VEGAN BANANA BREAD – a moist, delicious and healthy egg free, dairy free cake like bread using super ripe bananas, whole wheat flour and a dash of flaxseed powder for that added boost of nutrition; a perfect easy cake to make even for beginners!
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This delicious, easy to make quick bread needs no beater or strange ingredients to whip up in your kitchen and once you make it, every time you have leftover overripe bananas, this is what you and your family would be craving for as is mine already!
I love baking and would love to bake all day and every day but who is gonna eat all those goodies if I do happen to indulge in my baking frenzy and passion? Would love to share with friends and neighbors but pandemic times call for some restriction in that department.
Nevertheless, when I do need to release that baking monster in me, I prefer to make something much healthier but at the same time delicious too.
Easy Vegan Banana Bread ticks all those boxes and does just that especially when overripe bananas which no one wants to eat are just sitting in the fruit basket waiting to be used up!
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU OVERRIPE BANANAS, MAKE BANANA BREAD!
Regular banana bread has eggs, plain flour and sometimes butter etc. in them. I have veganized it by using oil instead of butter, omitting the eggs and using a plant based milk like almond milk to add moisture to the batter.
To make it healthier, I used whole wheat flour in the batter instead of plain flour along with a dash of flaxseed powder for added nutrition.
You will be surprised how soft, moist and scrumptious this vegan banana bread turned out! My whole family has been devouring it slice after slice since I baked it and by the time I posted this, all of it is gone!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RIDICULOUSLY EASY VEGAN BANANA BREAD:
Dry Ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour: Like I said earlier, I always prefer to use healthier whole wheat flour in most of my bakes but you could use plain flour/maida too. To make it more nutritious, you can substitute a part of it with multigrain flour too.
- Rising agents like baking powder and baking soda
- Sugar: Instead of plain white sugar, I use raw cane sugar or turbinado sugar in my bakes (and even in my coffee!), but you can still use plain sugar if you like or even coconut sugar. If watching your sugar, feel free to use any safe sweetener you like. I made one recently with Monkfruit sweetener.
- Flaxseed powder: normally super nutritious flaxseeds are used as a substitute for eggs in vegan or eggless bakes. But here, it is an optional ingredient which I have added to increase the nutrient content of the cake.
- Cinnamon powder: this is again optional but bananas and cinnamon are a fabulous combination don’t you think?
- Pinch of salt like any cake/cookie/dessert should have to balance the flavors
Wet Ingredients:
- Bananas: It is all in the bananas! Use overripe bananas which have dark black spots on the skin. The more ripe the bananas, the sweeter they are.
- Oil –any odorless cooking oil will do
- Vanilla Essence/Extract
- Almond milk: You can use any plant based milk; oat, almond or even soy milk. This is the liquid content in the batter. If not vegan, it is ok to use regular milk. If you cannot find plant based milk, use regular milk (if not vegan) or even water for that matter. As using whole wheat flour makes for a thicker batter than using plain flour, feel free to add in as much liquid as you need to make a flowy thick batter.
Optional add ins are: chopped walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, chopped dates etc.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BANANA QUICK BREAD:
Recipe is ridiculously easy! Stir the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients just until mixed, pour into a loaf pan (or round pan) and pop into a hot oven to bake for about 55 to 60 minutes (or 30 minutes if using 9 inch round pan) before you will start to be intoxicated by the aroma of freshly baked banana bread wafting through your entire house!
No beater or mixer needed! Just use a spoon to mix. Of course you will need a masher to mash the bananas initially.
The key is to not over mix the batter! You will want to stir or fold just until you cannot see any dry portions (just like in muffins).
The hard part is waiting for the bread to cool down completely, as if you start to slice them while still warm, you may get some pasty portions of slices, although still delicious!
This moist and golden banana bread stays fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days but it is safer to refrigerate or freeze leftovers (if any ).
UPDATED APRIL 17, 2021:
This vegan banana bread came out so good that when I had another batch of over ripe bananas on my counter, my son was like, "make that banana bread"! And when your loved ones ask for something, how can you not.
But this time, I decided to bake this in a 9-inch round cake pan. I just lined it with parchment paper, greased the bottom and sides and then poured the same batter in and baked at the same temperature.
This cake turned out perfect at around 30 minutes! Just do a toothpick test (dip a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, the cake is done; if not bake a few minutes more).
The smell was so irresistible, as you can see my son already had cut a slice for himself even before it cooled completely! It is that good!
UPDATED JUNE 10, 2021:
As usual, had a bunch of overripe bananas and of course had to make this cake again. This time, I used Monk fruit Sweetener instead of plain sugar. This is a wonderful zero glycemic option for diabetics and absolutely no difference in taste when compared to regular sugar.
I also used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup multigrain flour along with omitting milk (regular or vegan) altogether and used just water.
To top it (again optional), I sprinkled a handful of chopped walnuts and sunflower seeds for that extra crunch, nutrition and looks pretty too!
Absolutely no regrets making this version; moist, soft, fluffy (my son said "like soft bread slices"), healthy (with all that whole wheat and multigrain flours) and super delicious!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
This is super easy! Just slice and indulge with a cuppa milk or hot black coffee!
Or if you are like our family, plonk a large scoop of Vanilla or Chocolate ice cream (or any of your favorites!) on top of a slice of this delicious Banana Bread and enjoy it as a dessert!
Enjoy Foodies and Happy Baking!
If you try this recipe, do let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #curryandvanilla16 (or @curryandvanilla16) on Instagram!
If you are wondering what to do with those extra overripe bananas, besides making this vegan banana bread (or if you just love making something delicious with bananas), check these out too:
- Vegan Chocolate Mocha Banana Cake
- Healthy Meusli/Oats Banana Muffins
- Kele Ki Chutney
- Sapaath/Banana Sheera
- Pineapple Banana Lassi
Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS:
- 3 large ripe bananas peeled and mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1/3 cup odorless oil
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- ¼ cup almond milk (or as needed)
DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour/atta
- 1/3 cup raw cane sugar/turbinado sugar or choice of sweetener
- 1 tbsp Flaxseed powder (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
OPTIONAL ADD INS:
- Chopped walnuts
- Chocolate chips
- Chopped pecans
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Centigrade.
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Grease a 9x5x4 inch loaf pan (or 9-inch cake pan) or layer with parchment paper. Set aside.
TO MAKE VEGAN BANANA BREAD:
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In a medium sized bowl, add the dry ingredients; whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, flaxseed powder and salt.
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Give it a good mix using a whisk. Set aside.
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In another large mixing bowl, peel and mash bananas well using a potato masher. Try and make as smooth of a mixture as possible.
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To this add ¼ cup almond milk, vanilla essence and oil.
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Mix well with a spoon.
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Add the dry ingredients and using a spatula, gently fold to make a homogenous mixture, with no dry portions visible. DO NOT OVERMIX!
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If you find the batter a bit thick, feel free to add more liquid to make a thick pancake like flowy batter; about 2 tbsp or more as needed.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with chopped walnuts.
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Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes in loaf pan and 30 minutes for 9-inch round pan or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Start checking at 50 minutes for the loaf pan. My loaf banana bread came out perfect at 55 minutes. Each oven is different and may take more or less time to bake.
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Let sit in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack until completely cool.
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Slice and enjoy!
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Happy Baking and Eating Foodies!
Recipe Notes
- Do not over mix the batter; makes for a dense and tough cake/bread.
- Add more plant based milk if you feel the batter is too thick, but add in small portions. Cake batters using whole wheat flour tend to need more moisture or liquid while making batter.
- If you choose, you can use just plain water too.
- As far as flour is concerned, you can use plain flour too or use multigrain flour along with whole wheat flour for a more nutritious bake!
- If you love nuts, chocolate chips, dry fruits etc. in you cake/bread, feel free to stir in some in the batter and top them on the cake before baking.
- Make sure to completely cool the banana bread before beginning to slice!
- Inspired by "The Simple Veganista".
- Enjoy and Happy Eating!
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The recipe ingredient list does not include flax powder
Sorry for the omission but flax seeds powder is an optional ingredient but I have added it to the ingredient list now 🙂
Thank you for stopping by and pointing that error.