Can I make this vegan banana bread gluten-free?

We have tested this recipe with 1:1 Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour, but it was not successful, so we do not currently have recommendations for gluten-free alternatives. We do have a gluten-free banana bread recipe that you can find here .

Can I use frozen bananas?

Yes! If you have frozen bananas, allow them to thaw completely in the refrigerator, then bring them to room temperature. Mash thoroughly before adding to the wet ingredients as usual. You won’t be able to use a frozen banana on top of the bread, but simply omit it!

Why is my vegan banana bread oily?

This can happen if the ingredients used in the batter are not at room temperature. Cold almond milk mixed with coconut oil will cause the oil to harden and be chunky in the batter. Once baked, the oil pools in the bread and makes it oily. Make sure to always bake with room temperature ingredients unless otherwise stated so.

Why is my banana bread dense?

A few things may have happened, but if you measured your flour correctly, you likely overmixed the batter. If you whip too much air into the batter, it activates the gluten and makes the batter tough and stringy. Mix gently until just combined - some lumps are okay!

Why is my banana bread dry?

Too much flour! We highly recommend you bake with a baking scale and use our weighted flour measurement. This will ensure your loaf is perfectly soft and fluffy every time.

The BEST Vegan Banana Bread (One-Bowl)

Description

This vegan banana bread is truly the BEST. It’s soft, fluffy, perfectly sweetened and unbelievably easy to get in the oven. All you need is 1 bowl and 10 simple vegan ingredients.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

1 1/3 cups (331g) mashed banana (about 3 large) + 1 more banana for on top
1/2 cup (105g) melted coconut oil * (see notes)
1 tablespoon (15g) apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
1/3 cup (78g) warm unsweetened almond milk (or plant-based milk of choice)
1 teaspoon (1g) pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (16g) flaxseed meal (or chia seeds)

Dry Ingredients

2 cups (280g) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4–1 cup (120-160g) coconut sugar *see notes
1 teaspoon (3g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (4g) sea salt
1/2 teaspoon (1g) cinnamon
3/4 cup (85g) walnut halves, chopped

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Line an 8×4-inch bread pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, add in all of the wet ingredients and mix until uniform. Set aside for 5 minutes so that the flaxseed meal can thicken.
Add in all of the dry ingredients except for the walnuts until uniform. Fold in the walnuts until combined.
Transfer the batter into the lined bread pan using a spatula, and then smooth out the top of the batter to make sure that it is equally distributed in the pan.
Take your last banana and slice it vertically. Place the banana halves, cut side up, onto the batter, gently pressing them in.
If you would like, you can lightly sprinkle the banana bread with additional coconut sugar before placing it into the oven. This allows for additional caramelization and makes the bananas even prettier when baked!
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick runs clean.
Remove the banana bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
Slice the banana bread as desired (we cut ours into 12) and enjoy!

Notes

We used 3/4 cup coconut sugar for the banana bread because we like it on the less sweet side, but if you would like for it to be sweeter, you can add 1/4 cup of additional sugar.
You can use regular cane sugar or brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar but note that those sugar are slightly sweeter than coconut sugar.
It is important that the almond milk is warm so that the coconut oil does not solidify/get chunky.
Melted butter should work in place of the coconut oil. We have not tested it but based on our experience it should work just fine!
We have tested this recipe with 1:1 Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour but it was not successful, so we do not currently have recommendations for gluten-free alternatives. We do have a gluten-free banana bread recipe that you can find here.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Baked Goods, Breakfast
Method: Oven