No matter how much you love to bake, cleaning up is a slog. Most recipes require two mixing bowls, and some even have you using three or four. That’s why this one-bowl vegan banana bread is such a treat. You can get homemade banana bread without a sink full of bowls to wash afterwards, and you can do it all with simple pantry ingredients. It’s also a treat because, well, it’s a treat—it tastes amazing! I add extra vanilla to my banana bread; it’s not enough to compete with the banana flavor, but just enough to complement it. If you like, you can add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or cinnamon for a spiced bread, but you can’t go wrong making the recipe without any embellishments either. Sometimes simple is best. Especially when it comes to banana bread. (PS – For an even speedier take on banana bread, try my Banana Bread Mug Cake!)
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
Brown or coconut sugar Coconut oil – I used coconut oil, but feel free to use any oil you have on hand. Note that if you use virgin coconut oil, it will add a hint of coconut flavor. Flax eggs – Here’s how to make flax eggs. Mashed bananas – Use very ripe bananas, with black skin if possible. You want them so ripe that you would need a spoon to eat them. These make the sweetest and moistest banana bread. Almond milk – Or another plant-based milk. Vanilla extract or paste – You could also use almond extract, vanilla paste, vegan butter flavouring—basically any extract you want! All-purpose flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe because I know it’s what most of us have on hand. You can easily substitute Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this. Baking powder Sea salt Optional add-ins – Cinnamon, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and/or 1/2 cup nuts
How to Make Vegan Banana Bread
Ready for the easiest quick bread you’ve ever made? Here’s how to make my one-bowl banana bread recipe. Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or oil. Mix the wet ingredients. Place the flax eggs, sugar, and coconut oil in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk for 3 minutes on medium speed, then add the bananas, almond milk, and vanilla. Whisk for another minute, then scrape down the sides. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Mix for another minute on medium speed, or until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and fold in the chocolate chips or nuts, if you’re using them. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle chopped pecans on the top if desired and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. For the last 20 minutes of the baking time, tent the banana bread with foil so the top doesn’t burn. Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the bread from the pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack before serving.
Tips for Success
Here’s the thing: vegan banana bread is super forgiving. But there are a few things you should do to make sure it turns out perfect.
Weigh the ingredients. It makes life easier, you don’t have to use all those measuring cups, and your bread is guaranteed to come out perfectly! Don’t overbake. Everyone wants their banana bread on the moist side, so don’t keep it in the oven too long. This will come out a little underbaked, but the residual heat will keep baking the loaf even after you pull it out of the oven. Make it your own! There are so many ways to customize banana bread. You can use fresh bananas as described above or thawed frozen bananas; swirl in pecan butter, add cocoa powder, or use any of the add-ins listed in the recipe.
How to Store
Wrap your banana bread or put it in a container with the lid slightly open. Store it on the counter at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. It will last up to a week in the fridge, but it’s likely to get dry, so I recommend storing it at room temperature.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Vegan banana bread freezes beautifully! Wrap it well and pop the loaf in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature before serving. Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan banana bread recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
