I know, I know. Everyone says they have the “best” recipe blah blah blah, but this really is a spectacular classic banana bread that also happens to be vegan! It’s super spongy, tender and moist and rises perfectly without that weird squidgy bit in the middle that never cooks that some dense breads can often have. It’s perfection.
I made this with just walnuts as I wanted to make a classic benchmark banana bread, but it would be so good with chocolate chips or even dried fruits if that’s your thing. If you make it exactly like my written recipe, you won’t be disappointed!
I’ve added an unusual optional ingredient of some grated orange zest. It’s adds another layer to the already complex flavor of this bread and is quite delicious. Using unrefined coconut oil also adds a hint of coconut flavor which is super tasty in my opinion. You can use plain oil if you prefer but it will not be as flavorful.
Let’s talk about bananas. You need super over-ripe ones for making banana bread. There’s a great debate in many households as to what’s considered ripe. Here at BBV headquarters, some think green bananas are ripe while slightly freckled ones are preferred by others. Just let them hang out until they’re really brown and they’ll be perfect.
Tips for success. It’s called a quick bread as it does not use yeast for leavening, but it should be mixed quickly as well. It’s actually best if you don’t over-mix quick bread batters. Doing so will make them tough because you’ll activate the gluten in the flour and they may not rise as well. You should mix just until you can’t see anymore steaks of flour and no more. One more tip is to mash the bananas with a fork so they still have some texture. Resist the urge to blend them in a food processor or purée them completely. Good luck, this bread is bananas!
I admit that I purchase more bananas than I know I can eat, so I have an excuse to make banana nut bread. And every time, I look for a new recipe, searching for … something. No longer. This was hands down the best I have ever made. I may have had it for dinner, and breakfast, and tea time. Seriously so good and recipe was super easy to follow.
Thank you Lisa! It really is pretty much foolproof and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. There’s never a thing as too many bananas! 💛
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This really is the best banana bread I have made. I want to call it foolproof because I forgot to add the quarter cup of yogurt and still the bread is very good! No one would know. Maybe I got lucky using large bananas. Perfect texture, baked all the way through. Good rise with crack on top, as pictured. Thanks!
Love it, thanks so much for the great review!