the brand.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving without add-ins (recipe makes 12 servings) | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
Mary Ann Taber says
What are the tweaks fir high altitude bak8ng this bread?
Bananas are very ripe and cinnam9n adds sweetness as well. okay to reduce sugar?
Mary Ann
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Mary Ann! I haven’t tested this recipe for high-altitude baking, so unfortunately I can’t give you reliable adjustments without testing them myself. For the sugar, you can experiment with reducing it a little if your bananas are very ripe, but I wouldn’t reduce it too drastically since the sugar also contributes to the bread’s moisture and texture. 😊 I’d start with about ½ cup instead of ¾ cup and see how you like it!
Lindy says
All your recipes turn out great which is a testament to your meticulous testing of the recipes! This is no exception, absolutely scrumptious! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww thank you so much, Lindy! 🥹💚 I really do put a lot of testing into my recipes, so that means a lot to me! I’m so happy you loved the banana bread too!
Lois says
Oh my gosh, this banana bread is absolutely scrumptious! Super easy, one bowl treat that is so moist & flavourful and pairs deliciously with a cup of tea! Thanks Sam for another yummy recipe!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! So happy you loved it, Lois! 😍 A warm slice of banana bread with a cup of tea sounds absolutely perfect!