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This Vegan Banana Bread is fluffy, soft, and bakes up into an absolutely delicious treat. Plus, it’s actually healthy — you only need 9 whole food plant-based ingredients to make it! Gluten-Free, Refined-Sugar Free, Oil-Free, Nut-Free Option.
This Vegan Banana Bread really does check all the marks for a delicious loaf. It’s light, fluffy, perfectly sweet, has a tender crumb and makes for a good breakfast, snack, and dessert. What’s not to love?
Table of Contents
A Loaf That’s Good and Good For You
I have always had a love for banana bread (who hasn’t!?). However, when I adopted a plant-based diet in 2015, I did have one small problem – Vegan Banana Bread always seemed to fall flat. There are a plethora of vegan recipes out there, but none of them have ever seemed to knock my socks off.
Luckily, after months (and yes, I really do mean months) of testing, I think I’ve finally done it! This banana bread is tall, fluffy, not gummy whatsoever, and made from healthy, good-for-you ingredients!
What You Need for Vegan Banana Bread
In addition to ripe, spotty bananas, you’ll need just 8 other ingredients. Let’s go over what each ingredient is doing here:
- Rolled oats: We’re using a combination of both rolled oats and oat flour to make the perfect textured gluten-free, vegan banana bread.
- Coconut sugar: One of my favorite go-to ingredients to add sweetness, yet keep a recipe refined sugar-free. As a bonus, it is always vegan!
- Ground flax: The binder that holds this loaf together and gives it structure.
- Nut butter: In the spirit of keeping this recipe good for you, I’ve used nut butter in place of refined oil. Don’t worry, it still bakes up soft and fluffy.
- Baking powder + Baking soda: Essential to giving this banana bread a lift in the oven and keeping it from falling flat.
- Apple cider vinegar: Activates the baking soda and helps the loaf brown beautifully.
How to Make Vegan & Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Blend the rolled oats using a food processor or blender until a fine flour.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining rolled oats, and salt until combined.
- Mash the bananas in a separate large bowl until even and runny in texture. Add the nut butter, sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and flax egg. Mix to combine.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir to combine until all clumps have dissolved. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts, if using.
- Pour the banana bread batter into the bread pan and spread smooth using a spatula.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer the loaf to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve at room temperature with nut butter or vegan butter.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Use overripe bananas. As bananas ripen, the starches in the fruit break down and increases the overall sweetness. For best, sweet vegan banana bread, use ripe, spotty bananas!
- Check your baking powder’s expiration date. Baking powder’s leavening powers greatly diminish after the container has been open for a few months. If you’ve had the same tin of baking powder for over 4-6 months, it is best to discard and purchase a new one.
Serving Suggestions
Like my favorite vegan muffins, my favorite way to enjoy a slice of banana bread is with a spread of nut butter or soft vegan butter. It makes the perfect snack or easy vegan breakfast. Serve alongside a drink like my Beet Latte or Iced Chamomile Matcha Latte for the ultimate bakery-inspired experience.
If you’re looking for more Vegan Bread Recipes, you’ll also love this Vegan Zucchini Bread, Vegan Pumpkin Bread, Sweet Potato Bread and this Cranberry Orange Bread!
If you’re looking for more Vegan Bread Recipes, you’ll also love this Vegan Zucchini Bread, Vegan Pumpkin Bread, Sweet Potato Bread and this Cranberry Orange Bread!
How to Store Vegan Banana Bread
As with most of my quick breads and loaves, this vegan banana bread keeps best at room temperature covered with a loose fitting lid. Individual slices of banana bread will also freeze well for up to 2 months.
For best results, wrap individual slices of banana bread in plastic wrap to help prevent sticking and freezer burn.
Thaw frozen banana bread slices at room temperature until soft again, then heat as desired.
Substitutions and Variations
- Coconut sugar substitution: Use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has a higher moisture content and will make the banana bread slightly more moist.
- Oat flour substitutions? As I have tested this recipe multiple times to ensure it’s deliciousness, I would strongly advise no flour substitutions. If you do decide to live life on the edge and experiment (and it works for you), please let me know in the comments below and I can update the recipe notes.
- Nut butter options: Any nut or seed butter will work, but I’d recommend using a neutral nut butter for the best flavor. A strong tasting nut butter such as peanut butter will greatly change the flavor. Some readers have also shared success replacing the nut butter with oil.
Recipe FAQs
This egg-free banana bread uses ground flaxseed as an egg replacer.
Oats in and of themselves are gluten-free, but they are often grown near wheat and can be cross contaminated. If you cannot tolerate gluten, make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Yes! A few brands such as Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills sell a pre-made oat flour for purchase.
Absolutely. The best loaves of banana bread should be moist, but not wet. If you were to insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf it should come out fairly clean, with just a few crumbs.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Fluffy Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 Medium Bananas make sure they are very brown and spotty!
- 2 1/2 cup Rolled Oats divided (not Instant)
- 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
- 1/4 cup Nut or Seed Butter*
- 2 tbsp Ground Flax OR Ground Chia Seeds + 6 tbsp Water
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Optional, but recommended
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- In a small bowl, combine the Ground Flax OR Ground Chia seeds with 6 tbsp water to form an “egg.” Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of the Rolled Oats into a blender or food processor and blend until they form a fine flour, about 45-60 seconds.
- Place the Oat Flour into a medium sized bowl and add the Baking Powder, Baking Soda, remaining 1/2 cup of Rolled Oats, and Salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Add your ripe Bananas to a separate, large bowl, and mash with a fork until they form an even, runny texture. Add the Nut Butter, Coconut Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Vanilla Extract, and Flax or Chia Egg to the bowl. Mix well.
- Slowly incorporate the dry flour mixture into the wet Banana mixture, stirring well and until all clumps have dissolved.
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined or greased 8″ bread pan, smoothing the top off with a spatula.
- Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and a toothpick comes out cleanly or with minimal crumbs. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before slicing.
- Store in a container at room temperature for up to one week.
Recipe Notes
- Coconut Sugar may be substituted with Brown Sugar or Cane Sugar.
- You can use any Nut/Seed Butter that you’d like for this recipe, but this will affect the final taste. I prefer to use either Almond Butter or Peanut Butter, but you can also use Tahini, Cashew Butter, or Sunflower Seed Butter!
this is my go-to banana bread recipe!! It’s definitely rare to find a recipe that’s vegan and also made with oats! I love using this recipe as a base to experiment with other ingredients too! Highly recommend!
Thanks so much! Glad it’s become your go to!
This came out perfect!! I used Lokanto (monkfruit & erythritol) in place of the sugar. Also baked it in a 8×8 cake pan for 45 mins because I couldn’t find a loaf pan. Best vegan gluten free banana bread/cake I’ve ever had! And since it’s oil free, I don’t have to feel guilty for the vegan butter I like to slather on top 😉
Thank you so much! So glad you liked it!
I made this and I used teddie’s super chunky natural peanut butter and It was SO good! It was the perfect amount of sweetness and I loved the subtle peanut butter flavor. It wasn’t too dense or gummy like other vegan recipes can be. I was happy I tired using the oats in the blender since I wasn’t sure if my cheap blender would be able to get it fine enough but it worked! Will also be trying your pumpkin bread recipe that’s similar.
Awesome! Glad your blender was able to get the oats fine enough. Let us know how you like the pumpkin bread!
Just made this and added chocolate chunks and it is so good I ate half the loaf. It’s fine, I ran 9 miles this morning, I earned it! Thanks for the recipe! xxxx
Chocolate chunks are so worth it! Thank you for making it!
Best vegan banana bread I’ve ever made. This will be my go to recipe!
Thank you so much!
This is my go to banana bread recipe! I’ve found that it’s totally possible to reduce the sugar, replace it (partly or fully) with stevia or even leave it out all together if your bananas are extremely ripe and sweet already. I’ve also tried it with different nut butters. Such an easy and adaptable recipe that comes out great any time. It satisfies that sweet craving while being made of such wholesome ingredients!
Glad that you’ve had success making it so many different ways! And so happy to hear its your go to recipe for banana bread!
This baked a deep dark brown in 30 mins. I took it out, and the center was still that little bit mushy. I put it back into the oven at 330 for another 5 minutes. It was a Cuisinart toaster oven on convection, so maybe thatś why it baked so quickly. It was too sweet for me. Next time I would cut the sugar down to 1/4 cup. Used cane sugar as its all I had on hand. The texture was lovely. Kids ate it in 10 minutes, so it must´ve been good!
That convection could be it! A lower heat for a little longer might be the better option! 1/2 cup cane sugar would be sweeter for sure when compared to the coconut sugar, so cutting that down would do the trick!
Thank you so much for putting all the hard work of testing it out for months! With a kid on a new strict allergy diet – this checked all the boxes and was so amazing!
Yay! So glad it can be enjoyed with you and your kid!
Hey first time making see lot of positive comments but can i make the bread without any nut butter or peanut butter like skip it altogether?
I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out (you can also use tahini!). But if you do make sure to replace it with something, maybe a bit more banana.
I’ve made this recipe countless times and it always turns out perfect. Everyone who has tried it is literally obsessed. Instead of adding in the rolled oats at the end I usually add in vegan chocolate chips :). I also lost my loaf pan and the recipe works just as well as muffins! Just cook for 20-25 mins instead!
Chocolate chips get a definite thumbs up from us!
Great recipe! I subbed date paste and a bit of honey (sorry, I’m just starting out again with WFPB eating) for the coconut sugar. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!
No worries! Glad you enjoyed it and are getting into WFPB!
Lovedd the recipe….it is a bit crumbly, but no one is complaining about it. Just a question, can we replace the almond butter with applesauce?
I would definitely try to keep the butter portion of it with a similar type of ingredient: either another nut butter or even a seed butter!
My go-to and my favorite recipe for banana bread! I’ve made it several times and I like to add cinnamon and walnuts. Thank you so much Caitlin! I love your recipes! 🙂
Thanks so much! Glad you’re enjoying all the recipes!
I’m just curious how this is Gluten Free when it’s full of Oats? Oats are high in Gluten? I’ve probably missed something obvious. Just thought I’d ask as I’m making treats for a Celiac person.
Oats are technically gluten free, but some oat producers have cross contamination because of shared equipment (to put it short). Depending on where you live and the brand you get your oats from – you may want to double check those things. Often times you can find brands/labels that specify your oats are gluten free.
I really love this recipe and was super excited to try! I used 2.25 cups of oat flour (I didn’t process my own) and added 1/4 tsp cinnamon. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I had to remove the bread from the oven 20 mins after, left it at room temp for about 25 mins, then put it back to the oven (total cooking time is about 60 mins) . It came out a bit chewy & dense 🙁 . Was it because of the remove-then-put-back thing? Or maybe I mixed it too much? I just used spatula to mix which was a bit of a struggle hahaha. I’m definitely gonna try this again!
I would say the issue was definitely removing it from the heat! When baking is interrupted you lose the rise and the consistency/integrity of the batter.
In the oven as we speak, I can’t wait to try it!
I used a spice blender thingy for the oats and it worked a treat, got 2 cups done in about a minute. I’m not the best baker but it smell delish!
Whatever gets those oats down to a flour! Good improvising!
Great tasting recipe but I had to add some liquid (soy milk) to get it anywhere near the right consistency to pour into a tin. I am thinking that perhaps my peanut butter wasn’t runny enough or I need another banana.
Were your bananas super ripe and spotty? If you’re using bananas that haven’t ripened that far, they’ll be too starchy and could make the batter not as smooth as it should be.
Great recipe! Everybody loves this banana bread when I make it.
Yay! Thanks for making it!
So yummy! I used tahini and added chopped walnuts – new go-to with flour being sold out everywhere!!
I know huh! It’s hard to get a hold of right now. Glad you liked this recipe!
Hi Caitlin! Yum!! I am usually not a fan of vegan b/c I love butter, etc and am still in a transition. My dear friend made us this bb bread and we both love it! I sent the recipe to our daughter whose family IS vegan/vegetarian so they will be pleased. Now I will follow you and you can help me make more transitions into more healthy living. But I will always slather the bb bread with butter! Hugs ~ Maria
Thank you, Maria! Hope you enjoy our recipes and have fun with the transition, trying out all the new things!
You could also use plant based margerine or vegan butter it tastes the same to me :))