The Best Vegan Banana Bread

Hey! Thanks for stopping by, and welcome to Plantiful Eating!  I am so excited to share my first of many recipes with you.

Now I know it’s ambitious to put out my first recipe and call it “the best”, but sometimes you just need to throw humbleness out the window and call it like it is. This vegan banana bread is simply THE BEST! I’ve been selfishly keeping this as my very own top-secret recipe, but I think it’s about time I share this deliciousness with the world. I’ve always said that if I were to start a blog, my first post would have to be my banana bread…so here it is!

I first made this recipe in my second year of university. It was my very first attempt at vegan banana bread, and at creating my own recipe, period. It’s safe to say I wasn’t expecting much. I popped the loaf in the oven and piled into the living room with my roommates to watch The Bachelor.

One hour later, the timer went off, and I ran to the oven. To my surprise, I pulled out a beautiful loaf with a crisp golden brown top, split down the middle, just the way I like it. Still, I figured that when I cut into it, it was bound to be dry and leave something to be desired texture-wise. After all, this was my first attempt at banana bread, and there was no way it could be perfect first try right!? Well, turns out I was wrong!

Being too impatient to let it cool, I immediately cut a slice for each of my three (non-vegan) roommates and one for myself. We piled back onto the couches to finish our episode, and simultaneously took our first bites.  Wide-eyed, we all looked at each other, devoured our slices, and ran back into the kitchen for seconds. I wrote out the recipe on a little cue card, pinned it on my cork board, and it’s been there ever since.  I haven’t dared to make a different banana bread recipe from that day forward.

This banana bread is a healthier version of a classic, made with plant-based ingredients and whole-wheat flour…but you’d never know it! It’s a crowd-pleaser for vegans and non-vegans alike, making it the perfect treat to make for family and friends. It’s substantial, moist, crisp on top, and perfectly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. Most importantly, it’s satisfying and delicious! Enjoy a slice (or three…no judgement) as a snack, for breakfast, or even for dessert (especially if you add in those optional chocolate chips…mmm).

It only takes 30 minutes to put together, and then you can put your feet up and relax, or check something productive off of your to-do list while it’s in the oven. Sounds pretty great right? I think so too. Let’s get baking!

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THE BEST VEGAN BANANA BREAD

A healthier version of a classic, made with plant-based ingredients and whole-wheat flour, but you'd never know it! This banana bread is substantial, moist, crisp on top, and perfectly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 1 loaf (~10 slices)

Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 5 tbsp water
• 4 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup oil (any neutral oil like sunflower, canola, olive or avocado)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8 x 4 loaf pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water to create a flax egg. Set aside while you prepare the wet ingredients so it has time to gel.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the peeled bananas and mash them using a fork or potato masher.  Add the brown sugar and mix until no clumps remain. Add oil, vanilla, flax egg, and stir well until oil is fully incorporated. Optional: stir in chocolate chips if using them.

4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Try not to over-mix. The batter should be thick.

6. Pour the batter into greased loaf pan and use the back of a spoon to help even it out. Bake for 55 minutes, or until golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Notes

• Whole wheat pastry flour can be substituted with 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. I use Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.
• Nutritional information is approximate and based on one of ten slices.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Leave a comment, share it with your friends, and don’t forget to snap a picture for Instagram and tag #plantifuleating so I can see your creations!

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