The Best Vegan Banana Bread

This is my benchmark banana bread recipe.

It’s not overly sweet, it’s not dense and it’s not wet in the center. It’s classic banana bread, just made without eggs or dairy.

The texture is what makes it. The loaf bakes up firm, sliceable, and tender with a fully set crumb. No gummy middle. No mushy texture. Just a proper quick bread that holds its shape and tastes like banana.

If you follow the recipe as written, it works.

Why my recipe works

A lot of vegan banana breads lean too soft or too heavy. This one doesn’t. The structure comes from a deliberate combination of:

• Ground flaxseed for binding and crumb stability
• Aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) for lift and structure
• Measured mashed banana (about 1½ cups — not more)
• Vegan yogurt for moisture without heaviness

Ingredients notes

Use Very Ripe Bananas

Use bananas that are heavily speckled or mostly brown. They should mash easily and smell sweet. Make sure to measure them. Too much banana is the fastest way to end up with a soft center.

Flax + Aquafaba

This is the backbone of the recipe. Flax helps the loaf set properly. Aquafaba adds structure and lightness without eggs. You don’t need to whip anything. Just measure and use.

Coconut Oil

Unrefined coconut oil adds subtle flavor and helps the loaf firm up as it cools. A neutral oil works as well if you prefer but I really like the mild coconut notes.

Orange Zest (Optional but recommended)

It doesn’t make it taste like orange bread. It just brightens everything slightly. Subtle but noticeable.

Tips for success

• Don’t overmix.
• Mix until the flour disappears. Stop there.
• Mash, don’t purée.
• Use a fork. Leave a little texture.
• Start checking around 45 minutes, but don’t rush it. A tester should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
• Let it cool.
• The loaf firms up as it cools. Slicing too early can make it seem softer than it is.

Mix-in options:

I usually keep it classic with walnuts, but you could also add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of:

• Chocolate chips
• Pecans
• Peanut butter chips (the newly reformulated Reese’s chips are vegan friendly!)
• Dried fruits like raisins or cranberries

FAQs

Why is vegan banana bread often mushy?

Usually it’s from adding too much banana, underbaking, or lack of structure in the recipe. Mine avoids all of that by measuring the bananas and using flax plus aquafaba for great texture.

Can I skip the aquafaba?

I don’t recommend it as the texture will change but you could use water instead I’ve just not tested it.

Can I skip the flax?

It contributes to structure. Without it, the loaf may be much softer. Another egg replacer (like Bob’s Red Mill might work but I’ve not tested it).

Can I make these as muffins?

Absolutely! Bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes for standard sized muffins. If making mini or jumbo sized muffins, you’ll need to adjust baking times.

How do I store these?

Room temp: 3 days, wrapped well.

Refrigerate: Up to a week.

Freeze: Slice and freeze for up to 3 months.

If you want vegan banana bread that behaves like classic banana bread, this may just may be your new favorite recipe. Please rate and review if you try it!

The Best Vegan Banana Bread

Recipe by Kreg

5.0 from 8 votes

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

This is the best banana bread you’ll ever make vegan or otherwise!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 3 medium sized very ripe bananas mashed well with a fork (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled

• 6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)

• 1 tablespoon finely ground flax seed

• 1/4 cup plain vegan yogurt

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated (optional)

• 3/4 cups walnuts, chopped

Directions

• Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. 
• Whisk the finely ground flax meal into the aquafaba and let sit for five minutes to thicken. If you do not have aquafaba, you can add three additional tablespoons of flax meal to plain water to create flax eggs.
• Mash the bananas with a fork in a large mixing bowl. Do not purée them in a food processor or leave them in too large of chunks. You want them mashed so that they become loose and liquidy but that there are still some small chunks of bananas in there. If your coconut oil is not liquid, measure some into a mixing cup and microwave in 10 second intervals until just about completely melted. You can then use a tablespoon measure to measure out the liquefied coconut oil into your bowl. If you have any left over, you can simply pour that back into the jar of coconut oil to use another time. 
• Add the brown sugar and the coconut oil to the mashed bananas and mix well. Mix the vegan vegan yogurt, vanilla and aquafaba flax egg mixture into the wet ingredients and mix well. Add the chopped nuts and orange zest to the wet mixture if using.
• Add the whisked dry mixture to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not over mix. Over mixing will cause gluten to form from the flour and will make your end result tough and not rise as well.
• Preheat your oven to 350° and prepare a loaf pan by greasing well with an oil spray or vegan butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and even out with a spoon or spatula. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached. If the loaf is darkening too much during baking, you can tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top to prevent burning. Cool, and slice. This will freeze well.

Recipe Video

Notes

• I prefer using a heavyweight loaf pan but if you use glass or a thin nonstick pan, lower the temp to 325°.
  
• Use an unsweetened vegan plain yogurt. Vegan sour cream can be substituted if you don’t have any yogurt but you may want to thin it out with a little vegan milk first.
  
• Use organic sugar to ensure it’s vegan.
  
• Feel free to add different nuts, chocolate chips and different extracts like almond or maple.

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