This is the best ever vegan banana bread and it’s so EASY to make in 1 bowl! With tons of banana flavor and super moist texture, it’s the only recipe you’ll ever need.
Want more recipes that use up ripe bananas? You’ll love my Quick & Easy Vegan Banana Muffins, Vegan Banana Pancakes and Best Vegan Banana Cake.
Don’t let your old bananas go to waste! Instead, mash ‘em up and throw them into this easy banana bread recipe. Every slice is moist, lightly spiced, and just so scrumptious! Enjoy a slice warm with a pat of vegan butter.
The batter is so simple and made in one bowl with easy to find ingredients. In fact, you probably have most, if not all of them in your cupboard right now!
Why I love this banana bread
- Customizable – You can make it gluten free, oil free, nut free and it’s already egg and dairy free! Mix in chopped nuts, chocolate chips or even dried fruit.
- SO EASY – This recipe really couldn’t be easier to make. Mash the bananas, add the wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients and bake.
- Incredibly delicious – It comes out perfect every time, with a beautiful golden crust and moist, tender center.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Bananas – Use really ripe, spotty bananas for the best results.
- Flax eggs – Made from ground flaxseed and water. If you don’t have flaxseed at home, you can use another egg replacer or use ½ cup of applesauce instead.
- Vegan butter – While vegan butter is the best and will make the banana bread very moist and buttery flavored, any neutral oil works well as a replacement. Applesauce or plain vegan yogurt also works for an oil free banana bread, but the results won’t be as moist and can be a bit gummy.
- Sugar – I use both organic granulated sugar (organic to ensure it’s vegan friendly) and brown sugar, interchangeably. Both work well. You can also use coconut sugar. Feel free to cut the sugar in half for a less sweet banana bread.
- Almond milk – Or you can use oat milk, cashew milk, or any other plant milk you have at home.
- All purpose flour – Or use spelt flour or white whole wheat flour/whole wheat pastry flour. Looking for gluten free banana bread? Try my easy Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe or simply substitute a gluten free mix.
- Baking soda – To help the bread rise.
- Add ins – I love freshly ground nutmeg and chopped walnuts in banana bread. You can easily customize it any way you like using my suggestions below!
How to make vegan banana bread
You’ll need a standard loaf pan and just one mixing bowl for this recipe. The batter is so easy to make.
Make the flax egg by stirring the ground flaxseed together with the water. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Scoop them into a measuring cup to make sure you have the right amount.
Stir the melted vegan butter into the bananas.
Add the sugar, milk, and flax egg to the bananas. Stir to combine.
Next, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Gently stir to combine.
Be careful not to over mix the batter, or your bread could be dense and gummy tasting. Finish by folding in any add ins, such as chopped walnuts or chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The crust will turn a beautiful golden brown in the oven, and might just be the best part!
Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Slice when it’s cool and enjoy.
Tips for the best banana bread
- Add ins – Cinnamon, vegan chocolate chips, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, or dried fruit like cranberries or raisins.
- Toppings – Gently press sliced bananas, chocolate chips, oats, sunflower seeds, or walnuts on top of the banana bread batter before it goes in the oven.
- Don’t over mix – Gently mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula until everything is just combined. Over mixing the batter will leave you with dense bread.
- Let it cool – Let the finished banana bread cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This will make it easier to slice and keep it from crumbling all over the place.
Frequently asked questions
This probably means your baking soda is too old. Test its freshness by sprinkling a little into some vinegar. If it’s fizzy, that means it’s fresh. If not, head to the store for a fresh box.
Yes! Either replace the all purpose flour with a gluten free flour blend or follow my Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe instead.
You can replace the vegan butter with applesauce or plain vegan yogurt.
Vegan banana bread will stay fresh for 1 or 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge. Make sure to wrap the finished loaf really well in plastic wrap so it stays moist.
Yes! It freezes really well for up to 3 months. Just wrap it really well and let it cool first.
Banana Bread Muffins
You can make muffins instead of bread with this recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and fill muffin liners in a pan nearly to the top. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until done.
Want more vegan quick bread recipes?
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- 1 Bowl Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
Best Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 large ripe bananas, about 1 cup mashed
- 1/3 cup melted vegan butter or neutral oil
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup dairy free milk oat, almond or soy
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg, optional but good
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or non-dairy chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a standard loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches or 9 x 5 inches).
- In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside to thicken; this is your flax egg mixture.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Scoop it into a measuring cup to make sure you have about 1 cup mashed, then return it to the bowl. Stir the melted vegan butter into the bananas.
- Now add the sugar, almond milk and flax egg mixture. Stir with a large spoon until well combined.
- Add the flour to the bowl with the wet ingredients, then sprinkle the baking soda, salt and nutmeg if using on top of the flour. Stir gently until just combined, making sure you don't over mix.
- Gently fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips, if using. Pour into the prepared pan, place in the center rack of the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer the loaf to a cooling rack. Let the banana bread cool for at least 30 minutes if possible, as this will make it easier to slice. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Oil free: Use applesauce instead of melted vegan butter. I have tested it and while I prefer it with oil, it’s quite good with applesauce.
- Gluten free: Use a gluten free flour mix.
- Nut free: Use soy milk, coconut milk or another non-dairy milk instead of almond milk. Any milk will do!
- Sugar: You may use brown sugar or granulated sugar here. Even coconut sugar works. Feel free to lower the amount for a less sweet bread.
- Muffins instead: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, divide into muffin liners and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until done.
- Leftovers/freezing: Cover leftover banana bread and keep at room temperature 1-2 days, or keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Banana bread freezes very well, too.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted September 2018 and has been republished with new photos and better writing. I’m always improving the content on my website, thank you!
You can always count on Nora’s recipes to turn out delicious! You never need to spend a bunch of extra money and time collecting ingredients; most of her recipes include pantry staples you already have on hand. They don’t taste “vegan” or “weird” as your non-vegan friends will be sure to say. The directions are easy to follow and most recipes pretty easy. This recipe is no exception. Tastes like banana bread should. Thanks again Nora!
Hi Racheal. Thank you for the recipe love and for your support for my recipes! I am honored that you are loving my recipes, and find them easy, delicious, and easy on the budget! That is my goal! Thank you for sharing your incredible review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This is the best (and easiest) banana bread. I was out of flax and nutmeg, so I used chia and cinnamon. Perfectly moist and just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you for yet another greatrecipe..
I’ve made that recipe numerous time. Sometimes with seeds, sometimes with nuts, sometimes with raisins or sometimes a mix of all! Its a winner! Thank you!
You are welcome, Ana! I’m so glad you are enjoying the banana bread recipe! Thanks for sharing your terrific review and recipe experiences! Happy cooking!
Very delicious. And easy to make if you follow Nora’s tips.
My partner is vegan and I ve been making several attempts, all quite hilarious and resulting in wasting food. 🙁 while this recipe is so easy and the result is sooo good. Lifesaver! Tip that I learned through various source: microwave for 20 sec the flaxseed mixture to activate the magic process, turning the mixture into a thick gel in about 1–2 minutes instead of 15.
Hi Jules. I’m glad that the banana bread turned out wonderful for you! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and comments! Happy cooking!
Awesome recipe! Thank you for sharing.
My mistake of leaving out the salt didnt hurt a thing. It was so wonderful. Im saving this recipe. I put vegan chocolate chips, dried unsweetened cranberries and walnuts in mine. It was soooo good!
Perfect banana bread. We used the brown sugar option and added vegan chocolate chips. Loved the texture and flavor.
I’m thrilled that you love the banana bread, Jamie! Thank you for sharing your recipe. Experience and terrific review! Happy cooking!
I just put this in the oven.. and then I relaized I left out the salt! I hope it doesn’t mess this up!
Wonderful recipe. This was my first ever vegan banana bread recipe years ago, and it is my go-to recipe. I use applesauce in place of the oil, and sometimes use either date paste or maple syrup for the sweetener. Yesterday I used brown sugar. For add-ins, I have used fresh or frozen blueberries from my backyard. I just thaw them in a mesh strainer, and fold in to the batter at the very last second; walnuts, and recently, vegan chocolate chips (vegan chocolate chips have been hard to find where I live, and they are expensive). Turns out wonderful every time.
I’m sure I made a mistake but it turned out really over cooked for me. Moist at certain parts inside to the point some of it at the center wasn’t fully cooked. It just didn’t bake evenly but I’m not sure.
Oh no! It sounds like your oven was too hot; perhaps it runs a bit hotter than it should? Did you bake it in the center rack of your oven? When the temperature is too hot, you will get a loaf that is undercooked inside and burned on the outside.
This recipe is so easy and delicious! It’s nice because it’s already stuff most vegans will have in their pantry 😍
Hi Katie. I’m so glad you are enjoying the banana bread recipe! Thanks for sharing your terrific review! Happy cooking!
No kidding; this is the best vegan banana bread recipe. Don’t throw out those overripe bananas, make this instead. Always a welcome snack bread. The nutmeg adds that special flavour. Some lemon zest is nice, too.
This IS the best banana bread, vegan or otherwise! Served to omnivore family at Christmas and they loved it. Will be making it many times again.
I don’t buy flax seeds because the shelf life is too short and I don’t use it a lot so that’s wasting money. I don’t have chia seeds either, what can I use in place of flaxseed mixture? Some oats ground up with equal amount water until thick? Thanks for any help. My neighbor gifted us a fudge pie and I wanted to make this for them in return
You could probably use some applesauce, or maybe just a little extra mashed banana and see how it goes. Oats ground up with water will not work like flax eggs. I keep my flaxseeds in the freezer FYI, and then they last for months. But you should be able to make the bread without the flaxseeds.
The best!!!! I made it 10+ times and it’s never disappointed. I shared this banana bread to friends a lot because I got a lot of leftovers banana from school where I work. Thank you so much❤️
Thank you for loving and sharing my recipe! I appreciate you and your glowing review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I make this bread all the time, and it is wonderful!
Today, I made 6 large muffins and added a pecan oat crumble on top. My 5 year old granddaughter couldn’t stop eating hers and saying “mmmmmm!”
I baked them for 35 minutes.
I”m so glad that you and your granddaughter loved the banana bread, Shar! Thanks for your glowing review and feedback!
Made this yesterday and it was phenomenal! Nothing sacrificed for vegan substitutions – moist and flavorful. I used grapeseed oil and added walnuts.
I’m glad that you love banana bread, Jenny! Thank you for taking time to share your terrific review and feedback! Wishing you happy cooking!